8 The arm'd rhinoceros, or the Hyrcan tyger Lady. You have difplac'd the mirth, broke the good meeting, With most admir'd disorder. s the Hyrcan tyger,] Theobald chufes to read, in oppofition to the old copy: And -Hyr sanian tyger; but the alteration was unneceffary, as Dr. Philemon Holland, in his tranflation of Pliny's Nat. Hift. p. 122, mentions the Hyrcane fea. TOLLET. 9 If trembling I inhabit, This is the original reading, which Mr. Pope which inhibit Dr. Warburton interprets refufe. may stand, at least as well as the emendation. If trembling I evade it. JOHNSON. changed to inhibit, The old reading Suppose we read: Inhibit feems more likely to have been the poet's own word, as he ufes it frequently in the fenfe required in this paffage. Othello act I. fc. 7: "I think their inhibition comes of the late innovation." To inhibit is to forbid. The poet probably might have written. If trembling I inhibit thee, proteft me, &c. STEEVENS. 1 Čan fuch things be, And overcome us, like a fummer's cloud, Without our Special wonder? Why not? if they be only like a fummer's cloud? The speech is given wrong; it is part of the lady's foregoing fpeech; and, befides that, is a little corrupt. We fhould read it thus: -Can't fuch things be, And overcome us, like a fummer's cloud, -] i. e. cannot thefe vifions, without fo much wonder and amaze, ment, be prefented to the difturbed imagination in the manner that air vifions, in fummer clouds, are prefented to a wanton one: 2 And overcome us like a fummer's cloud, When now I think you can behold fuch fights, your cheek, When mine is blanch'd with fear '. which fometimes fhew a lion, a castle, or a promontory? The thought is fine, and in character. Overcome is ufed for deceive. WARBURTON. The alteration is introduced by a mifinterpretation. The meaning is not that these things are like a fummer-cloud, but can fuch wonders as these pass over us without wonder, as a casual summer cloud paffes over us. JOHNSON. No inftance is given of this sense of the word overcome, which has caused all the difficulty; it is however to be found in Spenfer, Faery Queen, b. iii. c. 7. ft. 4: A little valley "All covered with thick woods, that quite it overcame.” FARMER. A fimilar expreffion occurs in the Merchant of Venice: "I pr'ithee overname them; and as thou namest them, &c." 2 You make me frange Even to the difpofition that I owe,] MALONE. Which in plain English is only: You make me juft mad. WARBURTON. You produce in me an alienation of mind, which is probably the expreffion which our author intended to paraphrase. JOHNSON. I do not think that either of the editors has very fuccessfully explained this paffage, which seems to mean. You prove to me that I am a ftranger even to my own difpofition, when I perceive that the very object which feals the colour from my cheek, permits it to remain in yours. In other words,- -You prove to me how falfe an opinion I have hitherto maintained of my own courage, when yours on the trial is found to exceed it. A thought fomewhat fimilar occurs in the Merry Wives of Windfor, act II. fc.i: "I'll entertain myself like one I am not acquainted withal." Again, in All's Well that Ends Well: act V: 66 if you know "That you are well acquainted with yourself." STEEVENS. 3 --are blanch'd with fear.] i. e. turn'd pale, as in Webster's Dutchefs of Malfy, 1623: "Thou doft blanch mischief, "Doft make it white." STEEVENS. Roffe. Roffe. What fights, my lord? Lady. I pray you, fpeak not; he grows worfe and worfe; Question enrages him: at once, good night : Stand not upon the order of your going, But go at once. Len. Good night, and better health, Attend his majesty ! Lady. A kind good night to all! [Exeunt Lords. Mach. It will have blood, they fay; blood will have blood: Stones have been known to move, and trees to speak; 4 Augurs, and understood relations, have 4 Augurs, and underflood relations,-] By By the word relation is understood the connection of effects with caufes; to understand relations as an augur, is to know how these things relate to each other, which have no vifible combination or dependence. JOHNSON. Augurs, and underflood relations,] By relations is meant the relation one thing is fuppofed to bear to another. The ancient foothfayers of all denominations practifed their art upon the principle of analogy. Which analogies were founded in a fuperftitious philofophy arifing out of the nature of ancient idolatry; which would require a volume to explain. If Shakespeare meant what I