BAN. To the self-same tune, and words. Who's here? Enter Rosse and ANGUS. ROSSE. The king hath happily receiv'd, Macbeth, Which should be thine, or his: Silenc'd with that2, 2 His wonders and his praises do contend, Which should be thine, or his, &c.] i. e. private admiration of your deeds, and a desire to do them public justice by commendation, contend in his mind for pre-eminence,-Or,―There is a contest in his mind whether he should indulge his desire of publishing to the world the commendations due to your heroism, or whether he should remain in silent admiration of what no words could celebrate in proportion to its desert. Mr. M. Mason would read wonder, not wonders; for, says he, "I believe the word wonder, in the sense of admiration, has no plural." In modern language it certainly has none; yet I cannot help thinking that, in the present instance, plural was opposed to plural by Shakspeare. STEEVENS. 66 Silenc'd with that." i. e. wrapp'd in silent wonder at the deeds performed by Macbeth, &c. MALONE. 3 As thick as TALE,] Meaning, that the news came as thick as a tale can travel with the post. Or we may read, perhaps, yet better: As thick as tale, "Came post with post That is, posts arrived as fast as they could be counted. JOHNSON. "Tidings, as swiftly as the post could run, Mr. Rowe reads-" as thick as hail. STEEVENS. The old copy reads-Can post. The emendation is Mr. Rowe's. Dr. Johnson's explanation would be less exceptionable, if the old copy had-' As quick as tale." Thick applies but ill to tale, and seems rather to favour Mr. Rowe's emendation. Came post with post; and every one did bear ANG. We are sent, To give thee, from our royal master, thanks; Only to herald thee* into his sight, Not pay thee. ROSSE. And, for an earnest of a greater honour, He bade me, from him, call thee thane of Cawdor: In which addition, hail, most worthy thane! For it is thine. BAN. What, can the devil speak true? MACB. The thane of Cawdor lives; Why do you dress me In borrow'd robes ? ANG. Who was the thane, lives yet; "As thick as hail," as an anonymous correspondent observes to me, is an expression in the old play of King John, 1591: 66 breathe out damned orisons, "As thick as hail-stones 'fore the spring's approach.” The emendation of the word can is supported by a passage in King Henry IV. Part II.: 66 And there are twenty weak and wearied posts, "Come from the north." MALONE. Dr. Johnson's explanation is perfectly justifiable. As thick, in ancient language, signified as fast. To speak thick, in our author, does not therefore mean, to have a cloudy indistinct utterance, but to deliver words with rapidity. So, in Cymbeline, Act III. Sc. II. : 66 66 say, and speak thick, (Love's counsellor should fill the bores of hearing Again, in King Henry IV. Part II. Act II. Sc. III. : 66 And speaking thick, which nature made his blemish, "Became the accents of the valiant ; "For those that could speak low and tardily, "Would turn, &c.-To seem like him." Thick therefore is not less applicable to tale, the old reading, than to hail, the alteration of Mr. Rowe. STEEVENS. 4 To herald thee, &c.] The old copy redundantly reads-Only to herald thee, &c. STEEVENS. But under heavy judgment bears that life Which he deserves to lose. Whether he was com bin'd With those of Norway; or did line the rebel MACB. Glamis, and thane of Cawdor: The greatest is behind.-Thanks for your pains.Do you not hope your children shall be kings, When those that gave the thane of Cawdor to me, Promis'd no less to them? BAN. That, trusted home", 5 - with Norway;] The old copy reads: 66 with those of Norway." The players not understanding that by " Norway" our author meant the King of Norway, as in Hamlet "Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy," &c. foisted in the words at present omitted. STEEVENS. Mr. Steevens reads: "Combin'd with Norway, or," &c. The old copy thus exhibits these lines: 66 Which he deserves to loose, "Whether he was combin'd with those of Norway, "And vantage; or that with both he labour'd "In his countrey's wracke, I know not." Boswell. 