In viewing o'er the rest o' the self-fame day, 3-As thick as tale,) Meaning, that the news came as thick as a tale can travel with the post. Or we may read, perhaps, yet better: -As thick as tale, Came post with post; That is, posts arrived as fast as they could be counted. So, in King Henry VI. P. III. Act II. fc. i: "Tidings, as swiftly as the poft could run, Mr. Rowe reads as thick as hail. STEEVENS. JOHNSON. The old copy reads-Can post. The emendation is Mr. Rowe's. Dr. Johnson's explanation would be less exceptionable, if the old copy had-As quick as tale. Thick applies but ill to tale, and seems rather to favour Mr. Rowe's emendation. "As thick as hail," as an anonymous correfpondent obferves to me, is an expreffion in the old play of King John, 1591: breathe out damned orifons, "As thick as hail-stones 'fore the spring's approach." The emendation of the word can is supported by a paffage in King Henry IV. P. II : " And there are twenty weak and wearied posts Dr. Johnson's explanation is perfectly justifiable. As thick, in ancient language, signified as fast. To speak thick, in our author, does not therefore mean, to have a cloudy indistinct utterance, but to deliver words with rapidity. So, in Cym beline, Act III. fc. ii: "-fay, and speak thick, " (Love's counsellor should fill the bores of hearing Again, in King Henry IV. P. II. Act II. fc. iii : "And Speaking thick, which nature made his blemish, "For those that could speak low and tardily, Thick therefore is not less applicable to tale, the old reading, than to hail, the alteration of Mr. Rowe. STEEVENS. Came poft with post; and every one did bear And pour'd them down before him. ANG. We are fent, To give thee, from our royal mafter, thanks; ROSSE. And, for an earnest of a greater honour, He bade me, from him, call thee thane of Cawdor: In which addition, hail, most worthy thane! For it is thine. BAN. What, can the devil speak true? MACB. The thane of Cawdor lives; Why do you dress me In borrow'd robes ? Who was the thane, lives yet; But under heavy judgment bears that life * To herald thee &c.] The old copy redundantly readsOnly to herald thee &c. STEEVENS. s-with Norway ;) The old copy reads: -with those of Norway. The players not understanding that by "Norway" our author meant the King of Norway, as in Hamlet " Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy," &c. foifted in the words at present omitted. STEEVENS. There is, I think, no need of change. The word combin'd belongs to the preceding line: "Which he deferves to lose. Whe'r he was combin'd "With those of Norway, or did line the rebel," &c. Whether was in our author's time sometimes pronounced and written as one fyllable, whe'r. So, in King John: "Now shame upon you, whe'r the does or no." MALONE. He labour'd in his country's wreck, I know not; But treasons capital, confess'd, and prov'd, Have overthrown him. MACB. Glamis, and thane of Cawdor: The greatest is behind. -Thanks for your pains.Do you not hope your children shall be kings, When those that gave the thane of Cawdor to me, Promis'd no less to them? BAN. That, trusted home,6 trusted home,] i.e. entirely, thoroughly relied on. So, in All's well that ends well : "lack'd the sense to know "Her eftimation home." Again, in The Tempest: : "I will pay thy graces "Home, both in word and deed." STEEVENS. The added word home shows clearly, in my apprehenfion, that our author wrote That, thrusted home. So, in a fubfequent scene : "That every minute of his being thrufts "Againft my nearest of life." Thrusted is the regular participle from the verb to thrust, and though now not often used, was, I believe, common in the time of Shakspeare. So, in King Henry V: "With cafted flough and fresh legerity." Home means to the uttermost. So, in The Winter's Tale : "-all my forrows "You have paid home." It may be observed, that "thrusted home" is an expression used at this day; but "trusted home," I believe, was never used at any period whatsoever. I have had frequent occafion to remark that many of the errors in the old copies of our author's plays arose from the tranfcriber's ear having deceived him. In Ireland, where much of the pronunciation of the age of Queen Elizabeth is yet retained, the vulgar constantly pronounce the word thrust as if it were written truft; and hence, probably, the error in the text. The change is so very flight, and I am so thoroughly perfuaded that the reading proposed is the true one, that had it been suggested by any former editor, I should, without hefitation, have given it a place in the text. MALONE. Might yet enkindle you' unto the crown, Win us with honeft trifles, to betray us 1 Might yet enkindle you-] Enkindle, for to stimulate you to feek. WARBURTON. A fimilar expreffion occurs in As you like it, Act I. sc. i: "-nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither." STEEVENS. Might fire you with the hope of obtaining the crown. HENLEY. * Two truths are told, &c.) How the former of these truths has been fulfilled, we are yet to learn. Macbeth could not become Thane of Glamis, till after his father's decease, of which there is no mention throughout the play. If the Hag only announced what Macbeth already understood to have happened, her words could scarcely claim rank as a prediction. STEEVENS. From the Scottish tranflation of Boethius it should feem that Sinel, the father of Macbeth, died after Macbeth's having been met by the weird fifters. "Makbeth (fays the hiftorian) revolvyng all thingis, as they wer said to be the weird fisteris, began to covat ye croun. And zit he concludit to abide, quhil he faw ye tyme ganand thereto; fermelie belevyng yt ye third weird fuld cum as the first two did afore." This, indeed, is inconfiftent with our author's words, "By Sinel's death, I know, Iam thane of Glamis; "-but Holinshed, who was his guide, in his abridgment of the History of Boethius, has particularly mentioned that Sinel died before Macbeth met the weird fifters: we may, therefore, be fure that Shakspeare meant it to be understood that Macbeth had already acceded to his paternal title. Bellenden only says, "The first of them faid to Macbeth, Hale thane of Glammis. The secound said," &c. But in Holinshed the relation runs thus, conformably to the Latin original: "The first of them spake and said, All haile Mackbeth, thane of Glammis (for he had latelie entered into that dignitie and office 9 As happy prologues to the swelling act by the death of his father Sinell.) The second of them faid," &c. Still, however, the objection made by Mr. Steevens remains in its full force; for fince he knew that " by Sinel's death he was thane of Glamis," how can this salutation be confidered as prophetic? Or why should he afterwards say, with admiration, "GLAMIS, and thane of Cawdor;" &c? Perhaps we may suppose that the father of Macbeth died so recently before his interview with the weirds, that the news of it had not yet got abroad; in which case, though Macbeth himself knew it, he might confider their giving him the title of Thane of Glamis as. a proof of fupernatural intelligence. I fufpect our author was led to use the expreffions which have occafioned the present note, by the following words of Holinshed: "The fame night after, at fupper, Banquo jested with him, and faid, Now Mackbeth, thou hast obteined those things which the two former fifters PROPHESIED: there remaineth onelie for thee to purchase that which the third said should come to paffe." MALONE. -fwelling act] Swelling is used in the same sense in the prologue to King Henry V: - princes to act, " And monarchs to behold the fivelling scene." STEEVENS. *This fupernatural foliciting-] Soliciting for information. WARBURTON. Soliciting is rather, in my opinion, incitement, than information. JOHNSON. 2 -suggestion-] i. e. temptation. So, in All's well that ends well: "A filthy officer he is in those suggestions for the young earl." STEEVENS. * Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair,] So Macbeth says, in the latter part of this play: |