8 Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason "Ecce vagante cifo distento gutture. wass-heil, But Selden rather conjectures it to have been a usual ceremony among the Saxons before Hengist, as a note of health-wishing, supposing the expression to be corrupted from wish-heil. Wassel or Wassail is a word still in use in the midland counties, and signifies at present what is called Lambs'-Wool, i. e. roasted apples in strong beer, with sugar and spice. See Beggars Bush, Act IV. sc. iv : "What think you of a wassel? 36 thou, and Ferret, "And Ginks, to sing the song; I for the structure, Ben Jonson personifies wassel thus:-Enter Wassel like a neat sempster and songster, her page bearing a brown bowl drest with ribbands and rosemary, before her. Wassel is, however, sometimes used for general riot, intemperance, or festivity. On the present occasion I believe it means intemperance. STEEVENS. So, in Antony and Cleopatra: 66. Antony, "Leave thy lascivious wassels." See also Vol. VII. p. 165, n. 6. MALONE. the warder of the brain,] A warder is a guard, a sentinel. So, in King Henry VI. P. I: 6 "Where be these warders, that they wait not here ?” STEEVENS. the receipt of reason,] i. e. the receptacle. MALONE. A limbeck only:] That is, shall be only a vessel to emit fumes or vapours. JOHNSON. The limbeck is the vessel, through which distilled liquors pass into the recipient. So shall it be with memory; through which every thing shall pass, and nothing remain. A. C. • Their drenched natures] i. e. as we should say at present-soaked, saturated with liquor. STEEVENS. His spongy officers; who shall bear the guilt MACB. Bring forth men-children only! For thy undaunted mettle should compose Nothing but males. Will it not be receiv'd,' When we have mark'd with blood those sleepy two Of his own chamber, and us'd their very daggers, That they have don't? LADY M. Who dares receive it other,2 As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar Upon his death? MACB. I am settled, and bend up.. who shall bear the guilt Of our great quell?] Quell is murder, manquellers being, in the old language, the term for which murderers is now used. JOHNSON. So, in Chaucer's Tale of the Nonnes Priest, v. 15,396, Mr. Tyrwhitt's edit: "The dokes cryeden, as men wold hem quelle." The word is used in this sense by Holinshed, p. 567: "—the poor people ran about the streets, calling the capteins and governors murtherers and manquellers." STEEVENS. 1- Will it not be receiv'd,] i. e. understood, apprehended. So, in Twelfth-Night: 66 To one of your receiving "Enough is shown." STEEVENS. Who dares receive it other,] So, in Holinshed: " - he burthen'd the chamberleins, whom he had slaine, with all the fault, they having the keyes of the gates committed to their keeping all the night, and therefore it could not be otherwise (said he) but that they were of counsel in the committing of that most detestable murther." MALOne. 3 and bend up-] A metaphor from the bow. So, in King Henry V: 66 bend up every spirit To his full height." 66 The same phrase occurs in Melvil's Memoirs: but that rather she should bend up her spirit by a princely, &c. behaviour." Edit. 1735. p. 148. Each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show: False face must hide what the false heart doth know. [Exeunt. Till this instant, the mind of Macbeth has been in a state of uncertainty and fluctuation. He has hitherto proved neither resolutely good, nor obstinately wicked. Though a bloody idea had arisen in his mind, after he had heard the prophecy in his favour, yet he contentedly leaves the completion of his hopes to chance. At the conclusion, however, of his interview with Duncan, he inclines to hasten the decree of fate, and quits the stage with an apparent resolution to murder his sovereign. But no sooner is the king under his roof, than, reflecting on the peculiarities of his own relative situation, he determines not to offend against the laws of hospitality, or the ties of subjection, kindred, and gratitude. His wife then assails his constancy afresh. He yields to her suggestions, and, with his integrity, his happiness is destroyed. I have enumerated these particulars, because the waverings of Macbeth have, by some criticks, been regarded as unnatural and contradictory circumstances in his character; not remembering that nemo repente fuit turpissimus, or that (as Angelo observes) when once our grace we have forgot, 66 "Nothing goes right; we would, and we would not.” a passage which contains no unapt justification of the changes that happen in the conduct of Macbeth. STEEVens. ACT II. SCENE I.* The same. Court within the Castle. Enter BANQUO and FLEANCE, and a Servant, with a torch before them. BAN. How goes the night, boy? FLE. The moon is down; I have not heard the clock. BAN. And she goes down at twelve. FLE. I take't, 'tis later, sir. BAN. Hold, take my sword:-There's husban- Their candles are all out."-Take thee that too. Scene I.] The place is not marked in the old edition, nor is it easy to say where this encounter can be. It is not in the hall, as the editors have all supposed it, for Banquo sees the sky; it is not far from the bedchamber, as the conversation shows: it must be in the inner court of the castle, which Banquo might properly cross in his way to bed. JOHNSON. There's husbandry in heaven,] Husbandry here means thrift, frugality. So, in Hamlet: And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry." MALONE. • Their candles are all out.] The same expression occurs in Romeo and Juliet: 66 Night's candles are burnt out." Again, in our author's 21st Sonnet: "As those gold candles fix'd in heaven's air." See Vol. VII. p. 386, n. 5. Restrain in me the cursed thoughts, that nature Gives way to in repose!"-Give me my sword ; Enter MACBETH, and a Servant with a torch. Who's there? MACB. A friend. BAN. What, sir, not yet at rest? The king's He hath been in unusual pleasure, and 7 Merciful powers! Restrain in me the cursed thoughts, that nature Gives way to in repose!] It is apparent from what Banquo says afterwards, that he had been solicited in a dream to attempt something in consequence of the prophecy of the Witches, that his waking senses were shocked at; and Shakspeare has here most exquisitely contrasted his character with that of Macbeth. Banquo is praying against being tempted to encourage thoughts of guilt even in his sleep; while Macbeth is hurrying into temptation, and revolving in his mind every scheme, however flagitious, that may assist him to complete his purpose. The one is unwilling to sleep, lest the same phantoms should assail his resolution again, while the other is depriving himself of rest through impatience to commit the murder. The same kind of invocation occurs in Cymbeline: "From fairies, and the tempters of the night, "Guard me!" STEEVEns. • Sent forth great largess to your offices:] Thus the old copy, and rightly. Offices are the rooms appropriated to servants and culinary purposes. Thus, in Timon: "When all our offices have been oppress'd 66 By riotous feeders." Again, in King Richard II: 66 Unpeopled offices, untrodden stones." Duncan was pleased with his entertainment, and dispensed his bounty to those who had prepared it. All the modern editors have transferred this largess to the officers of Macbeth, who would more properly have been rewarded in the field, or at their return to court. STEEVENS. |