Macd. Let us rather, Hold fast the mortal sword; and, like good men, Bestride our down-fall'n birthdom: Each new morn,

New widows howl; new orphans cry; new sor

rows

Strike heaven on the face, that it resounds
As if it felt with Scotland, and yell'd out
Like syllable of dolour.

Mal.
What I believe I'll wail;
What know, believe; and, what I can redress,
As I shall find the time to friend, I will.

What you have spoke, it may be so, perchance. This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues, Was once thought honest; you have lov'd him well;

He hath not touch'd you yet. I am young,

something

but

I speak not as in absolute fear of you.

I think, our country sinks beneath the yoke;
It
weeps, it bleeds and each new day a gash
Is added to her wounds: I think, withal,
There would be hands uplifted in my right;
And here, from gracious England, have I offer
Of goodly thousands: But, for all this,
When I shall tread upon the tyrant's head,
Or wear it on my sword, yet my poor country
Shall have more vices than it had before;
More suffer, and more sundry ways than ever,
By him that shall succeed.
Macd.
What should he be?
Mal. It is myself I mean: in whom I know
All the particulars of vice so grafted,
That, when they shall be open'd, black Macbeth
Will seem as pure as snow; and the poor state
Esteem him as a lamb, being compared
With my confineless harms.

Does Macduff then mean to say, hurt and indignant at the doubts of Malcolm, the title (personifying the regal title) is afear'd-frighted; and therefore," poor country," "wear thou thy wrongs:" or, continuing to apostrophise "" great tyranny," wear thou thy wrongs"-enjoy thy usurpation; wrongs being here opposed to rights: the title is affeer'd confirmed-admitted as affeerors decide upon a claim, and terminate a dispute? We hold to this interpretation; and it is remarkable that all the commentators, connecting "wear thou thy wrongs" with " poor country,' have failed to perceive that the "title" is that of "great tyranny."

By many of these trains hath sought to win me
Into his power; and modest wisdom plucks me
From over-credulous haste: But God above
Deal between thee and me! for even now
I put myself to thy direction, and
Unspeak mine own detraction; here abjure
The taints and blames I laid upon myself,
For strangers to my nature. I am yet
Unknown to woman; never was forsworn;
Scarcely have coveted what was mine own;
At no time broke my faith; would not betray
The devil to his fellow; and delight

No less in truth, than life: my first false speaking
Was this upon myself: What I am truly,
Is thine, and my poor country's, to command:
Whither, indeed, before thy here-approach,
Old Siward, with ten thousand warlike men,
All ready at a point, was setting forth :

No, not to live.-O nation miserable,
With an untitled tyrant bloody-sceptre'd,
When shalt thou see thy wholesome days again?
Since that the truest issue of thy throne
By his own interdiction stands accurs'd,

father

Was a most sainted king: the queen, that bore

thee,

Oft'ner upon her knees than on her feet,
Died every day she lived. Fare thee well!
These evils thou repeat'st upon thyself
Have banish'd me from Scotland.-O, my breast,
Thy hope ends here!

Mal.
Macduff, this noble passion,
Child of integrity, hath from my soul
Wip'd the black scruples, reconcil'd my thoughts
To thy good truth and honour. Devilish Macbeth

• Foysons-abundant provision.

Portable.-The word is used in the same sense in Lear: "How light and portable my pain seems now.'

Which often, since my here-remain in England,
I have seen him do. How he solicits heaven,
Himself best knows: but strangely-visited people,
All swoln and ulcerous, pitiful to the eye,
The mere despair of surgery, he cures ;
Hanging a golden stamp about their necks,2
Put on with holy prayers: and 't is spoken,
To the succeeding royalty he leaves
The healing benediction. With this strange
virtue,

The original has already at a point. This is now given "all ready;" and it is held that "at a point" means fully equipped, as in Hamlet, "armed at point." This we know is point-device; but we have no example of the use of the word with the article. Is it not then that the "ten thousand warlike men" were already assembled "at a point?"-at a particular spot where they had collected-a point of space.

• Latch them-lay hold of them.

