So, the following paffage in Much ado about nothing, "And I will break with her and with her father, "And thou shalt have her. Was't not to this end," &c. is printed thus in the folio, [1623] by the compofitor's eye glancing from one line to the other: "And I will break with her. Was't not to this end," &c. Again, we find in the play before us, edit. 1632: inftead of 66 for their dear caufes "Would to the bleeding and the grim alarm Again, in The Winter's Tale, 1632: in himfelf too mighty, "Untill a time may ferve." inftead of in himself too mighty, "And in his parties, his alliance. Let him be, See p. 425, n. 4.] After the horrour and agitation of this fcene, the reader may perhaps not be difpleafed to paufe for a few minutes. The confummate art which Shakspeare has difplayed in the preparation for the murder of Duncan, and during the commiffion of the dreadful act, cannot but ftrike every intelligent reader. An ingenious writer, however, whofe comparative view of Macbeth and Richard III. has juft reached my hands, has developed fome of the more minute traits of the character of Macbeth, particularly in the prefent and fubfequent fcene, with fuch acutenefs of obfervation, that I am tempted to tranfcribe fuch of his remarks as relate to the fubject now before us, though After having proved by a deduction of many particulars, that the do not entirely agree with him. towering ambition of Richard is of a very different colour from that of Macbeth, whofe weaker defires feem only to aim at preeminence of place, not of dominion, he adds, principle a diftinction ftill ftronger is made in the article of courage, Upon the fame though both are poffeffed of it even to an eminent degree; but in Richard it is intrepidity, and in Macbeth no more than refolution: in him it proceeds from exertion, not from nature; in enterprize he betrays a degree of fear, though he is able, when occafion requires, to ftifle and fubdue it. When he and his wife are concerting the murder, his doubt, "if we should fail ?" is a difficulty raised by an apprehenfion; and as foon as that is removed by the contrivance of Lady Macbeth, to make the officers drunk and lay the 66 crime upon them, he runs with violence into the other extreme of confidence, and cries out, with a rapture unusual to him, 66 - Bring forth men children only, &c. 66 - Will it not be receiv'd "When we have mark'd with blood those fleepy two which queftion he puts to her who had the moment before fuggefted the thought of His fpungy officers, who fhall bear the guilt "Of ur great quell.' and his afking it again, proceeds from that extravagance with which a delivery from apprehenfion and doubt is always accompanied. Then fummoning all his fortitude he fays, "I am fettled," &c. and proceeds to the bloody bufinefs without any further recoil. But a certain degree of restleffness and anxiety ftill continues, fuch as is conftantly felt by a man not naturally very bold, worked up to a momentous atchievement. His imagination dwells entirely on the circumstances of horrour which furround him; the vifion of the dagger; the darkness and the ftillnefs of the night, and the terrors and the prayers of the chamberlains. Lady Macbeth, who is cool and undifmayed, attends to the bufinefs only; confiders of the place where the had laid the daggers ready; the impoffibility of his miffing them; and is afraid of nothing but a difappointment. She is earnest and eager; he is uneafy and impatient; and therefore wishes it over: "I go, and it is done;" &c. But a refolution thus forced cannot hold longer than the immediate occafion for it: the moment after that is accomplished for which it was neceffary, his thoughts take the contrary turn, and he cries out in agony and defpair, "Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou could'st!" That courage which had fupported him while he was fettled and bent up, forfakes him fo immediately after he has performed the terrible feat, for which it had been exerted, that he forgets the favourite circumftance of laying it on the officers of the bedchamber; and when reminded of it he refuses to return and complete his work, acknowledging, "I am afraid to think what I have done; "Look on't again I dare not." His diforder'd fenfes deceive him; and his debilitated fpirits fail him; he owns that " every noife appals him ;" he liftens when nothing firs; he mistakes the founds he does hear; he is fo confufed as not to know whence the knocking proceeds. She, who is more calm, knows that it is from the fouth entry; fhe gives clear and direct answers to all the incoherent queftions he afks her; but he returns none to that which he puts to him; and though after fome time, and when neceffity again urges him to recollect himself, he recovers fo far as to conceal his diftrefs, yet he still is not able to divert his thoughts from it: all his anfwers to the trivial queftions of Lenox and Macduff are evidently given by a man thinking of fomething elfe; and by taking a tincture from the fubject of his attention, they become equivocal: Macd. Is the king ftirring, worthy thane? Len. Goes the king hence to-day? Mach. He did appoint fo. Len. The night has been unruly; where we V Mach. Twas a rough night. Not yet implies that he will by and by, and is a kind of guard against any fufpicion of his knowing that the king would never ftir He did appoint fo, is the very counterpart of that which he had faid to Lady Macbeth, when on his first meeting her she asked him, more. "Lady M. When goes he hence? "Macb. To-morrow, as he purposes." in both which anfwers he alludes to his difappointing the king's intention. And when forced to make fome reply to the long defcription given by Lenox, he puts off the fubject which the other was fo much inclined to dwell on, by a flight acquiefcence in what had been faid of the roughness of the night; but not like a man who had been attentive to the account, or was willing to keep up the converfation." Remarks on fome of the Characters of Shakspeare, [by Mr. Whateley] 8vo. 1785. To thefe ingenious obfervations I entirely fubfcribe, except that I think the wavering irrefolution and agitation of Macbeth after the murder ought not to be afcribed folely to a remiffion of courage, fince much of it may be imputed to the remorfe which would arife in a man who was of a good natural difpofition, and is defcribed as originally "full of the milk of human kindness; ;—not without ambition, but without the illness fhould attend it." MALONE. See Remarks on Mr. Whateley's Differtation, p. 584 & feq. They first appeared in The European Magazine for April, 1787. STEEVENS. THE END OF THE SEVENTH VOLUME. |