Their drenched natures lie, as in a death, Macb. Bring forth men-children only! When we have mark'd with blood those sleepy two Lady M. Who dares receive it other," As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar Macb. I am settled, and bend up? The limbeck is the vessel, through which distilled liquors pass into the recipient. So shall it be with memory; through which every thing shall pass, and nothing remain. 4. C. 3 Their drenched natures] i. e. as we should say at present-soaked, saturated with liquor. Steevens. who shall bear the guilt Of our great quell?] Quell is murder, manquellers being in the old language, the term for which murderers is now used. Johnson. So, in Chaucer's Tale of the Nonnes Priest, v. 15,396, Mr. Tyrwhitt's edit: "The dokes cryeden as men wold hem quelle.” The word is used in this sense by Holinshed, p. 567: "—the poor people ran about the streets, calling the capteins and governors murtherers and manquellers." Steevens. 5 Will it not be receiv'd,] i. e. understood, apprehended. So, in Twelfth Night: 66 To one of your receiving 66 'Enough is shown." Steevens. 6 Who dares receive it other,] So, in Holinshed: " - he burthen'd the chamberleins, whom he had slaine, with all the fault, they having the keyes of the gates committed to their keeping all the night, and therefore it could not be otherwise (said he) but that they were of counsel in the committing of that most detestable murther." Malone. 7 ana bend up-] A metaphor from the bow. So, in King Henry V 66 - bend up every spirit "To his full height," Each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show: False face must hide what the false heart doth know. [Exeunt. Enter BANQUO and FLEANCE, and a Servant, with a torch before them." Ban. How goes the night, boy? The same phrase occurs in Melvil's Memoirs: "but that rather she should bend up her spirit by a princely, &c. beha-viour." Edit. 1735, p. 148. Till this instant, the mind of Macbeth has been in a state of uncertainty and fluctuation.. He has hitherto proved neither resolutely good, nor obstinately wicked. Though a bloody idea had arisen in his mind, after he had heard the prophecy in his favour, yet he contentedly leaves the completion of his hopes to chance. At the conclusion, however, of his interview with Duncan, he inclines to hasten the decree of fate, and quits the stage with an apparent resolution to murder his sovereign. But no sooner is the king under his roof, than,. reflecting on the peculiarities of his own relative situation, he determines not to offend against the laws of hospitality, or the ties of subjection, kindred, and gratitude. His wife then assails his constancy afresh. He yields to her suggestion, and, with his integrity,, his happiness is destroyed: I have enumerated these particulars, because the waverings of Macbeth have, by some criticks, been regarded as unnatural and contradictory circumstances in his character; not remembering that nemo repente fuit turpissimus, or that (as Angelo observes) when once our grace we have forgot, Nothing goes right; we would, and we would not—.” a passage which contains no unapt justification of the changes that happen in the conduct of Macbeth.. Steevens. & Scene I.J The place is not marked in the old edition, nor is it easy to say where this encounter can be. It is not in the ball as the editors have all supposed it, for Banquo sees the sky; it is not far from the bedchamber, as the conversation shows: it must be in the inner court of the castle, which: Banque miglite properly cross in his way to bed.. Folinsons Fe. The moon is down: I have not heard the clock. Kle. I take 't, 'tis later, sir, Ban. Hold, take my sword:-There 's husbandry, in heaven, Their candles are all out.'-Take thee that too. Macb. A friend. Ban. What, sir, not yet at rest? The king's a-bed He hath been in unusual pleasure, and Sent forth great largess to your offices: 9 There's husbandry in heaven,] Husbandry here means thrift, frugality. So, in Hamlet: "And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry." Malone 1 Their candles are all out.] The same expression occurs in Romeo and Juliet: : 66. Night's candles are burnt out.”