Scene III

[A park near the palace.]

Enter three Murderers.

FIRST MURDERER:

But who did bid thee join with us?

FIRST MURDERER:

But who asked you to join us?

THIRD MURDERER:

Macbeth.

THIRD MURDERER:

Macbeth.

SECOND MURDERER:

He needs not our mistrust, since he
delivers
Our offices and what we have to do,(5)
To the direction just.

SECOND MURDERER:

He doesn’t need our mistrust; since he tells us
Our duties and the directions for
what we have to do.

FIRST MURDERER:

Then stand with us.
The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day;
Now spurs the lated traveller apace
To gain the timely inn, and near approaches(10)
The subject of our watch.

FIRST MURDERER:

Then stand with us.
There are still some streaks of day in the west.
Now is the time that the late traveler speeds up his pace,
So that he can get to an inn, and here comes
The person we’re waiting for.

THIRD MURDERER:

Hark! I hear horses.

THIRD MURDERER:

Listen! I hear horses.

BANQUO:

within. Give us a light there, ho!

BANQUO:

Give us a light there, hello!

SECOND MURDERER:

Then ’tis he: the rest
That are within the note of expectation(15)
Already are i’ the court.

SECOND MURDERER:

Then it is he; the rest
That are nobles
Are already in the court.

FIRST MURDERER:

His horses go about.

FIRST MURDERER:

He is cooling off his horses.

THIRD MURDERER:

Almost a mile, but he does usually—
So all men do—from hence to the palace gate
Make it their walk.(20)

THIRD MURDERER:

Almost a mile, but he usually does that,
Just as all men do. They cool them off
From here to the palace gate.

SECOND MURDERER:

A light, a light!

SECOND MURDERER:

A light, a light!

Enter Banquo and Fleance, with a Torch.

THIRD MURDERER:

’Tis he.

THIRD MURDERER:

It is he.

FIRST MURDERER:

Stand to't.

FIRST MURDERER:

Let’s do it.

BANQUO:

It will be rain tonight.

BANQUO:

There will be rain tonight.

FIRST MURDERER:

Let it come down. [They assault Banquo.](25)

FIRST MURDERER:

Let it come down.

BANQUO:

O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!
Thou mayst revenge. O slave!

BANQUO:

O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!
You’ll get revenge later. O slave!

THIRD MURDERER:

Who did strike out the light?

THIRD MURDERER:

Who put out the light?

FIRST MURDERER:

Was't not the way?

FIRST MURDERER:

Wasn’t that what we were supposed to do?

THIRD MURDERER:

There's but one down; the son is fled.(30)

THIRD MURDERER:

There's only one down. The son has fled.

SECOND MURDERER:

We have lost best half of our affair.

SECOND MURDERER:

We have lost best half of our attack.

FIRST MURDERER:

Well, let's away and say how much is done.

FIRST MURDERER:

Well, let's go, and tell Macbeth how much we did.

Exeunt.