the invasion of Sueno, our author has woven these two actions together, and immediately after Sueno's defeat the present play commences. It is remarkable that Buchanan has pointed out Macbeth's history as a subject for the stage. "Multa hic fabulose quidam nostrorum affingunt; sed, quia theatris aut Milesiis fabulis sunt aptiora quam historiæ, ea omitto." Rerum Scot. Hist. 1. vii. But there was no translation of Buchanan's work till after our author's death. This tragedy was written, I believe, in the year 1606. See the notes at the end; and An Attempt to ascertain the Order of Shakspeare's Plays, vol. ii. MALONE. DUNCAN, King of Scotland: MALCOLM, his Sons. МАСВЕТН, Generals of the King's Army. BANQUO, MACDUFF, FLEANCE, Son to Banquo. SIWARD, Earl of Northumberland, General of the English Forces: Young SIWARD, his Son. SEYTON, an Officer attending on Macbeth. Son to Macduff. An English Doctor. A Scotch Doctor. A Soldier. A Porter. Lady MACBETH 1. Lady MACDUFf. An old Man. Gentlewoman attending on Lady Macbeth. HECATE, and three Witches'. Lords, Gentlemen, Officers, Soldiers, Murderers, Attendants, and Messengers. The Ghost of Banquo, and several other Apparitions. SCENE, in the End of the fourth Act, lies in England; through the rest of the Play, in Scotland; and, chiefly, at Macbeth's Castle. 1 Lady Macbeth.] Her name was Gruach, filia Bodhe. See Lord Hailes's Annals of Scotland, ii. 332. RITSON. Androw of Wyntown, in his Cronykil, informs us that this personage was the widow of Duncan; a circumstance with which Shakspeare must have been wholly unacquainted: 66 66 Dame Grwok, hys Emys wyf, Tuk, and led wyth hyr his lyf, "And held hyr bathe hys Wyf and Qweyne, "As befor than scho had beyne "Til hys Eme Qwene, lyvand "Quhen he was Kyng wyth Crowne rygnand: "For lytyl in honowre than had he "The greys of affynyte." B. vi. 35. From the incidents, however, with which Hector Boece has diversified the legend of Macbeth, our poet derived greater advantages than he could have found in the original story, as related by Wyntown. The 18th Chapter of his Cronykil, book vi. together with observations by its accurate and learned editor, will be subjoined to this tragedy, for the satisfaction of inquisitive readers. 2 STEEVENS. three Witches.] As the play now stands, in Act IV. Sc. I. three other witches make their appearance. See note thereon. STEEVENS. MACBETH. ACT I. SCENE I. An open Place. Thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches. 1 WITCH. When shall we three meet again, In thunder, lightning, or in rain? 2 WITCH. When the hurlyburly's done', When the battle's lost and won 2: -hurlyburly's-] However mean this word may seem to modern ears, it came recommended to Shakspeare by the authority of Henry Peacham, who, in the year 1577, published a book professing to treat of the ornaments of language. It is called The Garden of Eloquence, and has this passage: "Onomatopeia, when we invent, devise, fayne, and make a name intimating the sownd of that it signifyeth, as hurlyburly, for an uprore and tumultuous stirre." HENDERSON. 66 So, in a translation of Herodian, 12mo. 1635, p. 26: there was a mighty hurlyburly in the campe," &c. Again, p. 324: 66 great hurliburlies being in all parts of the empire," &c. So, also, in Turbervile's Tragical Tales: "But by the meane of horse and man Again, in Spenser's Fairy Queen, b. v. c. iii. st. 30: REED. "Thereof great hurly burly moved was." MALONE. Mr. Todd has the following note on the line quoted from Spenser: "None of the commentators have noticed, by any production from the literature of Scotland, the propriety of the dramatick poet's putting the expression into the Scottish hag's mouth. The expression is to be found in a book published indeed long after Shakspeare's time, but containing probably many old saws, entitled, |