Good things of day begin to droop and drowse; Whiles night's black agents to their prey do rouse. Thou marvell'st at my words: but hold thee still; Things, bad begun, make strong themselves by ill: So, pr'ythee, go with me. Again, in Chaucer's Nonnes Preestes Tale: "O false morderour, rucking in thy den." [Exeunt Again, in the 15th Book of A. Golding's translation of Ovid's Metamorphosis: "He rucketh down upon the same, and in the spices dies.” Again, in The Contention betwyxte Church;eard and Camell, &c. 1560: "All day to rucken on my taile, and poren on a booke." The harmless crow, that merely flew to the rooky wood, for aught we are conscious of on this occasion, might have taken a second flight from it; but the same bird, when become drowsy, would naturally ruck or roost where it settled, while the agents of nocturnal mischief were hastening to their prey The quiescent state of innoxious birds is thus forcibly contrasted with the active vigilance of destructive beings. So Milton, in the concluding lines of the first Book of his Paradise Regained: for now began "Night with her sullen wings to double-shade "The desert; fowls in their clay nests were couch'd; "And now wild beasts came forth the woods to roam." Should this attempt to reform the passage before us be condemned, "the substance which underwent the operation, at the very worst, is but where it was " Such an unfamiliar verb as rook, might, (especially in a playhouse copy) become easily corrupted. Steevens. 9 Whiles night's black agents to their prey do rouse.] This appears to be said with reference to those dæmons who were sup posed to remain in their several places of confinement all day, but at the close of it were released; such, indeed, as are mentioned in The Tempest, as rejoicing "To hear the solemn curfew," because it announced the hour of their freedom. So also, in Sydney's Astrophel and Stella: "In night, of sprites the ghastly powers do stir.” Thus also in Ascham's Toxophilus, edit. 1589, p. 13: “For on the night time and in corners, spirites and theeves, &c. &c. use most styrring, when in the day light, and in open places which be ordeyned of God for honest things, they dare not once come; which thing Euripides noteth very well, saying— Iph. in Taur: "Ill thyngs the nyght, good thyngs the day doth haunt The old and use." copy reads-prey's. Steevens. SCENE III. The same. A Park or Lawn, with a Gate leading to the Palace. Enter Three Murderers. 1 Mur. But who did bid thee join with us?1 3 Mur. Macbeth. 2 Mur. He needs not our mistrust; since he delivers Our offices, and what we have to do, To the direction just. 1 Mur. Then stand with us. The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day: To gain the timely inn; and near'approaches here 3 Mur. Hark! I hear horses. Ban. [within] Give us a light there, ho! **2 Mur. That are within the note of expectation,3 Then it is he; the rest 1 But who did bid thee join with us?] The meaning of this abrupt dialogue is this. The perfect spy, mentioned by Macbeth, in the foregoing scene, has, before they enter upon the stage, given them the directions which were promised at the time of their agreement; yet one of the murderers suborned, suspects him of intending to betray them; the other observes, that, by his exact knowledge of what they were to do, he appears to be employed by Macbeth, and needs not to be mistrusted. Johnson. The third assassin seems to have been sent to join the others, from Macbeth's superabundant caution. From the following dialogue it appears that some conversation has passed between them before their present entry on the stage. Malone. The third Murderer enters only to tell them where they should place themselves Steevens. 2 lated] i. e. belated, benighted. So, again, in Antony and Cleopatra: 3 "I am so lated in the world, that I "Have lost my way for ever." Steevens. the note of expectation,] i. e. they who are set down in the list of guests, and expected to supper. Steevens. Already are i' the court." 1. Mur. His horses go about: 3 Mur. Almost a mile: but he does usually, So all men do, from hence to the palace gate Make it their walk. Enter BANQUO and FLEANCE, a Servant with a torch Let it come down.5 Ban. O, treachery! Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly; Thou may'st revenge.-O slave! [Dies. FLE. and Serv. escape. 4 Then it is be; the rest That are within the note of expectation, Already are i' the court.] Perhaps this passage, before it fell into the bands of the players, stood thus: Then it is be; The hasty recurrence of are, in the last line, and the redundancy of the metre, seem to support my conjecture. Numberless are the instances in which the player editors would not permit the necessary something to be supplied by the reader. They appear to have been utterly unacquainted with an ellipsis. Steevens. 6 Fleance &c. escape.] Fleance, after the assassination of his father, fled into Wales, where, by the daughter of the prince of that country, he had a son named Walter, who afterwards became lord High Steward of Scotland, and from thence assumed the name of Walter Steward. From him, in a direct line, king James I was descended; in compliment to whom our author has chosen to describe Banquo, who was equally concerned with Macbeth in the murder of Duncan, as innocent of that crime. Malone. 3 Mur. Who did strike out the light? 1 Mur. Was 't not the way 17 3 Mur. There 's but one down; the son is fled. 2 Mur. We have lost best half of our affair. 1 Mur. Well, let 's away, and say how much is done. SCENE IV. A Room of state in the Palace, [Exeunt. A banquet prepared. Enter MACBETH, Lady MACBETH, ROSSE, LENOX, Lords and Attendants. Macb. You know your own degrees, sit down: at first, And last, the hearty welcome.R Lords. Thanks to your majesty. Our hostess keeps her state; but, in best time, And play the humble host. Was 't not the way?] i. e. the best means we could take to You know your own degrees, sit down at firs,t And last, the hearty welcome.] I believe the true reading is: And last the bearty welcome. All, of whatever degree, from the highest to the lowest, may be assured that their visit is well received. Johnson. 9 Our hostess keeps her state; &c.] i e. continues in her chair of state at the head of the table. This idea might have been borrowed from Holinshed, p. 805: "The king (Henry VIII) caused the queene to keepe the estate, and then sat the ambassadours and ladies as they were marshalled by the king, who would not sit, but walked from place to place, making cheer," &c. To keep state is a phrase perpetually occurring in our ancient dramas, &c. So Ben Jonson, in his Cynthia's Revels: "Seated in thy silver chair "State in wonted manner keep." Again, in Beaumont and Fletcher's Wild Goose Chase: "What a state she keeps! how far off they sit from her!" Many more instances, to the same purpose, might be given. Steevens. We will require her welcome. Lady M. Pronounce it for me, sir, to all our friends; For my heart speaks, they are welcome. Enter first Murderer, to the door. Macb. See, they encounter thee with their hearts' thanks: Both sides are even: Here I 'll sit i' the midst: Macb. 'Tis better thee without, than he within. Mur. My lord, his throat is cut; that I did for him. Macb. Thou art the best 'o cut-throats: Yet he 's good, That did the like for Fleance: if thou didst it, Thou art the nonpareil. Mur, Fleance is 'scap'd. Most royal sir, Macb. Then comes my fit again: I had else been perfect; Whole as the marble, founded as the rock; As broad, and general, as the casing air: it. Mur. Ay, my good lord: safe in a ditch he bides, A state appears to have been a royal chair with a canopy over So, in King Henry IV, P. 1: "This chair shall be my state." Again, in Sir T. Herbert's Memoirs of Charles I: " - where being set, the king under a state” &c. Again, in The View of France, 1598:" espying the chayre not to stand well under the state, he mended it handsomely himself." Malone. 1 'Tis better thee without, than be within.] The sense requires that this passage should be read thus: 'Tis better thee without, than him within. That is, I am better pleased that the blood of Banquo should be on thy face than in his body. The author might mean, It is better that Banquo's blood were on thy face, than be in this room. Expressions thus imperfect are common in his works. Johnson. I have no doubt that this last was the author's true meaning: Malone VOL. VII N |