Thou marvell'st at my words: but hold thee still; Things, bad begun, make strong themselves by ill: So, pr'ythee, go with me. [Exeunt. "The desert; fowls in their clay nests were couch'd; "And now wild beasts came forth the woods to roam." Should this attempt to reform the passage before us be condemned, "the substance which underwent the operation, at the very worst, is but where it was." Such an unfamiliar verb as rook, might, (especially in a playhouse copy,) become easily corrupted. STEEVENS. Mr. Steevens's first explanation may receive some support from a passage in the Historie of King Morindos and Miracola, a Spanish Witch, 1609: "It was even at the middle of night, when the scritch-owle, rookes, and doremice sleepe in foggy mistes: it was even at that houre when the ghoastes of dead men walke, when murtherers dreame of villainy." BOSWELL. 5 Whiles night's black agents to their PREY do rouse.] This appears to be said with reference to those dæmons who were supposed to remain in their several places of confinement all day, but at the close of it were released; such, indeed, as are mentioned in The Tempest, as rejoicing "To hear the solemn curfew," because it announced the hour of their freedom. So also, in Sydney's Astrophel and Stella: "In night, of sprites the ghastly powers do stir." Thus also in Ascham's Toxophilus, edit. 1589, p. 13: "For on the night time and in corners, spirites and theeves, &c. &c. use most styrring, when in the day light, and in open places which be ordeyned of God for honest things, they dare not once come; which thing Euripides noteth very well, saying-Iph. in Taur: "Ill thyngs the nyght, good thyngs the day doth haunt and use." STEEVENS. The old copy reads preys, as in the text, which Mr. Steevens and the other modern editors have altered to prey; but the original word was the phraseology of Shakspeare's time. So, in a translation from Virgil in The Housholders Philosophie, 1588: "We hide our grey hairs with our helmets, liking ever more To live upon the sport and waft our praics from shore to shore." MALONE. 66 SCENE III. The Same. A Park or Lawn, with a Gate leading to the Palace. Enter Three Murderers. 1 MUR. But who did bid thee join with us? 3 MUR. Macbeth. 2 MUR. He needs not our mistrust; since he de livers Our offices, and what we have to do, To the direction just. 1 MUR. Then stand with us. The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day: To gain the timely inn; and near approaches Hark! I hear horses. 3 MUR. Then it is he; the rest But who did bid thee join with us?] The meaning of this abrupt dialogue is this. The perfect spy, mentioned by Macbeth, in the foregoing scene, has, before they enter upon the stage, given them the directions which were promised at the time of their agreement; yet one of the murderers suborned, suspects him of intending to betray them; the other observes, that, by his exact knowledge of what they were to do, he appears to be employed by Macbeth, and needs not to be mistrusted. JOHNSON. The third assassin seems to have been sent to join the others, from Macbeth's superabundant caution. From the following dialogue it appears that some conversation has passed between them before their present entry on the stage. MALONE. The third Murderer enters only to tell them where they should place themselves. STEEVENS. 7 lated i. e. belated, benighted. So, again, in Antony and Cleopatra: "I am so lated in the world, that I 'Have lost my way for ever." STEEVENS. 8 That are within the note of expectation ®, 1 MUR. His horses go about. 3 MUR. Almost a mile: but he does usually, So all men do, from hence to the palace gate Make it their walk. Enter BANQUO and FLEANCE, a Servant with a torch preceding them. BAN. O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly; Thou may'st revenge.-O slave! [Dies. Fleance and Servant escape 2. 8 the note of expectation,] i. e. they who are set down in the list of guests, and expected to supper. STEEVENS. 9 Then it is he; the rest THAT ARE within the note of expectation, ALREADY are i' the court.] Perhaps this passage, before it fell into the hands of the players, stood thus: "Then it is he; The hasty recurrence of are, in the last line, and the redundancy of the metre, seem to support my conjecture. Numberless are the instances in which the player editors would not permit the necessary something to be supplied by the reader. They appear to have been utterly unacquainted with an ellipsis. I Stand to't. It will Be rain to-night. STEEVENS. Let it come down.] For the sake of metre, we should certainly read- "Let it come down." STEEVENS. 3 MUR. Who did strike out the light? 1 MUR. Was't not the way3 ? 3 MUR. There's but one down; the son is fled. 2 MUR. We have lost best half of our affair. 1 MUR. Well, let's away, and say how much is done. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. A Room of State in the Palace. A Banquet prepared. Enter MACBETH, Lady MACBETH, ROSSE, LENOX, Lords, and Attend ants. MACB. You know your own degrees, sit down : at first And last, the hearty welcome a. Lords. Thanks to your majesty. MACB. Ourself will mingle with society, And play the humble host. Fleance, &c. escape.] Fleance, after the assassination of his father, fled into Wales, where, by the daughter of the Prince of that country, he had a son named Walter, who afterwards became Lord High Steward of Scotland, and from thence assumed the name of Walter Steward. From him, in a direct line, King James I. was descended; in compliment to whom our author has chosen to describe Banquo, who was equally concerned with Macbeth in the murder of Duncan, as innocent of that crime. MALONE. 3 Was't not the way?] i. e. the best means we could take to evade discovery. STEEVENS. Rather, to effect our purpose. RITSON. 4 You know your own degrees, sit down: AT first, And last, the hearty welcome.] I believe the true reading is: "You know your own degrees, sit down.-To first "And last the hearty welcome." All, of whatever degree, from the highest to the lowest, may be assured that their visit is well received. JOHNSON. Our hostess keeps her state'; but, in best time, We will require her welcome. LADY M. Pronounce it for me, sir, to all our friends; For my heart speaks, they are welcome. Enter first Murderer, to the door. MACB. See, they encounter thee with their hearts' thanks : Both sides are even: Here I'll sit i' the midst : MACB. "Tis better thee without, than he within. Is he despatch'd? 5 Our hostess keeps her state; &c,] i. e. continues in her chair of state at the head of the table. This idea might have been borrowed from Holinshed, p. 805: "The king (Henry VIII.) caused the queene to keepe the estate, and then sat the ambassadours and ladies as they were marshalled by the king, who would not sit, but walked from place to place, making cheer," &c. To keep state is a phrase perpetually occurring in our ancient dramas, &c. So, Ben Jonson, in his Cynthia's Revels : "Seated in thy silver chair "State in wonted manner keep." Again, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Wild Goose Chase: A state appears to have been a royal chair with a canopy over it. So, in King Henry IV. Part I.: "This chair shall be my state." Again, in Sir T. Herbert's Memoirs of Charles I.: "where being set, the king under a state," &c. Again, in The View of France, 1598 : espying the chayre not to stand well under the state, he mended it handsomely himself." MALONE. 1 6 "TIS BETTER thee without, than HE within.] The sense requires that this passage should be read thus: ""Tis better thee without, than him within." That is, I am better pleased that the blood of Banquo should be on thy face than in his body.' |