Page:Macbeth (1918) Yale.djvu/53

Macbeth, III. i

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.

Sec. Mur. We shall, my lord,

Perform what you command us.

First Mur. Though our lives—

Macb. 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' the time,

The moment on 't; for 't must be done to-night,

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,

Whose absence is no less material to me

Than is his father's, must embrace the fate

Of that dark hour. Resolve yourselves apart;

I'll come to you anon.

Murderers. We are resolv'd, my lord.

Macb. I'll call upon you straight: abide within.

It is concluded: Banquo, thy soul's flight,

If it find heaven, must find it out to-night.

 120 avouch it: assume responsibility for it

121 For: for the sake of

130 spy o' the time: instructions as to time

132 something from: some distance from

always thought: it being kept in mind

133 clearness: freedom from suspicion

134 rubs: mischances 