With most admir'd diforder. Macb. Can fuch things be, And overcome us like a Summer's cloud, Without our special wonder? You make me ftrange When now I think, you can behold fuch fights; Roffe. What fights, my lord? Lady. I pray you, fpeak not; he grows worse and worse ; Question enrages him: at once good night. Stand not upon the Order of your Going, But go at once. Len. Good night, and better health Attend his Majesty! Lady. Good night, to all. [Exeunt Lords. Macb. It will have blood, they fay; blood will have blood; Stones have been known to move, and trees to speak; Augurs, that understood relations, have By mag-pies, and by choughs, and rooks brought forth The fecret'ft man of blood. What is the night? Lady. Almoft at odds with morning, which is which. Macb. How fay'ft thou, that Macduff denies his perfon, At our great bidding? Lady. Did you fend to him, Sir? Macb. I hear it by the way; but I will fend: 'There's not a Thane of them, but in his houfe (16) I keep a fervant fee'd. I will to morrow (Betimes I will) unto the weird fifters: More (16) There is not One of them,] Thus the modern Editors. But, One of Whom? Macbeth has just faid, that he heard, Macduff meant to disobey his Summons; and he would immedi ately fubjoin, that there is not a Man of Macduf's Quality in the Kingdom, but He has a Spy under his Roof. This is understood, not exprefs'd, as the Text as yet has stood: The old Folio's give us the Paffage thus; There's not a one of them. Here. 1 More fhall they speak; for now I'm bent to know, Stept in fo far, that, should I wade no more, Strange things I have in head, that will to hand; SCENE changes to the Heath. [Exeunt. Thunder. Enter the three Witches, meeting Hecate. how now, Hecat', you Witch. WH Η gerly. look an Hec. Have I not reason, Beldams, as you are? Sawcy, and over-bold! how did you dare To trade and traffick with Macbeth, In riddles and affairs of death? And, which is worse, all you have done Here we again meet with a deprav'd Reading; but it is fuck a One, as, I am perfwaded, has led me to the Poet's true Word and Meaning. There's not a Thane of them, i. e. a. Nobleman: and fo the Peers of Scotland were all call' d, till Earls were created by Malcolme the Son of Duncan. (17) We're yet but young indeed.] If we tranfpose these Words, we fhall find, they amount to no more than This, We are yet indeed but young. But this is far from comprizing either the Poet's, or Macbeth's, Meaning. I read,- -in Deed, i. e. but little inur'd yet to Acts of Blood and Cruelty for Time and Practice harden Villains in their Trade, who are timorous till fo harden'd. : Hath Hath been but for a weyward fon; Spightful and wrathful, who, as others do, Meet me i'th' morning: thither he Great business must be wrought ere noon : There hangs a vap'rous drop, profound; Is mortals' chiefest enemy. [Mufick and a Song: Hark, I am call'd; my little fpirit, fee, [Sing within. Come away, come away, &c. 1 Witch. Come, let's make hafte, she'll foon be back again. [Exeunt. Len. SCENE changes to a chamber. M Enter Lenox, and another Lord. : "Y former fpeeches have but hit your thoughts, Which can interpret farther: only, I fay, Things have been ftrangely borne. The gracious Duncan Was pitied of Macbeth marry, he was dead And the right-valiant Banque walk'd too late. Whom, you may fay, if't please you, Fleance kill'd, For Fleance fled: men must not walk too late. Who cannot want the thought, how monftrous tco Vo L. VI. It It was for Malcolm, and for Donalbain That were the flaves of drink, and thralls of fleep? (As, an't please heav'n, he fhall not;) they fhould find What 'twere to kill a father: fo fhould Fleance. But peace! for from broad words, and 'cause he fail'd Macduff lives in difgrace. Sir, can you tell Lord. The Son of Duncan, (18) From whom this tyrant holds the due of Birth, Lives (18) The Sons of Duncan From whom this Tyrant holds the Due of Birth] I have set right this Paffage against the Authority of our unobserving Editors. And the Proofs of my Emendation are obvious. In the firft place, Macbeth could not be faid to hold the Due of Birth from Both Duncan's Sons. The Succeffion to the Crown was the Right of Malcolm; and Donalbaine could have no Right to it, as long as his Elder Brother or any of his Issue were in Being. In the next place, the Sons of Duncan did not Both fhelter in the English Court. Upon the Discovery of their Father's Murther, we find them thus determining. Malc. I'll to England. Donal. To Ireland I; our separated Fortune Shall keep us both the fafer. This Determination, 'tis plain, they immediately put into A&, or Macbeth had very ill Intelligence: We hear, our bloody Coufins are bestow'd In England and in Ireland. Nor were they together, even at the time when Malcolm difputed his Right with Macbeth. Who knows, if Donalbain be with his Brother? Len. For certain, Sir, he is not. Belides, Hector Boethius and Helingshead (the latter of whom our Lives in the English Court; and is receiv'd To wake Northumberland, and warlike Siward; Give to our tables meat, fleep to our nights; Prepares for fome attempt of War. Len. Sent he to Macduff? Lord. He did; and with an abfolute, Sir, not I, The cloudy meffenger turns me his back, 66 And hums; as who should say, you'll rue the time, "That clogs me with this answer. Len. And that well might Advise him to a care to hold what distance Lord. I'll fend my pray'rs with him. Exeunt. our Author precisely follows;) both inform us, that Donalbaine remain'd in Ireland till the Death of Malcolm and his Queen; and then, indeed, he came over, invaded Scotland, and wrefted the Crown from One of his Nephews. |