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Macbeth does murther sleep" -the innocent sleep,

Sleep that knits up the ravel'd sleave of care,

The death of each day's life, sore labor's bath,

Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,

Chief nourisher in life's feast-

LADY MACBETH.

What do you mean?

MACBETH.

Still it cried, "Sleep no more!" to all the house;

"Glamis hath murther'd sleep, and therefore Cawdor

Shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more."

LADY MACBETH.

Who was it that thus cried? Why, worthy Thane,

You do unbend your noble strength, to think

So brainsickly of things. Go, get some water

And wash this filthy witness from your hand.

Why did you bring these daggers from the place?

They must lie there. Go carry them, and smear

The sleepy grooms with blood.

MACBETH.

I'll go no more.

I am afraid to think what I have done;

Look on't again I dare not.

LADY MACBETH.

Infirm of purpose!

Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead

Are but as pictures; 'tis the eye of childhood

That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed,

I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal,

For it must seem their guilt. Exit. Knocking within.

MACBETH.

Whence is that knocking?

How is't with me, when every noise appals me?

What hands are here? Ha, they pluck out mine eyes!

Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood

Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather

The multitudinous seas incarnadine,

Making the green one red.

Re-enter Lady Macbeth.

LADY MACBETH.

My hands are of your color, but I shame

To wear a heart so white. [Knocking within.] I hear knocking

At the south entry. Retire we to our chamber.

A little water clears us of this deed.

How easy is it then! Your constancy

Hath left you unattended. [Knocking within.] Hark, more knocking.

Get on your nightgown, lest occasion call us

And show us to be watchers. Be not lost

So poorly in your thoughts.

MACBETH.

To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself.

Knocking within.

Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!

Exeunt.

SCENE III. The same.

Enter a Porter. Knocking within.

PORTER. Here's a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of Hell

Gate, he should have old turning the key. [Knocking within.]

Knock, knock, knock! Who's there, i' the name of Belzebub?

Here's

a farmer that hanged himself on th' expectation of plenty.

Come

in time! Have napkins enow about you; here you'll sweat fort.

[Knocking within.] Knock, knock! Who's there, in th' other

devil's name? Faith, here's an equivocator that could swear in

both the scales against either scale, who committed treason

enough for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven. O,

come in, equivocator. [Knocking within.] Knock, knock, knock!

Who's there? Faith, here's an English tailor come hither, for

stealing out of a French hose. Come in, tailor; here you may

roast your goose. [Knocking within.] Knock, knock! Never at

quiet! What are you? But this place is too cold for hell.

I'll

devil-porter it no further. I had thought to have let in some of

all professions, that go the primrose way to the everlasting

bonfire. [Knocking within.] Anon, anon! I pray you, remember the porter.

Opens the gate.

Enter Macduff and Lennox.

MACDUFF. Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed,

That you do lie so late?

PORTER.

Faith, sir, we were carousing till the second cock; and

drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things.

MACDUFF.

What three things does drink especially provoke?

PORTER.

Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine. Lechery,

sir,

it provokes and unprovokes: it provokes the desire, but it takes

away the performance. Therefore much drink may be said to be an

equivocator with lechery: it makes him, and it mars him; it sets

him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him and disheartens

him; makes him stand to and not stand to; in conclusion,

equivocates him in a sleep, and giving him the lie, leaves him.

MACDUFF.

I believe drink gave thee the lie last night.

PORTER.

That it did, sir, i' the very throat on me; but requited