Let every man be master of his time

Till seven at night. To make society

The sweeter welcome, we will keep ourself

Till supper-time alone. While then, God be with you.

Exeunt all but Macbeth and a Servant

Sirrah, a word with you. Attend those men

Our pleasure?

SERVANT

They are, my lord, without the palace gate.

MACBETH

Bring them before us. Exit Servant

To be thus is nothing

But to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo

Stick deep, and in his royalty of nature

Reigns that which would be feared. ‘Tis much he dares,

And to that dauntless temper of his mind

He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour

To act in safety. There is none but he

Whose being I do fear, and under him

My genius is rebuked as, it is said,

Mark Antony’s was by Caesar. He chid the sisters

When first they put the name of king upon me,

And bade them speak to him. Then, prophet-like,

They hailed him father to a line of kings.

Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown,

And put a barren sceptre in my grip,

Thence to be wrenched with an unlineal hand,

No son of mine succeeding. If’t be so,

For Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind,

For them the gracious Duncan have I murdered,

Put rancours in the vessel of my peace

Only for them, and mine eternal jewel

Given to the common enemy of man

To make them kings, the seeds of Banquo kings.

Rather than so, come fate into the list

And champion me to th’utterance. Who’s there?

Enter Servant and two Murderers

(To the Servant) Now go to the door, and stay there till

we call.

Exit Servant

Was it not yesterday we spoke together?

MURDERERS

It was, so please your highness.

MACBETH

Well then, now

Have you considered of my speeches? Know

That it was he in the times past which held you

So under fortune, which you thought had been

Our innocent self. This I made good to you

In our last conference, passed in probation with you

How you were borne in hand, how crossed, the

instruments,

Who wrought with them, and all things else that

might

To half a soul, and to a notion crazed,

Say ‘Thus did Banquo’.

FIRST MURDERER

You made it known to us.

MACBETH

I did so, and went further, which is now

Our point of second meeting. Do you find

Your patience so predominant in your nature

That you can let this go? Are you so gospelled

To pray for this good man and for his issue,

Whose heavy hand hath bowed you to the grave

And beggared yours for ever?

FIRST MURDERER

We are men, my liege.

MACBETH

Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men,

As hounds and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs,

Shoughs, water-rugs, and demi-wolves are clept

All by the name of dogs. The valued file

Distinguishes the swift, the slow, the subtle,

The housekeeper, the hunter, every one

According to the gift which bounteous nature

Hath in him closed; whereby he does receive

Particular addition from the bill

That writes them all alike. And so of men.

Now, if you have a station in the file,

Not i‘th’ worst rank of manhood, say’t,

And I will put that business in your bosoms

Whose execution takes your enemy off,

Grapples you to the heart and love of us,

Who wear our health but sickly in his life,

Which in his death were perfect.

SECOND MURDERER

I am one, my liege,

Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world

Hath so incensed that I am reckless what

I do to spite the world.

FIRST MURDERER

And I another,

So weary with disasters, tugged with fortune,

That I would set my life on any chance

To mend it or be rid on’t.

MACBETH

Both of you

Know Banquo was your enemy.

MURDERERS

True, my lord.

MACBETH

So is he mine, and in such bloody distance

That every minute of his being thrusts

Against my near’st of life; and though I could

With barefaced power sweep him from my sight

And bid my will avouch it, yet I must not,

For certain friends that are both his and mine,

Whose loves I may not drop, but wail his fall

Who I myself struck down. And thence it is

That I to your assistance do make love,

Masking the business from the common eye

For sundry weighty reasons.

SECOND MURDERER

We shall, my lord,

Perform what you command us.

FIRST MURDERER

Though our lives—

MACBETH

Your spirits shine through you. Within this hour at most

I will advise you where to plant yourselves,

Acquaint you with the perfect spy o‘th’ time,

The moment on’t; for’t must be done tonight,

And something from the palace; always thought

That I require a clearness; and with him,

To leave no rubs nor botches in the work,

Fleance, his son, that keeps him company—