One would imagine that there could be no doubt of whom Macduff was thinking when he says, "He has no children:" but the commentators here enter into a discussion whether Macbeth had any children, or not; and upon the whole they consider that Macduff points at Malcolm, reproaching him for saying "Be comforted." Look at the whole course of the heart-stricken man's sorrow. He is first speechless; he then ejaculates "my children too?" then my wife kill'd too?" And then, utterly insensible to the words addressed to him,

"He has no children.-All my pretty ones?" Macbeth is more fully annotated than any other of Shak. spere's plays. We may spare something.

1

Mal. Dispute it like a man.
Macd.

I shall do so;
But I must also feel it as a man:

I cannot but remember such things were, That were most precious to me.-Did heaven look on,

And would not take their part? Sinful Macduff, They were all struck for thee! naught that I am, Not for their own demerits, but for mine,

Fell slaughter on their souls: Heaven rest them now!

Mal. Be this the whetstone of your sword: let grief

Convert to anger; blunt not the heart, enrage it. Macd. O, I could play the woman with mine eyes,

Ronnd, around, around, about, about;
All ill come running in, all good keep out!"

2 SCENE III.-" Hanging a golden stamp about their necks."

Holinshed thus describes the gift of curing the evil which was alleged to exist in the person of Edward the Confessor:-"As it has been thought, he was inspired with the gift of prophecy, and also to have the gift of healing infirmities and diseases. He used to help those that were vexed with the disease commonly called the king's evil, and left that virtue as it were a portion of inheritance unto his successors, the kings of this realm." The golden stamp is stated to be the coin called an angel; for the origin of which name, as given by Verstegan, see the Merchant of Venice, Illustrations of Act II.

We continue our extracts from Holinshed :"Neither could he afterwards abide to look upon the said Macduff, either for that he thought his puissance over great; either else for that he had learned of certain wizards, in whose words he put great confidence, (for that the prophecy had happened so right which the three fairies or weird sisters had declared unto him,) how that he ought to take heed of Macduff, who in time to come should seek to destroy him.

"And surely hereupon had he put Macduff to death, but that a certain witch, whom he had in great trust, had told that he should never be slain with man born of any woman, nor vanquished till the wood of Bernane came to the castle of Dunsinane. By this prophecy Macbeth put all fear out of his heart, supposing he might do what he would without any fear to be punished for the same; for by the one prophecy he believed it was impossible for any man to vanquish him, and by the other impossible to slay him. This vain hope caused him to do many outrageous things, to the grievous oppression of his subjects. At length Macduff, to avoid peril of life, purposed with himself to pass into England, to procure Malcolm Cammore to claim the crown of Scotland. But this was not so secretly devised by Macduff but that Macbeth had knowledge given him thereof; for kings (as is said) have sharp sight like unto Lynx, and long ears like unto Midas: for Macbeth had in every nobleman's house one sly fellow or other in fee with him, to reveal all

that was said or done within the same, by which flight he oppressed the most part of the nobles of his realm.

"Immediately then, being advertised whereabout Macduff went, he came hastily with a great power into Fife, and forthwith besieged the castle where Macduff dwelled, trusting to have found him therein. They that kept the house, without any resistance opened the gates, and suffered him to enter, mistrusting none evil. But nevertheless Macbeth most cruelly caused the wife and children of Macduff, with all other whom he found in that castle, to be slain. Also he confiscated the goods of Macduff, proclaimed him traitor, and confined him out of all the parts of his realm; but Macduff was already escaped out of danger, and gotten into England unto Malcolin Cammore, to try what purchase he night make by means of his support to revenge the slaughter so cruelly executed on his wife, his children, and other friends.

Though Malcolm was very sorrowful for the oppression of his countrymen the Scots, in manner as Macduff had declared; yet, doubting whether he were come as oue that came unfeignedly as he spake, or else as sent from Macbeth to betray him, he thought to have some further trial; and thereupon, dissembling his mind at the first, he answered as followeth :

"I am truly very sorry for the misery chanced to my country of Scotland, but, though I have never so great affection to relieve the same, yet by reason