That darkness does the face of earth entomb,
When living light should kiss it?

Old. M

Even like the deed that's done.

"Tis unnatural,

On Tuesday last,

A falcon, tow'ring in her pride of place,"

Was by a mousing owl hawk'd at, and kill'd.

Rosse. And Duncan's horses, (a thing most strange and certain,)

Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race,

Turn'd wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out,
Contending 'gainst obedience, as they would make
War with mankind.

Old M.

'Tis said, they eat each other. Rosse. They did so; to the amazement of mine eyes, That look'd upon't. Here comes the good Macduff:

Enter MACDuff.

How goes the world, sir, now?

Macd.

Why, see you not?

Rosse. Is't known, who did this more than bloody deed? Macd. Those that Macbeth hath slain.

Rosse.

What good could they pretend?

Macd.

Alas, the day!

They were suborn'd:

Malcolm, and Donalbain, the king's two sons,

Are stol'n away and fled; which puts upon them
Suspicion of the deed.

Rosse.

'Gainst nature still:

Thriftless ambition, that wilt ravin up

Thine own life's means!-Then 'tis most like,

The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.

Macd. He is already nam'd; and gone to Scone,

To be invested.

r in her pride of place,] Place is the technical term in falconry for the greatest elevation which a bird of prey attains in flight. Eagles" says Colonel Thornton in his Sporting Tour, "can have no speed except when at their place; then to be sure their weight increases their velocity, and may aim with an incredible swiftness seldom missing their quarry.". GIFFORD'S Massinger, vol. iv. p. 141.

S

pretend?] i. e. Intend, or design.

-

The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.] He was next in succession to the crown after the sons of Duncan.

Rosse.

Where is Duncan's body?

Macd. Carried to Colmes-kill;"

The sacred storehouse of his predecessors,

And guardian of their bones.

Rosse.

Will you to Scone?

Well, I will thither.

Macd. No, cousin, I'll to Fife.

Rosse

Macd. Well, may you see things well done there;

adieu!

Lest our old robes sit easier than our new!

Rosse. Father, farewell.

Old M. God's benison go with you; and with those That would make good of bad, and friends of foes!

ACT III.

SCENE I.-Fores. A Room in the Palace.

Enter BANQUO.

[Exeunt.

Ban. Thou hast it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis, all
As the weird women promis'd; and, I fear,

Thou play'dst most foully for't: yet it was said,
It should not stand in thy posterity;

But that myself should be the root, and father
Of many kings. If there can be truth from them,
(As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine,)*
Why, by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my oracles as well,

And set me up in hope? But, hush; no more.

Senet sounded. Enter MACBETH, as King; Lady MAC-
BETH, as Queen; LENOX, Rosse, Lords, Ladies, and
Attendants.

Mach. Here's our chief guest.
Lady. M.

U

If he had been forgotten,

·Colmes-kill;] Or Colm-kill, the famous Iona, one of the western isles, which Dr. Johnson visited, and describes in his Tour.-STEEVENS. It is now called Icolmkill. Kill, in the Erse language, signifies a cell or chapel. X skine,] i. e. Prosper.

y Seneti.e. A particular set of notes on the trumpet or cornet, different from a flourish.

It had been as a gap in our great feast,

And all-things unbecoming.

Macb. To-night we hold a solemn supper, sir, And I'll request your presence.

Ban.

Let your highness

Command upon me; to the which, my duties

Are with a most indissoluble tie

For ever knit.

Macb. Ride you this afternoon?

Ban.

Ay, my good lord. Macb. We should have else desir'd your good advice (Which still hath been both grave and prosperous,) In this day's council; but we'll take to-morrow. Is't far you ride?

Ban. As far, my lord, as will fill up the time 'Twixt this and supper: go not my horse the better,* I must become a borrower of the night,

For a dark hour, or twain.

Macb.

Ban. My lord, I will not.

Fail not our feast.

Macb. We hear, our bloody cousins are bestow'd In England, and in Ireland; not confessing Their cruel parricide, filling their hearers With strange invention: But of that to-morrow; When, therewithal, we shall have cause of state, Craving us jointly. Hie you to horse: Adieu, Till you return at night. Goes Fleance with you? Ban. Ay, my good lord: our time does call upon us. Macb. I wish your horses swift, and sure of foot; And so I do commend you to their backs.

