Mal This murderous shaft that 's shot, Hath not yet lighted; Is, to avoid the aim and our safest way Therefore, to horse; And let us not be dainty of leave-taking, But shift away: There's warrant in that theft SCENE IV. Without the Castle. Enter Rosse, and an old Man. [Exeunt, Old M. Threescore and ten I can remember wel: Within the volume of which time, I have seen Hours dreadful, and things strange; but this sore night Hath trifled former knowings. Ah, good father, Rosse. Thou see'st, the heavens, as troubled with man's act, Threaten his bloody stage: by the clock, 'tis day, And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp: Is it night's predominance, or the day's shame, That darkness does the face of earth intomb, When living light should kiss it? to be the murderer; for he was the nearest in blood to the two princes, being the cousin-german of Duncan. Steevens. This murderous shaft that's shot, Hath not yet lighted;] The design to fix the murder upon some innocent person has not yet taken effect. Jokson. The shaft is not yet lighted, and though it has done mischief in its flight, we have reason to apprehend still more before it has spent its force and falls to the ground. The end for which the murder was committed is not yet attained. The death of the king only, could neither insure the crown to Macbeth, nor accomplish any other purpose, while his sons were yet living, who had, therefore, just reason to apprehend they should be removed by the same means. Such another thought occurs in Bussy D'Ambois, 1607: darkness does the face of earth intomb, When living light should kiss it?] After the murder of king Duffe, (says Holinshed) “for the space of six moneths togither Old M. 'Tis unnatural, Even like the deed that 's done. On Tuesday last, A falcon, tow'ring in her pride of place,6 Was by a mousing owl hawk'd at, and kill'd. Rosse. And Duncan's horses, (a thing most strange and certain) Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race,3 Turn'd wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out, Contending 'gainst obedience, as they would make War with mankind. Old M. 'Tis said, they eat each other. Rosse. They did so; to the amazement of mine eyes, there appeared no sunne by day, nor moone by night, in anie part of the realme, but still was the sky covered with continual clouds; and sometimes such outrageous winds arose with lightenings and tempests, that the people were in great fear of present destruction."-It is evident that Shakspeare had this passage in his thoughts. Malone. See note at the end of the play, with a reference to p. 74. Steevens. in her pride of place,] Finely expressed, for confidence in its quality. Warburton. In a place of which she seemed proud;-in an elevated situation. Malone. 7 by a mousing owl-] i. e. by an owl that was hunting for mice, as her proper prey. Whalley. This is also found among the prodigies consequent on king Duffe's murder: "There was a sparhawk strangled by an owl.* minions of their race,] Theobald reads minions of the race, very probably, and very poetically. Johnson. Steevens. Their is probably the true reading, the same expression being found in Romeus and Juliet, 1562, a poem which Shakspeare had certainly read: "There were two ancient stocks, which Fortune high did place “Above the rest, endew'd with wealth, the nobler of I prefer "minions of the race," i. e. the favourite horses on the race-ground. Thus, in Henry IV, P. I, we have "minions of the moon." The horses of Duncan have just been celebrat ed for being swift. Most of the prodigies just before mentioned are related by Holinsbed, as accompanying king Dufle's death; and it is in particular asserted, that horses of singular beauty aud swiftness did cat their own flesh. Steevens. That look'd upon 't. Here comes the good Macduff:- Enter MACDuff. How goes the world, sir, now? Macd. Why, see you not? Rosse. Is 't known, who did this more than bloody They were suborn'd:, Malcolm, and Donalbain, the king's two sons, Rosse. 'Gainst nature still: Thriftless ambition, that wilt ravin up1 Thine own life's means!—Then 'tis most like, Macd. He is already nam'd; and gone to Scone, Rosse. Where is Duncan's body? Macd. Carried to Colmes-kill;4. 