Thus do go about, about, Thrice to thine, and thrice to mine, And thrice again to make up nine! Peace!the Charm's wound up. they should ftile themselves the eyward, or wayward Sifters. This Word, in its general Acceptation, fignifies, perverfe, froaward, moody, obftinate, untractable, &c. and is every where fo ufed by our Shakespear. To content ourselves with two or three inftances. Fy, Fy, bow wayward is this Love's Labour Loft. And which is worst, all you've done is but for a wayward fon. It is improbable the Witches would adopt this Epithet to themselves, in any of thefe Senfes, and therefore we are to look a little farther for the Poet's Word and Meaning. When I had the firft Sufpicion of our Author being corrupt in this Place, it brought to my Mind the following Paffage in Chaucer's Troilus and Créeide, lib. iii. v. 618. But O Fortune, executrice of Wierdes. Which Word the Gloffaries expound to us by Fates or Def tinies. I was foon confirmed in my Sufpicion, upon happening to dip into Heylin's Cofmography, where he makes a fhort Recital of the Story of Macbeth and Banquo. SCENE Theft two, fays he, travelling together through a Foreft, were met by three Fairies, Witches, Wierds. The Scots call them, &C. I prefently recollected, that this Story muft be recorded at more Length by Holling head, with whom, I thought, it was very probable, that our Author had traded for the Materials of his Tragedy, and therefore Confirmation was to be fetched from this Fountain. Accordingly, looking into his Hiftory of Scot land, I found the Writer very prolix and exprefs, from Hedor Boethius, in this remarkable Story; and, p. 170. fpeaking of thefe Witches, he ufes this Expreffion, But afterwards the common Opinion was, That these Woman were either the weird Sifters; that is, as ye would say, the Goddeffes of Destiny, &c. Again, a little lower ; The Words of the three weird Sifters alfo (of whom before ye have heard) greatly encouraged him thereunto. And in feveral other Paragraphs there this word is repeated. I believe, by this Time, it is plain, beyond a Doubt, that the Word wayward has obtained in Macbeth, where the Witches are fpoken of, from the Ignorance of the Copyifts, who were not acquainted with the Scotch Term; and that in every Paf. fage, Enter Macbeth and Banquo, with Soldiers, and other attendants. Mac. So foul and fair a day I have not seen. fage, where there is any Relation to thefe Witches or Wigards, my Emendation must be embraced, and we muft read weird. THEOBALD. The weyward fifters, band in band.] Mr. Theobald had found out who thefe weyward fifters were; but obferved they were called in his authentic Hollingshead, Weird fifters; and fo would needs have weyward a corruption of the text, becaufe it fignifies perverfe, froward, &c. and it is improbable (he fays) that the witches should adopt this epithet to themselves. It was hard that when he knew fo much, he should not know a little more; that weyward had anciently the very fame sense, as weird; and was, indeed, the very fame word differently spelt; having acquired its latter fignification from the quality and temper of thefe imaginary witches. But this is being a critic like him who bad difcovered that there were two Hercules's; and yet did not know that he had two next door neighbours of one and the fame name. As to thefe weyward fifters, they were the Fates of the northern nations; the three hand-maids of Odin. He nomi So nantur Valkyriæ, quas quodvis ad Prælium Odinus mittit. Ha viros morti deftinant, & victoriam gubernant. Gunna, & Rota, Parcarum minima Skullda: per aëra & maria equitant femper ad morituros eligendos ; & cædes in poteftate habent. Bartholinus de Caufis contemptæ à Danis adhuc Gentilibus mortis. It is for this reafon that Shakespear makes them three; and calls them, Pofters of the fea and land; and intent only upon death and mischief. However, to give this part of his work the more dignity, he intermixes, with this northern, the Greek and Roman fuperftitions; and puts Hecate at the head of their enchantments. And to make it ftill more familiar to the common audience (which was always his point) he adds, for another ingredient, a fufficient quantity of our own country fuper ftitions concerning witches; their beards, their cats, and their broomsticks. So that his witchfcenes are like the charm they prepare in one of them; where the ingredients are gathered from every thing hocking in the natur ral world; as here, from every thing abfurd in the moral. But So wither'd, and fo wild in their attire, And yet are on't? Live you, or are you aught me By each at once her choppy finger laying Upon her skinny lips.-You fhould be women, Glamis ! What are you? Hail to thee, Thane of 2 Witch. All-hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! 3 Witch. All hail, Macbeth! that fhalt te King hereafter. Ban. Good Sir, why do you ftart, and feem to fear, Things that do found fo fair? I' th' name of truth, That he seems rapt withal; to me you speak not. And fay, which Grain will grow and which will not; 1 Witch. Hail! 2 Witch. Hail! 3 Witch. Hail! I Witch. Leffer than Macbeth, and greater. 2 Witch. Not fo happy, yet much happier. 3 Witch. Thou fhalt get Kings, though thou be none; So, all hail, Macbeth and Banquo! 1 Witch. Banquo and Macbeth, all hail! Mach. Stay, you imperfect Speakers, tell me more; By Sin:l's death, I know, I'm Thane of Glamis; But how, of Cawdor? the Thane of Cawdor lives, A profp'rous gentleman; and, to be King, Stands not within the profpect of belief, No more than to be Cawdor. Say, from whence You owe this ftrange intelligence? or why Upon this blafted heath you ftop our way, you. With fuch prophetick Greeting? Speak, I charge [Witches vanish. Ban. The earth hath bubbles, as the water has; And these are of them. Whither are they vanish'd? Mach. Into the air; and what feem'd corporal Melted, as breath, into the wind. 'Would they had staid! Ban. Were fuch things here, as we do speak about? Or have we eaten of the infane root, That takes the Reafon prifoner? Mach. Your children fhall be Kings. Mach. And Thane of Cawdor too? went it not fo? 2 By Sinel's death,-] The father of Macbeth. POPE 3 eaten of the infane root,] Mr. Theobald has a long and learned note on these words; and, after much puzzling, he at length proves from Hector Boethius, that this root was a berry. WARBURTON! SCENE SCENE V. Enter Roffe and Angus. Roffe. The King hath happily receiv'd, Macbeth, Which fhould be thine, or his. Silenc'd with That, Ang. We are fent, To give thee, from our royal Mafter, thanks Not pay thee. Roffe. And for an earnest of a greater honour, Ban. What can the Devil speak true? Whether he was as a tale can travel with the poft. -As thick as tale Com |