Farewell.

Let every man be master of his time

Till seven at night; to make society

The swifter welcome, we will keep ourself

[Exit BANQUO.

Till supper-time alone: while then, God be with you. [Exeunt Lady MACBETH, Lords, Ladies, &c.

¿ a solemn supper,] This phrase, in the language of the time, meant any supper to which the guests were regularly invited.

better,] i. e. Well. Shakspeare often uses the comparative for the positive and the superlative.-STEEVENS.

Sirrah, a word with you: Attend those men

Our pleasure?—

Atten. They are, my lord, without the palace gate.

Macb. Bring them before us.—

[Exit. Attendant.

To be thus, is nothing;

But to be safely thus:—Our fears in Banquo

Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature

Reigns that, which would be fear'd: 'Tis much he dares;

And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,

He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour

To act in safety. There is none, but he
Whose being I do fear: and, under him,
My genius is rebuk'd; as, it is said,

Mark Antony's was by Cæsar. He chid the sisters,
When first they put the name of king upon me,
And bade them speak to him; then, prophet-like,
They hail'd him father to a line of kings:
Upon my head they plac'd a fruitless crown,
And put a barren sceptre in my gripe,
Thence to be wrench'd with an unlineal hand,
No son of mine succeeding. If it be so,
For Banquo's issue have I fil'de my mind;
For them the gracious Duncan have I murder'd;
Put rancours in the vessel of my peace
Only for them; and mine eternal jewel
Given to the common enemy of man,

To make them kings:-the seed of Banquo kings!
Rather than so, come, fate, into the list,
And champion me to the utterance !a

b to-] i. e. In addition to.

d

come, fate, into the list,

-Who's there?—

- fil'd-] i. e. Defiled.

And champion me to the utterance!] This passage will be best explained by translating it into the language from whence the only word of difficulty in it is borrowed. Que la destinée se rende en lice, et qu'elle me donne un defi à l'outrance. A challenge, or a combat à l'outrance, to extremity, was a fixed term in the law of arms, used when the combatants engaged with an odium internecinum, an intention to destroy each other, in opposition to trials of skill at festivals, or on other occasions, where the contest was only for reputation or a prize. The sense therefore is: Let fate, that has foredoomed the exaltation of the sons of Banquo, enter the lists against me, with the utmost animosity, in defence of its own decrees, which I will endeavour to invalidate, whatever be the dunger.-JOHNSON,

Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers.

Now go to the door, and stay there till we call.

Was it not yesterday we spoke together?
1 Mur. It was, so please your highness.
Macb.

Well then, now

Have you considered of my speeches? Know,
That it was he, in the times past, which held you
So under fortune; which, you thought, had been
Our innocent self: this I made good to you

In our last conference; pass'd in probation with you,*
How you were borne in hand; how cross'd; the instru-

ments;

Who wrought with them; and all things else, that might, To half a soul, and a notion craz❜d,

Say, Thus did Banquo.

1 Mur.

You made it known to us.

Macb. I did so; and went further, which is now
Our point of second meeting. Do you find
Your patience so predominant in your nature,
That you can let this go? Are you so gospell'd,
To pray for this good man, and for his issue,
Whose heavy hand hath bow'd you to the grave,
And beggar'd yours for ever?

1 Mur.

We are men, my liege.
Macb. Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men;

As hounds, and greyhounds, mongrels, spaniels, curs,
Shoughs, water-rugs, and demi-wolves, are cleped
All by the name of dogs: the valued file"
Distinguishes the swift, the slow, the subtle,
The house-keeper, the hunter, every one
According to the gift which bounteous nature

e

- pass'd in probation with you.] Pass'd in probation is, I believe, only a bulky phrase, employed to signify-proved.-STEEVENS.

Are you so gospell'd,] Are you of that degree of precise virtue? Gospeller was a name of contempt given by the Papists to the Lollards, the puritans of early times, and the precursors of protestantism.-JOHNSON.

& Shoughs,] Shoughs are probably what we now call shocks, demi-wolves, lycise; dogs bred between wolves and dogs.-JOHNSON.

the valued file—] i. e. The list with the account of the value of each in it. VOL. IV.

I