And gain a husband by his liberty:- Ege. If I dream not, thou art Æmilia; Abb. By men of Epidamnum, he, and I, Duke. Why, here begins his morning story right;' Ant. S. No, sir, not I; I came from Syracuse. Duke. Stay, stand apart! I know not which is which. Ant. E. I came from Corinth, my most gracious lord. Dro. E. And I with him. Ant. E. Brought to this town with that most famous warrior Duke Menaphon, your most renowned uncle. Adr. Which of you two did dine with me to day? Ant. S. I, gentle mistress. Adr. And are not you my husband? Ant. E. No, I say nay to that." Ant. S. And so do I, yet did she call me so; And this fair gentlewoman, her sister here, Did call me brother:-What I told you then, I hope, I shall have leisure to make good; If this be not a dream, I see, and hear. Ang. That is the chain, sir, which you had of me. Ant. S. I think it be, sir; I deny it not. Ant. E. And you, sir, for this chain arrested me. Ang. I think I did, sir; I deny it not. Adr. I sent you money, sir, to be your bail, By Dromio; but I think he brought it not. "Dro. E. No, none by me. And all that are assembled in this place, Duke. With all my heart, I'll gossip at this feast. [Exeunt Duke, Abbess, geon, Courtezan, Merchant, Angelo, and attendants. Dro. S. Master, shall I fetch your stuff from shipboard? Ant. E. Dromio, what stuff of mine hast thou embark'd? Dro. S. Your goods, that lay at host, sir, in the Centaur. Ant. S. He speaks to me; I am your master, Come, go with us: we'll look to that anon: [Exeunt Antipholus S. and E. Adr. and Luc. Dro. S. There is a fat friend at your master's house, That kitchen'd me for you to-day at dinner ; Dro. E. Methinks, you are my glass, and not my brother: I see by you, I am a sweet-faced youth. Dro. E. Nay, then thus: We came into the world, like brother and brother; And now let's go hand in hand, not one before another. [Exeunt. On a careful revision of the foregoing scenes, I do not hesitate to pronounce them the composition of two very unequal writers. Shakspeare had undoubtedly a share in them; but that the entire play Ant. S. This purse of ducats I receiv'd from you, was no work of his, is an opinion which (as Bene And Dromio my man did bring them me : I see, we still did meet each other's man, Abb. Renowned duke, vouchsafe to take the pains (1) The morning story is what Egeon tells the duke in the first scene of this play. dict says) 'fire cannot melt out of me; I will die in it at the stake.' Thus, as we are informed by Aulus Gellius, Lib. III. Cap. 3. some plays were absolutely ascribed to Plautus, which in truth had only been (retractatæ et expolita) retouched and polished by him. In this comedy we find more intricacy of plot than distinction of character; and our attention is less forcibly engaged, because we can guess in great measure how the denouement will be brought about. Yet the subject appears to have been reluctantly dismissed, even in this last and unnecessary scene; where the same mistakes are continued, till the power of affording entertainment is entirely lost. STEEVENS, SCENE I.—An open place. Thunder and ning. Enter three Witches. 1 Witch. WHEN shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain? 2 Witch. When the hurlyburly's' done, When the battle's lost and won. 3 Witch. That will be ere set of sun. 1 Witch. Where the place? 2 Witch. 1.An English Doctor. A Scotch Doctor. A Soldier. A Porter. An old Man. Lady Macbeth. Lady Macduff. Gentlewoman attending on lady Macbeth. Hecate, and three Witches. Lords, Gentlemen, Officers, Soldiers, Murderers, Attendants, and Messengers. The Ghost of Banquo, and several other Appari tions. Scene, in the end of the fourth act, lies in England; through the rest of the play, in Scotland, and, chiefly, at Macbeth's castle. Do swarm upon him,) from the western isles Light-And fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling, Of Kernes and Gallowglasses is supplied;2 Upon the heath. S Witch. There to meet with Macbeth. 1 Witch. I come, Graymalkin! All. Paddock calls:-Anon.Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air. [Witches vanish. SCENE II.—A Camp near Fores. Alarum within. Enter King Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Lenox, with attendants, meeting a bleeding Soldier. Dun. What bloody man is that? He can report, Mal. Sold. Show'd like a rebel's whore: But all's too weak: Cary'd out his passage, till he fac'd the slave; Dun. O, valiant cousin! worthy gentleman! Sold. As whence the un 'gins his reflexion Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders break; So from that spring, whence comfort seem'd to come, Discomfort swells. Mark, king of Scotland, mark: No sooner justice had, with valour arm'd, Compell'a hese skipping Kernes to trust their heels: With furbish'd arms, and new supplies of men, But the Norweyan lord, surveying vantage, Began a fresh assault. Dun. Dismay'd not this Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo? Sold. Yes; As sparrows, eagles; or the hare, the lion. Doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe: I cannot tell : Who comes here? Mal. Enter Rosse. The worthy thane of Rosse. Len. What a haste looks through his eyes! should he look, That seems to speak things strange. Rosse. So God save the king! Where the Norweyan banners flout' the sky, Norway himself, with terrible numbers, The thane of Cawdor, 'gan a dismal conflict: Dun. Rosse. That now Great happiness! Sweno, the Norways' king, craves composition; Dun. No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive Our bosom interest:-Go, pronounce his death, And with his former title greet Macbeth. Rosse. I'll see it done. fear, Things that do sound so fair?--I'the name of truth, Dun. What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath Are ye fantastical," or that indeed [Exeunt. Which outwardly ye show? My noble partner You greet with present grace, and great prediction Enter the Of noble having,10 and of royal hope, 1 Witch. Where hast thou been, sister? 2 Witch. Killing swine. 3 Witch. Sister, where thou? 1 Witch. A sailor's wife had chesnuts in her lap, And mounch'd, and mounch'd, and mounch'd:Give me, quoth 1: Aroint thee, witch! the rump-fed ronyon' cries. Her husband's to Aleppo gone, master o'the Tiger: But in a sieve I'll thither sail," And, like a rat without a tail, I'll do, I'll do, and I'll do. 2 Witch. I'll give thee a wind. 1 Witch. Thou art kind. 3 Witch. And I another. 1 Witch. I myself have all the other; And the very ports they blow, I will drain him dry as hay: 2 Witch. Show me, show me. 1 Witch. Here I have a pilot's thumb, Wreck'd, as homeward he did come. 3 Witch. A drum, a drum; Macbeth doth come. That he seems rapt withal; to me you speak not: And say, which grain will grow, and which will not, 1 Witch. Hail! 2 Witch. Hail! 3 Witch. Hail! 1 Witch. Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. 2 Witch. Not so happy, yet much happier. 3 Witch. Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none: So, all hail, Macbeth, and Banquo! 1 Witch. Banquo, and Macbeth, all hail! Macb. Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more: By Sinel's death, I know, I am thane of Glamis ;5 But how of Cawdor? the thane of Cawdor lives, A prosperous gentleman; and to be king, Stands not within the prospect of belief, No more than to be Cawdor. Say, from whence You owe this strange intelligence? or why Upon this blasted heath you stop our way With such prophetic greeting?-Speak, I charge [Witches vanish. (1) Mock. (2) Shakspeare means Mars. (3) Defended by armour of proof. (4) Avaunt, begone. (5) A scurvy woman fed on offals. (6) Sailor's chart. (7) Accursed.' (8) Prophetic sisters. You shall be king. (9) Supernatural, spiritual. (10) Estate. (11) Rapturously affected. (12) The root which makes insane. |