6 - trusted home,] i. e. entirely, thoroughly relied on. So, in All's Well That Ends Well: The added word home inclines me to think that our author wrote "That thrusted home. So, in a subsequent scene: "That every minute of his being thrusts Against my nearest of life.” 66 Thrusted is the regular participle from the verb to thrust, and though now not often used, was, I believe, common in the time of Shakspeare. So, in King Henry V.: Might yet enkindle you unto the crown, Besides the thane of Cawdor. But 'tis strange : Two truths are told, "With casted slough and fresh legerity." Home means to the uttermost. So, in The Winter's Tale : 66 all my sorrows “You have paid home.” It may be observed, that “ thrusted home" is an expression used at this day; but I doubt whether "trusted home," was ever used at any period whatsoever. I have had frequent occasion to remark that many of the errors in the old copies of our author's plays arose from the transcriber's ear having deceived him. In Ireland, where much of the pronunciation of the age of Queen Elizabeth is yet retained, the vulgar constantly pronounce the word thrust as if it were written trust; and hence, probably, the error in the text. MALONE. Trusted home, may as well be said as felt home. we have the adjective home-felt with this meaning: "Yet they in pleasing slumber lull'd the sense, 66 And in sweet madness robb'd it of itself; 7 Might yet ENKINDLE you-] to seek. WARBURTON. In Comus, Enkindle, for to stimulate you A similar expression occurs in As You Like It, Act I. Sc. I. : nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither." STEEVENS, Might fire you with the hope of obtaining the crown. HENLEY. 8 Two TRUTHS are told, &c.] How the former of these truths has been fulfilled, we are yet to learn. Macbeth could not become Thane of Glamis, till after his father's decease, of which there is no mention throughout the play. If the Hag only announced what Macbeth already understood to have happened, her words could scarcely claim rank as a prediction. STEEVENS. From the Scottish translation of Boethius it should seem that Sinel, the father of Macbeth, died after Macbeth's having been met by the weird sisters. "Makbeth (says the historian) revolvyng As happy prologues to the swelling act Of the imperial theme.-I thank you, gentlemen.— 66 all thingis, as they wer said to be the weird sisteris, began to covat y croun. And zit he concludit to abide, quhil he saw ye tyme ganand thereto; fermelie belevyng yt ye third weird suld cum as the first two did afore." This, indeed, is inconsistent with our author's words, By Sinel's death, I know, I am thane of Glamis; "--but Holinshed, who was his guide, in his abridgment of the History of Boethius, has particularly mentioned that Sinel died before Macbeth met the weird sisters: we may, therefore, be sure that Shakspeare meant it to be understood that Macbeth had already acceded to his paternal title. Bellenden only says, "The first of them said to Macbeth, Hale thane of Glammis. The secound said," &c. But in Holinshed the relation runs thus, conformably to the Latin original: "The first of them spake and said, All haile Mackbeth, thane of Glammis (for he had latelie entered into that dignitie and office by the death of his father Sinell.) The second of them said," &c. 66 Still, however, the objection made by Mr. Steevens remains in its full force; for since he knew that "by Sinel's death he was thane of Glamis," how can this salutation be considered as prophetic? Or why should he afterwards say, with admiration, Glamis, and thane of Cawdor;" &c.? Perhaps we may suppose that the father of Macbeth died so recently before his interview with the weirds, that the news of it had not yet got abroad; in which case, though Macbeth himself knew it, he might consider their giving him the title of Thane of Glamis as a proof of supernatural intelligence. I suspect our author was led to use the expressions which have occasioned the present note, by the following words of Holinshed: "The same night after, at supper, Banquo jested with him, and said, Now Mackbeth, thou hast obteined those things which the Two former sisters PROPHESIED: there remaineth onelie for thee to purchase that which the third said should come to passe." MALONE. I can see no ground for Mr. Steevens's objection. Macbeth has not called them prophecies, but truths-" They called me Thane of Glamis; that, I knew to be true.-They called me Thane of Cawdor; that, I have now found to be true: I may therefore confide in their prophecy that I shall be King hereafter." BOSWELL. 9 SWELLING act] Swelling is used in the same sense in the prologue to King Henry V.: 66 princes to act, "And monarchs to behold the swelling scene.". STEEVENS. |