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ments were brought into this part of the world by thos who returned from their eastern expeditions. But there is always fome diftance between the birth and maturity of folly as of wickedness: this opinion had long exist. ed, though perhaps the application of it had in no fore going age been fo frequent, nor the reception fo general. Olympiodorus, in Photius's extracts, tells us of one Libanius, who practised this kind of military magic, and having promifed χωρίς οπλιτων κατά βαρβαρων ενερ yev, to perform great things against the Barbarians without foldiers, was, at the inftance of the empress Placidia, put to death, when he was about to have given proofs of his abilities. The emprefs fhewed fome kindnefs in her anger, by cutting him off at a time fo convenient for his reputation.

But a more remarkable proof of the antiquity of this notion may be found in St Chryfoftom's book de Sacerdotio, which exhibits a scene of enchantments not exceeded by any romance of the middle age: he fuppofes a fpectator overlooking a field of battle attended by one that points out all the various objects of horror, the engines of destruction, and the arts of flaughter. Δεικνυτο δε ετι παρά τοις εναντίοις και πετομένε; ιππες δια τους μαγγανείας, και οπλίτας δι αέρος φερόμενους, και πασην λοντεία; δυναμιν και ιδεαν. Let him then proceed to fhew him in the oppofite armies borfes flying by enchantment, armed men tranfported through the air, and every power and form of magic. Whether St Chryfoftom believed that fuch performances were really to be feen in a day of battle, or only endeavoured to enliven his description, by adopting the notions of the vulgar, it is equally certain, that fuch notions were in his time received, and that therefore they were not imported from the Saracens in a later age; the wars with the Saracens, however, gavé occasion to their propagation, not only as bigotry naturally discovers prodigies, but as the scene of action was removed to a great diftance. The Refor mation did not immediately arrive at its meridian, and though day was gradually increafing upon us, the goblins of witchcraft till continued to hover in the twilight.

In the time of queen Elizabeth was the remarkable trial of the witches of Warbois, whose conviction is still commemorated in an annual fermon at Huntingdon. But in the reign of king James, in which this tragedy was written, many circumftances concurred to propagate and confirm this opinion. The king, who was much celebrated for his knowledge, had, before his arrival in England, not only examined in perfon a woman accufed of witchcraft, but had given a very formal account of the practices and illusions of evil fpirits, the compacts of witches, the ceremonies ufed by them, the manner of detecting them, and the juftice of punishing them, in his dialogues of Damonologie, written in the Scottish dialect, and published at Edinburgh. This book was, foon after his acceffion, reprinted at London; and as the ready way to gain king James's favour was to flatter his fpeculations, the fyftem of Damonologie was immediately adopted by all who defired either to gain preferment or not to lofe it. Thus the doctrine of witchcraft was very powerfully inculcated; and as the greatest part of mankind have no other reafon for their opinions than that they are in fashion, it cannot be doubted but this perfuafion made a rapid progrefs, fince vanity and credulity co-operated in its avour. The infection foon reached the parliament, who, in the first year of king James, made a law by which it was enacted, chap. xii. That "if any perfon fhall ufe any invocation or conjuration of any evil or wicked fpirit; 2. or fhall confult, covenant with, entertain, employ, feed or reward any evil or curfed pirit to or for any intent or purpose: 3. or take up any dead man, woman or child out of the grave,-or the fkin, bone, or any part of the dead perfon, to be employed or used in any manner of witchcraft, sorcery, charm, or enchantment; 4. or fhall use, practise, or xercise any fort of witchcraft, forcery, charm, or endantment; 5. whereby any person shall be destroyed, lled, wafted, confumed, pined, or lamed in any part the body; 6. That every fuch perfon being convict

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ed fhall fuffer death." This law was repealed in ou own time.

Thus, in the time of Shakespeare, was the doctrin of witchcraft at once established by law and by the fa hion, and it became not only unpolite, but crimina to doubt it; and as prodigies are always feen in pro portion as they are expected, witches were every da difcovered, and multiplied fo faft in fome places, tha bishop Hall mentions a village in Lancashire, wher their number was greater than that of the houses. Th Jefuits and Sectaries took advantage of this univerfa error, and endeavoured to promote the interest of thei parties by pretended cures of perfons afflicted by ev fpirits; but they were detected and exposed by the cler gy of the established church.

Upon this general infatuation, Shakespeare might b easily allowed to found a play, especially fince he ha followed with great exactness fuch hiftories as wer then thought true; nor can it be doubted that th fcenes of enchantment, however they may be ridiculed were both by himself and his audience thought awfu and affecting. JOHNSON.

It may be worth while to remark, that Milton, who left behind him a lift of no less than CII. dramatic fubjects, had fixed on the ftory of this play among th reft. His intention was to have begun with the arriva of Malcolm at Macduff's caftle. "The matter of Dun can (fays he) may be expreffed by the appearing of hi ghoft." It should feem from this laft memorandum that Milton dilliked the licence that his predeceffor ha taken in comprehending a history of such length within the fhort compass of a play, and would have now writ ten the whole on the plan of the ancient drama. H could not furely have indulged fo vain a hope, as tha of excelling Shakespeare in the Tragedy of Macbeth. STEEVENS

Macbeth was certainly one of Shakespeare's latef productions, and it might poffibly have been fuggefte to him by a little performance on the fame fubject a Oxford, before king James, 1605. I will tranfcrib

ny notice of it from Wake's Rex Platonicus: "Fabula iam dedit antiqua de Regiâ profapiâ hiftoriola apud Scoto-Britannos celebrata, quæ narrat tres olim SibylAs occurifle duobus Scotia proceribus, Macbetho et Banchoni, et illum predixiffe Regem futurum, fed Reem nullum geniturum; hunc Regem non futurum, fed Reges geniturum multos. Vaticinii veritatem rerum ventus comprobavit. Banchonis enim è ftirpe Potenfimus Jacobus oriundus." p. 29.

Since I made the observation here quoted, I have frequently been told, that I unwittingly made Shakepeare learned at least in Latin, as this must have been

language of the performance before king James. One might perhaps have plaufibly faid, that he proba y picked up the ftory at fecond-hand; but mere accint has thrown an old pamphlet in my way, intitled e Oxford Triumph by one Anthony Nixon, 1605, hich explains the whole matter; "This performance, s Anthony, was firft in Latine to the kinge, then in glish to the queene and young prince ;" and, as he es on to tell us, "the conceipt thereof, the kinge very much applaude." It is likely that the friendly ter, which we are informed king James once wrote Shakespeare, was on this occafion. FARMER. This play is defervedly celebrated for the propriety ts fictions, and folemnity, grandeur, and variety of action, but it has no nice difcriminations of charac; the events are too great to admit the influence of ticular difpofitions, an the course of the action nearily determines the conduct of the agents. The danger of ambition is well described; and I know whether it may not be faid in defence of fome parts ich now feem improbable, that, in Shakespeare's e, it was neceffary to warn credulity against vain illufive predictions.

The paffions are directed to their true end. Lady cbeth is merely detefted; and though the courage Blacbeth preferves fome esteem, yet every reader re s at his fall. JOHNSON.

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