~ Again, in our author's 21st Sonnet: "As those gold candles fix'd in heaven's air.” Malone: 2 •Merciful powers! ~ Restrain in me the cursed thoughts, that nature Gives way to in repose!] It is apparent from what Banquo says afterwards, that he had been solicited in a dream to attempt something in consequence of the prophecy of the Witches, that his waking senses were shocked at; and Shakspeare has here most exquisitely contrasted his character with that of Macbeth. Banquo is praying against being tempted to encourage thoughtsof guilt even in his sleep; while Macbeth is hurrying into temptation, and revolving in his mind every scheme, however flagitious, that may assist him to complete his purpose. The one is unwilling to sleep, lest the same phantoms should assail his resolution again, while the other is depriving himself of rest through impatience to commit the murder. The same kind of invocation occurs in Cymbeline: "From fairies, and the tempters of the night, copy, 3 Sent forth great largess to vour offices:] Thus the old and rightly. Offices are the rooms appropriated to servants and culinary purposes. Thus, in Timon: This diamond he greets your wife withal, By the name of most kind hostess; and shut up Macb. Being unprepar'd, Our will became the servant to defect; Ran. Macb. I think not of them: Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve,, "When all our offices have been oppress'd' Again, in King Richard II: "Unpeopled offices, untrodden stones." Duncan was pleased with his entertainment, and dispensed his bounty to those who had prepared it. All the modern edi.. tors have transferred this largess to the officers of Macbeth, who would more properly have been rewarded in the field, or at their return to court. Steevens: shut up] To shut up, is to conclude. So, in Ther Spanish Tragedy: "And heavens have shut up day to pleasure us." Again, in Spenser's Fairy Queen, B. IV, c. ix: "And for to shut up all in friendly love." Again, in Reynolds's God's Revenge against Murder, 1621, fourth edit. p. 137: "- though the parents have already shutup the contract." Again, in Stowe's Account of the Earl of Essex's Speech on the scaffold: "he shut up all with the Lord's prayer." Steevens. Again, in Stowe's Annals, p. 833: " the kings majestie [K. James] shut up all with a pithy exhortation on both sides." 5 Being unprepared, Our will became the servant to defect; Malone.. Which else should free have wrought.] This is obscurely ex- pressed. The meaning seems to be:-Being unprepared, our entertainment was necessarily defective, and we only had it in our power to show the king our willingness to serve him. Had we received sufficient notice of his coming, our zeal should have been more clearly manifested by our acts. Which refers, not to the last antecedent, defect, but to will.. Malone... 6 All's well.] I suppose the poet originally wrote (that the: preceding verse might be completed)" Sir, all is well." Steevens. Would spend it in some words upon that business, Ban. If you shall cleave to my consent,-when 'tis,] Consent for will. So that the sense of the line is, If you shall go into my measures when I have determined of them, or when the time comes that I want your assistance. Warburton. Macbeth expresses his thought with affected obscurity; he does not mention the royalty, though he apparently had it in his mind. If you shall cleave to my consent, if you shall concur with me when I determine to accept the crown, when 'tis, when that happens which the prediction promises, it shall make honour for you. Johnson. Such another expression occurs in lord Surrey's translation of the second Book of Virgil's Eneid: "And if thy will stick unto mine, I shall "In wedlocke sure knit, and make her his own." 99 Consent has sometimes the power of the Latin concentus. Both the verb and substantive, decidedly bearing this signification, occur in other plays of our author. Thus, in K. Henry VI, P. L, sc. i: scourge the bad revolting stars "That have consented to king Henry's death; i. e. acted in concert so as to occasion it. Again, in King Henry IV, P. II, Act V, sc i: ". they (Justice Shallow's servants) flock together in consent, (i. e. in a party,) like so many wild geese.' In both these instances the words are spelt errone-ously, and should be written concent and concented. See Spenser, &c. as quoted in a note on the passage already adduced from King Henry VI The meaning of Macbeth is then as follows:-If you shall cleave to my consent-i. e. if you shall stick, or adhere, to my party when 'tis, i. e. at the time when such a party is formed, your conduct shall produce honour for you. That consent means participation, may be proved from a pas-sage in the 50th Psalm. I cite tire translation 1568: "When: thou sawedst a thiefe, thou dydst consent unto hym, and hast been partaker with the adulterers." In both instances the par-ticeps criminis is spoken of.. Again, in our author's As you Like it, the usurping duke say. after the flight of Rosalind and Celia 66 some villains of my court "Are of consent and sufferance in this." Again, in King Henry V "We carry not a heart with us from hence, That grows not in a fair consent with ours.' Macbeth mentally refers to the crown he expected to obtain fn.consequence of the murder he was about to commit. The |