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Enter MACВЕТН.

Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter! Thy letters have transported me beyond This ignorant present, and I feel now

The future in the instant.

Duncan comes here to-night.

Macb.

My dearest love,

Lady M.

And when goes hence?

Lady M.

O, never

Macb. To-morrow, -as he purposes.

Shall sun that morrow see!

Your face, my thane, is as a book, where men May read strange matters; 2-To beguile the time, Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye, Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent

flower,

But be the serpent under it. He that's coming
Must be provided for: and you shall put
This night's great business into my despatch;
Which shall to all our nights and days to come
Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.
Macl. We will speak further.

Lady M.

To alter favour ever is to fear: ' Leave all the rest to me.

Only look up clear;

[Exeunt.

innest smoke of hell.

not the wound it maks

the blanket of the -Great Glamis!

deprived the one of spe ote. Unless we absurd he hidden import of his se breath, as repetition De ed both as organs of th eshes. FUSELI. pression signifies adly, or destructice g at language, signibes pot in a pall. ice, (as Mr. Douce th , to invest. STEEVESS fe, which at presect ently used to expres 1

speare has supporal ed efforts, and never rocity, or a mark of of his own creation.

r than in her hus

r. She meets him

r, with such as Is or vassals; 15

noughts to a level

with her own purposes, than to testify her joy at his return, or manifest an attachment to his person: nor does any sentiment expressive of love or softness fall from her throughout the play. While Macbeth himself, amidst the horrors of his guilt, still retains a character less fiend-like than that of his queen, talks to her with a degree of tenderness, and pours his complaints and fears into her bosom, accompanied with terms of endearment. STEEVENS.

2 Your face, my thane, is as a book, where men

May read, &c.] That is, thy looks are such as will awaken men's curiosity, excite their attention, and make room for suspicion.

3 To alter favour ever is to fear:] Favour is-look, counte

nance.

SCENE VI.

The same. Before the Castle.

Hautboys. Servants of Macbeth attendi

Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DONALBAIN, BA LENOX, MACDUFF, ROSSE, ANGUS, tendants.

ar

Dun. This castle hath a pleasant seat; the Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself

Unto our gentle senses.

Ban.

This guest of summ

The temple-haunting martlet, does approve, By his lov'd mansionry, that the heaven's breat Smells wooingly here: no jutty, frieze, buttres Nor coigne of vantage, but this bird

made

5

* This castle hath a pleasant seat ;) This short dialogue ber Duncan and Banquo, whilst they are approaching the gat Macbeth's castle, has always appeared to me a striking ins of what in painting is termed repose. Their conversation ver turally turns upon the beauty of its situation, and the pleasan of the air; and Banquo, observing the martlets' nests in ever cess of the cornice, remarks, that where those birds most b and haunt, the air is delicate. The subject of this quiet and conversation gives that repose so necessary to the mind after tumultuous bustle of the preceding scenes, and perfectly contr the scene of horror that immediately succeeds. It seems a Shakspeare asked himself, What is a prince likely to say to his tendants on such an occasion? Whereas the modern writers see on the contrary, to be always searching for new thoughts, such would never occur to men in the situation which is represented. This also is frequently the practice of Homer, who, from t midst of battles and horrors, relieves and refreshes the mind of t reader, by introducing some quiet rural image, or picture of farm liar domestick life. SIR J. REYNOLDS.

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SCENE VI.

Before the Castle.

ants of Macbeth attend

COLM, DONALBAIN, BA
ROSSE, ANGUS,

a pleasant seat; the mmends itself

This guest of summid.
tlet, does approve,
at the heaven's breast
utty, frieze, buttress
but this bird b

This short dialogue beren e approaching the guest d to me a striking in Their conversation very

ation, and the pleasantes nartlets' nests in ever those birds most breed

ect of this quiet and ary to the mind after and perfectly contrasts ceeds. It seems as if likely to say to his atmodern writers seel, new thoughts, such as aich is representedmer, who, from the hes the mind of the or picture of fami

er.

they

His pendent bed, and procreant cradle: Where
Most breed and haunt, I have observ'd, the air
Is delicate.

