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 fear'd:
'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 rebuk'd;
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 hail'd him father to a line of kings:
Upon my head they plac'd a
fruitless crown,
And put a barren sceptre in my
gripe,
Thence to be wrench'd
with an
unlineal hand,
No son of mine succeeding. If 't be so,
For Banquo's
issue have I
fil'd my mind;
For them the
gracious Duncan have I murder'd;
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 the
utterance!