fuppofe he did by relations, this fhews a very profound knowledge of antiquity. But, after all, in his licentious way, by relations, he might only mean languages, i. e. the language of birds. WARBURTON. The old copy has the paffage thus: Augures, and underflood relations, have The modern editors read: Augurs that understand relations, have By magpies and by choughs, &c. Perhaps we should read, auguries, i. e. prognoftications by means of omens or prodigies. Thefe, together with the connection of effects with causes, being understood (fays he) have been inftrumental in divulging the moft fecret murders. In Cotgrave's Dictionary, a magpie is called a magatapie. Maargot-pie is the original name of the bird; Magot being the familiar appellation given to pies, as we fay Robin to a redbreast, Tom to a titmoufe, Philip to a fparrow, &c. The modern mag is the abbreVol. IV. N n viation By magot-pies, and choughs, and rooks, brought forth The fecret'ft man of blood.-What is the night? Lady. Almoft at odds with morning, which is which. Macb. How fay'ft thou, that Macduff denies his perfon, At our great bidding? Lady. Did you send to him, fir? Mach. I hear it by the way; but I will fend: "There's not a one of them, but in his house I keep a fervant fee'd. I will to-morrow, (And betimes I will) unto the weird fifters: More fhall they speak; for now I am bent to know, By the worst means, the worst: for mine own good, All caufes fhall give way; I am in blood viation of the ancient Magot, a word which we had from the French. STEEVENS. Mr. Steevens rightly restores magot-pies. In Minfhew's Guide to the Tongues, 1617, we meet with a maggatapie: and Middleton in his More Diffemblers befide Women, fays: "He calls her magot o pie." FARMER. 5 How fay'ft thou, &c.] Macbeth here asks a question, which the recollection of a moment enables him to anfwer. Of this forgetfulness, natural to a mind oppress'd, there is a beautiful inftance in the facred fong of Deborah and Barak: "She asked her wife women counsel, yea, she returned anfwer to herself." This circumftance likewife takes its rife from hiftory. Macbeth fent to Macduff to affift in building the caftle of Dunfinane. Macduff fent workmen &c. but did not chufe to truft his perfon in the tyrant's power. From this time he refolved on his death. 6 There's not a one of them, STEEVENS. A one of them, however uncouth the phrafe, fignifies an individual. In Albumazar, 1610, the fame expreffion occurs: "- Not a one shakes his tail, but I figh out a paffion." Theobald would read thane; and might have found his propofed emendation in Betterton's alteration of Macbeth, 1674. This avowal of the tyrant is authorized by Holinfhed: "He had in every nobleman's house one flie fellow or other in fee with him to reveale all &c." STEEVENS. Stept Stept in fo far, that, fhould I wade no more, Strange things I have in head, that will to hand; Which must be acted, ere they may be scann'd 7. Lady. You lack the feafon of all natures, fleep. Mach. Come, we'll to fleep: My ftrange and self 8 abuse Is the initiate fear, that wants hard ufe: "We are yet but young in deed. [Exeunt. Thunder. Enter the three Witches, meeting Hecate'. 1 Witch. Why, how now, Hecat'? you look an gerly. 7-be fcann'd.] To fean is to examine nicely. Thus, in Hamlet: 66 fo he goes to heaven, "And so am I reveng'd: that must be scann'd." Again, in Heywood's Golden Age, 1611: 66 -how thefe are feann'd, Hec. “Let none decide but such as understand." STEEVENS. You lack the feafon of all natures, Leep.] I take the meaning to be, you want fleep, which feafons, or gives the relifh to all nature. 66 Indiget fomni vita condimenti." You lack the feafon of all natures, fleep.] JOHNSON. This word is often ufed in this fenfe by our author. So, in All's Well that Ends Well: "'Tis the best brine a maiden can feafon her praise in." Again, in The Rape of Lucrece: "But I alone, alone must fit and pine, Seafoning the earth with fhowers of filver brine." 9 We are yet but young in deed.] The editions before Theobald read: We're yet but young indeed. JOHNSON. MALONE. The meaning is not ill explained by a line in K. Hen. VI. third part: We are not, Macbeth would fay, "Made impudent with use of evil deeds." The initiate fear, is the fear that always attends the first initiation into guilt, before the mind becomes callous and infenfible by frequent repetitions of it, or (as the poet fays) by hard ufe. STEEVENS. -meeting Hecate.] Shakespeare has been cenfured for intro Nn 2 ducin |