SIWARD, Earl of Northumberland, General of the English Lords, Gentlemen, Officers, Soldiers, Murderers, Attendants, and Messengers. The Ghost of Banquo, and other Apparitions. SCENE, in the end of the fourth Act, in England; through the rest of the Play, in Scotland. 1 There is no list of characters in any of the old copies: it was first supplied by Rowe. МАСВЕТ Н. 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. 3 Witch. That will be ere the set of sun. 1 Witch. Where the place? 2 Witch. Upon the heath: 3 Witch. There to meet with Macbeth. 1 Witch. I come, Graymalkin! All. Paddock calls2:-Anon. Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air. [Witches vanish. 2 — HURLYBURLY's done,] This word (observes Henderson) came recommended to Shakespeare by the authority of Henry Peacham, who, in the year 1577, published a book (reprinted in 1593) 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 signifieth, as hurlyburly, for an uprore and tumultuous stirre." It was, however, in common use in our language, and for the purposes of the stage, before Peacham noticed it as in the following couplet, put into the mouth of the Vice, in the old interlude of " Appius and Virginia," by R. B. 1575. "Thus in hurly burly, from pillar to poste, Poore Haphazard daily was toste."-Sign. E. 2 PADDOCK calls :] "Paddock" is the old word for a toad, supposed to be one of the familiars of the Witches, like the cat, Graymalkin, in the preceding line. In the Townley Miracle-play called “Lazarus,” (published by the Surtees Society, p. 325,) we meet with this line, "And ees out of your hede thus-gate shalle paddokes pyke." SCENE II. A Camp near Fores. Alarum within. Enter King DUNCAN, MALCOLM, DoNALBAIN, LENOX, with Attendants, meeting a bleeding Soldier3. Dun. What bloody man is that? He can report, As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt The newest state. Mal. This is the sergeant, Who, like a good and hardy soldier, fought Sold. Doubtful it stood; As two spent swimmers, that do cling together And choke their art. The merciless Macdonwald (Worthy to be a rebel, for to that The multiplying villanies of nature Do swarm upon him) from the western isles 3 a bleeding Soldier.] The "Soldier" is called a Captain in the stagedirection of the old copies; but by the dialogue it appears that he was a Sergeant. Of old, Sergeant seems to have been a considerably higher rank in the army than at present. from the western isles Of KERNES and GALLOWGLASSES is supplied ;] We have had "Kernes of Ireland" spoken of in "Henry VI." part ii. Vol. v. p. 161; and Boswell quotes the following description of Kernes and Gallowglasses from Barnabie Riche's "New Irish Prognostication," 1624 :-" The Galloglas succeedeth the Horseman, and he is commonly armed with a scull, a shirt of maile, and a Galloglas axe: his service in the field is neither good against horsemen, nor able to endure an encounter of pikes, yet the Irish do make great account of them. The Kernes of Ireland are next in request, the very drosse and scum of the countrey, a generation of villaines not worthy to live these be they that live by robbing and spoiling the poor countreyman, that maketh him many times to buy bread to give unto them, though he want for himself and his poor children. These are they that are ready to run out with every rebel, and these are the very hags of hell, fit for nothing but for the gallows." Boswell was not aware that the "New Irish Prognostication" is only a reprint, with a different title-page, of Riche's "Description of Ireland," 1610. And fortune, on his damned quarry' smiling, Like valour's minion, carv'd out his passage, Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, Dun. O, valiant cousin! worthy gentleman! Compell'd these skipping Kernes to trust their heels, With furbish'd arms, and new supplies of men, Dun. Dismay'd not this Yes; Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo? Sold. As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion. If I say sooth, I must report they were As cannons overcharg'd with double cracks; I cannot tell.— 5 — damned QUARRY—] i. e. His army doomed, or damned, to become the ❝quarry," or prey, of his enemies. This is the reading of all the old copies, which was deserted by most editors, although giving an obvious and striking meaning, much more forcible than quarrel, which, at Johnson's instance, they substituted for" quarry." Respecting " quarry," see Vol. vi. p. 147. 6- and direful thunders BREAK,] In the folio, 1623, the line ends at "thunders," and being obviously defective, the folio, 1632, inserted breaking; but the present tense, and not the participle, seems wanting, and Pope, therefore, changed the word to "break." But I am faint, my gashes cry for help. Dun. So well thy words become thee, as thy wounds: They smack of honour both.-Go, get him surgeons. [Exit Soldier, attended. Enter ROSSE and ANGUS'. Who comes here? Mal. The worthy thane of Rosse. Len. What a haste looks through his eyes! So should he look, that seems to speak things strange. Rosse. God save the king! Dun. Whence cam'st thou, worthy thane? Rosse. From Fife, great king; Where the Norweyan banners flout the sky Norway himself, with terrible numbers, Assisted by that most disloyal traitor, The thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict; Point against point, rebellious arm 'gainst arm, Dun. Rosse. That now Great happiness! Sweno, the Norways' king, craves composition; Till he disbursed at Saint Colmes' Inch S Ten thousand dollars to our general use. 8 Dun. No more that thane of Cawdor shall deceive 7 Enter Rosse and Angus.] Rosse only speaks, and is spoken of and to; but they both enter, and subsequently execute the commission they had in charge from the king. Modern editors omit Angus, although his name is found in every old stage-direction. It is here restored at the suggestion of Mr. Amyot. 8 Saint COLMES' INCH,] Colmes'-inch, now called Inchcomb, (says Steevens,) is a small island, lying in the Firth of Edinburgh, with an abbey upon it dedicated to St. Columb; called by Camden Inch Colm, or The Isle of Columba. |