9 What good could they pretend?] To pretend is here to propose to themselves, to set before themselves as a motive of action. Johnson. To pretend, in this instance, as in many others, is simply to intend, to design. Steevens. So, in Goulart's Histories, 1607: "The carauell arriued safe at her pretended port." p. 575. Again, p. 586: “As for the Sclauonian captaine, he cast himselfe into the sea, meaning to swimme vnto the shelfes neere vnto the fort, where hee pretended to saue himselfe." Ritson. 1 that wilt ravin up -] The old copy reads-will. Corrected by Sir Thomas Hanmer. Malone 2 Then 'tis most like,] To complete the measure, I suppose, with Sir T. Hanmer, that our author wrote Why, then it is most like, 3 Then 'tis most like, -- Steevens. The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.] Macbeth, by his birth, stood next in the succession to the crown, immediately after the sons of Duncan. King Malcolm, Duncan's predeces sor, had two daughters, the eldest of whom was the mother of Duncan, the youngest, the mother of Macbeth. Holinshed. Steevens. The sacred storehouse of his predecessors, And guardian of their bones. Rosse. Will you to Scone? Well, I will thither. Macd. No, cousin, I'll to Fife. Macd. Well, may you see things well done there adieu! Lest our old robes sit easier than our new! Rosse. Father, farewel. Old M. God's benison go with you; and with those That would make good of bad, and friends of foes! [Exeunt. ACT III.....SCENE I. Fores. A Room in the Palace. Enter BANQUO. Ban. Thou hast it now, king, Cawdor, Glamis, all, But that myself should be the root, and father Colmes-kill;] Or Colm-kill, is the famous Iona, one of the western isles, which Dr. Johnson visited, and describes in his Tour. Holinshed scarcely mentions the death of any of the ancient kings of Scotland, without taking notice of their being buried with their predecessors in Colme-kill. Steevens. It is now called Icolmkill. Kill, in the Erse language, signifies a burying-place Malone. 5 Thou hast it now, king, Cawdor, Glamis, all, As the weird women promis'd; ] Here we have another passage, that might lead us to suppose that the thaneship of Glamis descended to Macbeth subsequent to his meeting the weird sisters, though that event had certainly taken place before. See p. 37. Malone. • (As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine,) -] Shine, forTM prosper. Warburton. Why, by the verities on thee made good, May they not be my oracles as well, And set me up in hope? But, hush; no more. Senet sounded. Enter MACBETH, as king; Lady MacBETH, as queen; LENOX, Rosse, Lords, Ladies, and Attendants. Macb. Here's our chief guest. Lady M. If he had been forgotten, It had been as a gap in our great feast, Macb. To-night we hold a solemn supper. sir, Ban. Say your Highnes? "Let your highness Command upon me; to the which, my duties Shine, for appear with all the lustre of conspicuous truth. Johnson. I rather incline to Dr. Warburton's interpretation. So, in King Henry VI, P I, sc. ii : "Heaven, and our lady gracious, hath it pleased "To shine on my contemptible estate." Steevens. ↑ And I'll request your presence.] I cannot help suspecting this passage to be corrupt, and would wish to read: And I request your presence. Macbeth is speaking of the present, not of any future, time Sir W. D'Avenant reads: And all request your presence. The same mistake has happened in King Richard III, Act I, sc. iii, where we find in the folio: "O Buckingham, I'll kiss thy princely hand,—” instead of-I kiss-the reading of the quarto In Timon of Athens the same error is found more than once. The old reading is, I believe, the true one. John: Malone. So, in King "I'll tell thee, Hubert, half my power" &c. Steevens. Let your highness Command upon me;] Thus the old copy, and perhaps rightly, though modern editors have been content to read-Lay your highness &c. Every uncouth phrase in an ancient author should not be suspected of corruption. In As you Like it an expression somewhat similar occurs: "And take upon command what help we have." Steevens. The change was suggested by Sir W. D'Avenant's alteration of this play: it was made by Mr Rowe. Malone I should rather read lay, or set your command upon me, than les: for unless command is used as a noun, there is nothing to |