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There's not a Thane of them, but in his houfe (28) I keep a fervant fee'd. I will to-morrow (Betimes I will) unto the weird fifters:

More fhall they speak; for now I'm bent to know,
By the worst means, the worst, for mine own good.
All caufes fhall give way; I am in blood

Stept in fo far, that, fhould I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o'er :

Strange things I have in head, that will to hand;
Which must be acted, ere they may be fcann'd.
Lady. You lack the season of all nature's fleep.
Macb. Come, we'll to fleep; my strange and self abuse
Is the initiate fear, that wants hard ufe:
We're yet but young in deed. (29)

[Exeunt. SCENE

(28) There is not one of them.] Thus the modern editors. But, one of whom? Macbeth has juft faid, that he heard, Macduff meant to difobey his fummons: and he would immediately fubjoin, that there is not a man of Macduff's quality in the kingcom, but he has a fpy under his roof. This is understood, not exprefs'd, as the text as yet has flood. The old folio's give us the paffage thus ;

There's not a one of them

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Here we again meet with a deprav'd reading; but it is fuch a one, as, I am perfuaded, has led me to the poet's true word and meaning.

There's not a Thane of them,

i. e. a nobleman: and fo the Peers of Scotland were all call'd, 'till Earls were created by Malcolm the fon of Duncan. The etymology of the word is to be found in Spelman's Saxon gloffary, Wormius's Danish hiftory, Cafaubon de Linguâ Saxonica, &c. And my emendation, I conceive, is fufficiently confirm'd by what Holingshead, from whom our author has extracted so many particulars of hiftory, expressly says in proof of this circumftance. For Macbeth had in every nobleman's boufe one fly fellow or other, in fee with him; to reveal all that was Laid or done, within the fame: by which flight he opprefs'd the most part of the nobles of his realm.

(29) We're yet but young indeed.] If we tranfpofe thefe words, we fhall find, they amount to no more than this, we are yet indeed but young. But this is far from comprizing either the poet's, or Macbeth's, meaning. I read,-in deed, i. e. but little inur'd yet to acts of blood and cruelty: for time and practice harden villains in their trade, who are timorous 'till fo harden'd.

So Macbeth fays before;

Things bad begun ftrengthen themselves in ill afterwards,

Direnes

SCENE changes to the Heath.

Thunder. Enter the three Witches, meeting Hecate. 1 Wit.

WH HY, how now, Hecat', you look angerly.

Hec. Have I not reafon, beldams, as you are?

Saucy, and over-bold! how did you dare

To trade and traffick with Macbeth,

In riddles and affairs of death?
And I the mistress of your charms,
The clofe contriver of all harms,
Was never call'd to bear my part,
Or fhew the glory of our art?

And which is worfe, all you have done
Hath been but for a weyward fon;

Spightful and wrathful, who, as others do,
Loves for his own ends, not for you.

But make amends now; get you gone,
And at the pit of Acheron

Meet me i' th' morning: thither he
Will come, to know his deftiny;
Your veffels and your fpells provide,
Your charms, and every thing befide.
I am for th' air: this night I'll spend
Unto a difmal, fatal end.

Great business must be wrought ere noon :
Upon the corner of the moon

There hangs a vap'rous drop, profound;
I'll catch it ere it come to ground;
And that, diftill'd by magick flights,
Shall raife fuch artificial fprights,
As, by the ftrength of their illufion,
Shall draw him on to his confufion.
He shall spurn fate, fcorn death, and bear
His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace, and fear:

Direness, familiar to my flaught'rous thoughts,
Cannot once ftart me.

So in 3d. Henry VI.

Made impudent with use of evil deeds.

And

And you all know, fecurity
Is mortals chiefeft enemy.

[Mufick and a Song.

Hark, I am call'd; my little fpirit, fee,
Sits in the foggy cloud, and stays for me.

Len.

[Sing within. Come away, come away, &c. Wit. Come, let's make hafte, she'll foon be back again.

[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to a Chamber.

"M'

Enter Lenox, and another Lord.

