Macb. Blood hath been fhed ere now i'th' olden time, Ere human ftatute purg'd the gen'ral weal; Ay, and fince too, murthers have been perform'd That, when the brains were out, the man would die. With twenty mortal murthers on their crowns,. Lady. My worthy lord, Your noble friends to lack you. Mach. I do forget. Do not mufe at me, my moft worthy friends, to all ! Come, love and health Then I'll fit down give me fome wine, fill full- And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss; Lords. Our duties, and the pledge. [The ghoft rifes again. Macb. Avaunt, and quit my fight! Let the earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowlefs, thy blood is cold; Lady. Think of this, good peers, H 3 Take Take any fhape but that, and my firm nerves If trembling I inhibit, then proteft me The baby of a girl. Hence, horrible fhadow! [The ghost vanishes.. [The lords rife. Lady. You have difplac'd the mirth, broke the good I am à man again; pray you, fit ftill. meeting With moft admir'd disorder. Macb. (14) Can fuch things be, And overcome us like a fummer's cloud, Without our special wonder? You make me ftrange Ev'n to the difpofition that (15) I owe, When now I think, you can behold fuch fights; Roffe. What fights my lord? Lady. I pray you, speak not; he grows worse and worse ; Queftion enrages him: at once, good night. Stand not upon the order of your going, 66 (14) Can, &c.] Mr. Warburton's alteration of this paffage is very wonderful; nothing can be plainer than the meaning of Can fuch things be, can fuch dreadful fights as this of the ghoft come over us, overcaft us like a dreadful black fummer cloud, without our fhewing any amazement, without being at all moved at it ?" it ; (5) That I owe.] Mr. Johnfon here would read know: "Though I had before feen many inftances of your courage, yet it now appears in a Degree altogether new: So that my ·long acquaintance with your difpofition, does not hinder me from that aftonishment which novelty produces." Macb. Mach. It will have blood, (they fay) blood will have blood: Stones have been known to move, and trees to speak; Augurs, that understood (16) relations, have By magpies, and by coughs, and rooks brought forth The fecret'ft man of blood. ACT IV. SCENE II. Witches, their Power. (17) I conjure you, by that which you profefs, (How e'er you come to know it) answer me. Though you untie the winds, and let them fight Against the churches; though the yefty waves Confound and swallow navigation up; Though bladed corn be lodg'd, and trees blown down, Though caftles topple on their warders heads; Their heads to their foundations; though the treasure To what I ask you. SCENE IV. Malcolm's Character of himself. Mal. But I have none; the king-becoming graces, As juftice, verity, temp'rance, ftableness, Bounty, perfev'rance, mercy, lowliness, (16) Relations. By the word relation, is understood the connection of effects with caufes; to understand relations as an augur, is to know how those things relate to each other, which have no visible combination or dependance, JOHNSON. (17) See Vol. I. p. 116, and n. 21. See king Lear, p. 125. n. 15. H4 Devo. Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude, Acting it many ways. Nay, had I power, I fhould Mard. Oh Scotland! Scotland! Mal. If fuch a one be fit to govern, speak : I'm as I have fpoken. Macd. Fit to govern? No, not to live. Oh, nation miferable, By his own interdiction stands accurst, And does blafpheme his breed. Thy royal father Was a most fainted king; the queen that bore thee, Oftner upon her knees than on her feet, * Dy'd every day fhe liv'd. Oh! fare thee well! 'I hefe evils, thou repeat'ft upon thyself, Have banish'd me from Scotland. Thy hope ends here. Oh, my breaft! Mal. Macduff, this noble paffion, Wip'd the black fcruples; reconcil'd my thoughts I put my felf to thy direction, and * Unfpeak mine own detraction; here abjure * Dy'd, &c.] This is plainly taken from St. Paul, I die daily. * See the whole scene. The The taints and blames I laid upon myself, No lefs in truth, than life: my firft falfe-speaking SCENE VI. An opprefs'd Country. Alas, poor country, Almoft afraid to know itself! It cannot Be call'd our mother, but our grave; where nothing, : Is there scarce afk'd, for whom and good mens lives Expire before the flowers in their caps, Dying, or ere they ficken. Macduff, on the Murder of his Wife and Children, Roffe. 'Would, I could answer This comfort with the like! but I have words, Macd. What concern they? The gen'ral caufe? or is it a fee-grief, Due to fome fingle breast? Roffe. No mind, that's honeft, But in it fhares fome woe; tho' the main part Pertains to you alonë. Macd. If it be mine, |