Dun.

Enter Lady MACBETH.

See, see! our honour'd hostess!
The love that follows us, sometime is our trouble,
Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you,
How you shall bid God yield us for your pains,
And thank us for your trouble.

Lady M.

All our service

In every point twice done, and then done double,
Were poor and single business, to contend
Against those honours deep and broad, wherewith
Your majesty loads our house: For those of old,
And the late dignities heap'd up to them,
We rest your hermits."

Dun.

Where's the thane of Cawdor?

We cours'd him at the heels, and had a purpose

• The love that follows us, sometime is our trouble, Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you, How you shall bid God yield us for your pains, And thank us for your trouble.] This passage assage is undoubtedly obscure, and the following is the best explication of it I am able to

offer:

Marks of respect, importunately shown, are sometimes troublesome, though we are still bound to be grateful for them, as indications of sincere attachment. If you pray for us on account of the trouble we create in your house, and thank us for the molestations we bring with us, it must be on such a principle. Herein I teach you, that the inconvenience you suffer, is the result of our affection; and that you are therefore to pray for us, or thank us, only as far as prayers or thanks can be deserved for kindnesses that fatigue, and honours that oppress. You are, in short, to make your acknowledgments for intended respect and love, however irksome our present mode of expressing them may have proved. To bid is here used in the Saxon sense to pray. STEEVENS.

We rest your hermits.] Hermits, for beadsmen.

To be his purveyor: but he rides well;
And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath
To his home before us: Fair and noble hos

We are your guest to-night.

Lady M.

Your servants

Have theirs, themselves, and what is th

compt,

To make their audit at your highness' pleasu Still to return your own.

Dun. Give me your har Conduct me to mine host; we love him high And shall continue our graces towards him. By your leave, hostess.

[

SCENE VII.

The same. A Room in the Castle.

Hautboys and torches. Enter, and pass ove stage, a Sewer, and divers Servants with and service. Then enter MACBETH.

Macb. If it were done, when 'tis done, 'twere well

It were done quickly: If the assassination1

8 Your servants ever, &c.] The sense is:-We, and all w long to us, look upon our lives and fortunes not as our own perties, but as things we have received merely for your use, ar which we must be accountable, whenever you please to call us audit; when, like faithful stewards, we shall be ready to a your summons, by returning you what is your own.

9 Enter a Sewer,] A sewer was an officer so called from placing the dishes upon the table. Asseour, French; from ass to place.

1

If the assassination, &c.] Of this soliloquy the m ing is not very clear; I have never found the readers of SE speare agreeing about it. I understand it thus:

"If that which I am about to do, when it is once done executed, were done and ended without any following effects

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Could trammel up the consequence, and catch,
With his surcease, success; that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all here,
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,-
We'd jump the life to come. --But, in these cases,
We still have judgment here; that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
To plague the inventor: This even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice
To our own lips. He's here in double trust:
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,
Who should against his murderer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against
The deep damnation of his taking-off:
And pity, like a naked new-born babe,
Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubin, hors'd
Upon the sightless couriers of the air,
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,
That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only

sassination'

is:-We, and all the le es not as car ly for yours, please to call all be ready to came

Ой,

Sicer so called from lis French; from ass,

soliloquy the mem De readers of Shak

is once done and llowing effects, a

would then be best to do it quickly: if the murder could terminate in itself, and restrain the regular course of consequences, if its success would secure its surcease, if, being once done successfully, without detection, it could fix a period to all vengeance and enquiry, so that this blow might be all that I have to do, and this anxiety all that I have to suffer; if this could be my condition, even here in this world, in this contracted period of temporal existence, on this narrow bank in the ocean of eternity, I would jump the life to come, I would venture upon the deed without care of any future state. But this is one of those cases in which judgment is pronounced and vengeance inflicted upon us here in our present life. We teach others to do as we have done, and are punished by our own example. JOHNSON.

Hath borne his faculties so meek,] Faculties, for office, exercise of power, &c.

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