Y former fpeeches have but hit your thoughts,
Which can interpret farther: only, I fay,
Things have been ftrangely borne. The gracious Duncan
Was pitied of Macbeth-marry, he was dead :
And the right-valiant Banquo walk'd too late.
Whom you may fay, if't please you, Fleance kill'd,
For Fleance fled: men muft not walk too late.
Who cannot want the thought, how monftrous too
It was for Malcolm, and for Donalbain

To kill their gracious father? damned fact !
How did it grieve Macbeth? did he not straight
In pious rage the two delinquents tear,

That were the flaves of drink, and thralls of fleep?
Was not that nobly done? ay, wifely too;
For 'twould have anger'd any heart alive
To hear the men deny't. So that I fay,
He has borne all things well; and I do think,
That had he Duncan's fons under his key,

(As, and 't please heav'n, he fhall not;) they fhould find What 'twere to kill a father: fo fhould Fleance.

But peace! for from broad words, and 'caufe he fail'd His prefence at the tyrant's feaft, I hear,

Macduff lives in difgrace. Sir, can you tell

Where he bestows himself?

Lord. The fon of Duncan, (30)

(30) The fons of Duncan

From

From whom this tyrant holds the due of birth] I have fet right this paffage against the authority of our unobferving editors. And the proofs of my emendation are obvious. In the firft place, Macbeth could not

be

From whom this tyrant holds the due of birth,
Lives in the English court; and is receiv'd
Of the most pious Edward, with fuch grace,
That the malevolence of fortune nothing
Takes from his high refpe&t. Thither Macduff
Is gone to pray the King upon his aid

To wake Northumberland, and warlike Seyward;
That by the help of thefe, (with Him above
To ratify the work,) we may again

Give to our tables meat, fleep to our nights;
Free from our feafts and banquets bloody knives;
Do faithful homage, and receive free honours,
All which we pine for now. And this report
Hath fo exafp'rated their King, that he
Prepares for fome attempt of war. -

Len. Sent he to Macduff.

Lord. He did; and with an abfolute, Sir, not I, The cloudy meffenger turns me his back,

And hums; as who fhould fay, "you'll rue the time, "That clogs me with this anfwer.

Len. And that well might

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be faid to hold the due of birth from both Duncan's fons. ceffion to the crown was the right of Malcolm; and Donalbaine could have no right to it, as long as his elder brother or any of his iffue were in being. In the next place, the fons of Duncan did not both helter in the English court. Upon the difcovery of their father's murder, we find them thus determining.

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Donal. To Ireland I; our feparated fortune

Shall keep us both the fafer..

This determination, 'tis plain, they immediately put into act, or Macbeth had very ill intelligence:

We bear, our bloody Coufins are beftow'd

In England and in Ireland.

Nor were they together, even at the time when Malcolm difputed his right with Macbeth.

Who knows, if Donalbaine be with his brother?

Len. For certain, Sir, be is not.

Befides, Hector Boethius and Holing fhead (the latter of whom our author precisely follows;) both inform us that Donalbaine remain'd in Ireland till the death of Malcolm and his Queen; and then, indeed, he came over, invaded Scotland, and wrefted the crown from one of his nephews.

Advife him to a care to hold what distance
His wifdom can provide. Some holy Angel
Fly to the court of England, and unfold
His meffage ere he come! that a fwift bleffing
May foon return to this our fuffering country,
Under a hand accurs'd!

Lord. I'll fend my pray'rs with him.

[Exeunt.

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SCENF, a dark Cave; in the middle, a great Cauldron burning.

T

Thunder. Enter the three Witches.

I WITCH.

Hrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.

2.Witch.Twice, and once the hedge pig whin'd (31)

3 Witch. Harper cries, 'tis time, 'tis time. i Witch. Round about the cauldron go,

In the poison'd entrails throw.

[They march round the Cauldron, and throw in the several ingredients as for the preparation of their Charm.

Toad, that under the cold stone,

Days and nights has, thirty-one,
Swelter'd venom fleeping got;
Boil thou first i' th' charmed pot.

All. Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
1 Witch. Fillet of a fenny fnake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt, and toe of frog:
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog;

(31) Thrice and once the hedge-pig whin'd.] I have ventur'd, again ft the concurrence of the copies to read, twice and once: because, as Virgil has remark'd, numero Deus impare gaudet: and three and nine are the numbers us'd in all inchantments, and magical operations.

Adder's

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