Almost afraid to know itself! It cannot Be call'd our mother, but our grave: where nothing, Is there scarce ask'd for who; and good men's lives Ross. That of an hour's age doth hiss the speaker ;31 Each minute teems a new one. Macd. The tyrant has not batter'd at their peace? 'em. Macd. Be not a niggard of your speech: how goes't? Which I have heavily borne, there ran a rumour 28 Where none but idiots and innocents are ever seen to smile. 29 Ecstasy is any strong disturbance of mind. See page 105, note 5. – Modern is common, trite, every-day; as in the well-known passage, “ Full of wise saws and modern instances." 30 Too nice, because too elaborate, or having too much an air of study and art; and so not like the frank utterance of deep feeling. 31 That which is but an hour old seems out of date, and so causes the speaker to be hissed as tedious. 32 An equivocal phrase, the sense of which is explained in Antony and Cleopatra, ii. 5: "We use to say the dead are well." 33 Of many worthy fellows that were out; Be't their comfort Mal. That Christendom gives out. Ross. Would I could answer This comfort with the like! But I have words Macd. The general cause? or is it a fee-grief 36 Ross. What concern they? No mind that's honest But in it shares some woe; though the main part Keep it not from me, quickly let me have it. Ross. Let not your ears despise my tongue for ever, 33 Here out has the force of in arms, or in open revolt.- What follows means that the rumour is confirmed by the fact that Macbeth has put his troops in motion. For that is because, or for the reason that. A frequent usage. 34 Doff is do off. So the Poet has don for do on, and dup for do up. 35 Present usage would here transpose should and would. See page 75, note 9.-Latch is an old North-of-England word for catch. Our door-latch is that which catches the door. 36 A fee-grief is a private or individual grief, as distinguished from one that is public or common. Which shall possess them with the heaviest sound Macd. Hum! I guess at it. Ross. Your castle is surprised; your wife and babes Savagely slaughter'd: to relate the manner, Were, on the quarry 37 of these murder'd deer, To add the death of you. Mal. Merciful Heaven! What, man! ne'er pull your hat upon your brows: All my pretty ones? Did you say all? — O hell-kite ! — All? 37 Quarry was a hunter's term for a heap of dead game, and was often applied as here. See Hamlet, page 231, note 65.-In "murder'd deer," it may seem that the Poet intended a pun; but probably not; at least I can hardly think he meant the speaker to be conscious of it as such. 38" He has no children" is most likely said of Malcolm, and with reference to what he has just spoken; though I believe it is commonly taken as referring to Macbeth, and in the idea that, as he has no children, there can be no adequate revenge upon him. But the true meaning, I have no doubt, is, that if Malcolm were a father, he would know that such a grief cannot be healed with the medicine of revenge. Besides, it would seem that Macbeth has children; else why should he strain so hard to have the regal succession "stand in his posteritv" And Lady Macbeth "knows how tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me." What, all my pretty chickens and their dam Mal. Dispute it like a man. But I must also feel it as a man: I shall do so; I cannot but remember such things were, That were most precious to me. Did Heaven look on, And would not take their part? Sinful Macduff, Fell slaughter on their souls. Heaven rest them now ! Macd. O, I could play the woman with mine eyes, Bring Thou this fiend of Scotland and myself; Mal. This tune goes manly.42 Come, go we to the King: our power is ready; 39 Swoop was a term for the descent of a bird of prey upon his quarry. 40 Naught appears to have had the same meaning as bad, only stronger. It should not be confounded with nought. 41 The little word too is so used here as to intensify, in a very remarkable manner, the sense of what precedes. "Put him once within the reach of my sword, and if I don't kill him, then I am as bad as he, and may God forgive us both!" I cannot point to an instance anywhere of language more intensely charged with meaning. 42 How admirably Macduff's grief is in harmony with the whole play! It rends, not dissolves the heart. "The tune of it goes manly." Thus is Shakespeare always master of himself and of his subject,—a genuine Proteus; we see all things in him, as images in a calm lake, most distinct, most accurate, only more splendid, more glorified. — COLERIDGE. Our lack is nothing but our leave: 43 Macbeth Is ripe for shaking, and the powers above Put on their instruments.44 Receive what cheer you may : The night is long that never finds the day. [Exeunt. ACT V. SCENE I.- Dunsinane. A Room in the Castle. Enter a Doctor of Physic and a Waiting-Gentlewoman. Doct. I have two nights watch'd with you, but can perceive no truth in your report. When was it she last walk'd? Gentlew. Since his Majesty went into the field,1 I have seen her rise from her bed, throw her nightgown 2 upon her, unlock her closet, take forth paper, fold it, write upon't, read it, afterwards seal it, and again return to bed; yet all this while in a most fast sleep. Doct. A great perturbation in nature, to receive at once the benefit of sleep and do the effects 3 of watching! In this slumbery agitation, besides her walking and other actual performances, what at any time have you heard her say? 48 That is, "nothing remains to be done here but to take our leave of the King." A ceremony of parting. 44 Instruments is here used of persons.· ·Put on means stir up, instigate, urge on. Often so. See Hamlet, page 195, note 28. 1 In the preceding scene, Macbeth was said to have his "power a-foot" against "many worthy fellows that were out." Probably the coming of the English forces has induced him to withdraw his troops from the field, and put them within the strong fortress of Dunsinane. 2 That is, dressing-gown, not what we call a night-gown. & Effects here means acts or actions. Repeatedly so. |