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crouchings for "couchings." But it is by no means certain that Shakespeare has not used the words convertibly in several instances.

ACT IV. SCENE 1.

"Ant. A barren-spirited fellow; one that feeds

On objects, arts, and imitations,

Which out of use, and stal'd by other men,
Begin his fashion."

How did Lepidus feed or exist "on objects, arts," &c. ? Out of question there is an error of the press; and we should read,

" one that feeds

On abject arts and imitations."

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I find that this passage is considered obscure: all sorts of alterations are proposed in it by editors and commentators of every grade and period. It has always seemed to me, and yet seems to be perfectly clear. By "if the assassination could trammel up the consequence," Macbeth evidently means, if the killing of Duncan could also set aside the consequences of such an act.' "His" refers to Duncan, not to the assassination, as some, them, appear to think, and "surcease means 'ending,' 'decease,' 'death;' and the sentence may, if it must, be paraphrased,-- If, in the act of killing Duncan, I could protect myself against the consequences of such an act, and obtain by his death, success.' See Rape of Lucrece, near the end.

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Johnson among

"If they surcease to be that should survive."

The commentators complain that this whole soliloquy is

turgid and involved. Such would have a thunder-cloud as pellucid as a dew-drop.

ACT II. SCENE 1.

"Mac. Is this a dagger which I see before me!"

This dagger was made visible to the eyes of the audience in Germany, when Macbeth was first performed there; and, considered in the light of poetic truth, may as well be seen as the Ghost of Banquo. The Ghost should appear in the face of the actor, as the dagger does. But, perhaps even nowadays it is necessary for a mixed audience that Banquo should appear, as he was made to do by Shakespeare for the audiences of his day. The difference between the ghosts in Macbeth and that in Hamlet is very remarkable. The former, no less than this dagger, are the pure creations of a guilty mind, and are visible only to the guilty person; the latter, on the contrary, being an actual visitant from the other world, is visible to the soldiers and to Hamlet's friend as well as to himself.

SCENE 2.

"Macb. Will all great Neptune's Ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No: this my hand will rather

The multitudinous seas incarnadine,

Making the green-one red."

Those who have pondered with wondering admiration upon this grand passage, will be amused, and vexed at a supposed typographical error, when they find the hemistich printed thus:

"Making the greon one, red."

There are those, (Mr.

But it is not an error of the press. Dyce among them, it would appear,) who, depending upon the careless punctuation of the first folio, read this fine line thus inanely; though what or who is the "green one" to be made red, they do not inform us. Was the power of mere punctuation to turn the sublime into the ridiculous ever before so strikingly exemplified!

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SCENE 3.

Len. The night has been unruly; Where we lay,
Our chimneys were blown down: and as they say,
Lamentings heard i' the air; strange screams of death;
And prophesying, with accents terrible,

Of dire combustion, and confus'd events,

New hatch'd to the woful time.

The obscure bird

Clamour'd the livelong night: some say, the earth
Was feverous and did shake."

This passage has occasioned not a little conflicting comment. Mr. Knight has changed the punctuation, so as to make the obscure bird prophesy; and Steevens would have the "prophesying" and not the "confused events" "new hatch'd to the useful time." But all this is needless; and arises from a misunderstanding of the word "prophesying." As used here, and in some portions of the Bible and books contemporary with its translation, it does not mean 'foretelling,' but uttering strange or important things,' or 'announcing solemnly' that which has already taken place. (See Proverbs xxxi. 1, Luke i. 67.)

ACT III. SCENE 4.

[The Ghost of Banquo rises, and sits in Macbeth's place.]
"Mach. Here had we now our country's honour roof'd,

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Lays blame upon his promise. Please it your highness
To grace us with your royal company?

Macb. The table's full.

Len.

Macb.

Here's a place reserv'd, sir.

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Len. Here, my good lord. What is't that moves your highness!
Macb. Which of you have done this?

Lords.

What, my good lord?
Macb. Thou canst not say, I did it: never shake
Thy gory locks at me."

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And to our dear friend Banquo, whom we miss;
'Would he were here! to all, and him, we thirst,
And all to all.

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Macb. Avaunt! and quit my sight? Let the earth hide thee!"

Some have gravely argued that the first Ghost is that of Duncan, others that the second Ghost is his; but in addition to the consideration that the stage directions of the original were for the guidance of the prompter, and must necessarily have been explicit upon such a point as this, it is to be observed that the Ghost rises in each case upon Macbeth's allusion to Banquo. The Ghost of Banquo rises at first when Macbeth wishes for Banquo: with what propriety then, when Macbeth again wishes for Banquo, could the Ghost of old king Duncan respond to the call? But as I have before remarked, and as Kemble and Tieck held, there is no poetic or dramatic necessity for the actual appearance of any ghost; as an examination of the text, above quoted, will show. With what consistency do the audience see that which Macbeth's guests cannot see?

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