humanity would hinder them from doing a barbarThis false interpretation he has endeavoured to support by the well-known line of

ous act.

Terence:

"Homo sum

humani nihil a me alienum puto."

--

That amiable sentiment does not appear very suitable to a cut-throat. They urge their manhood, in my opinion, in order to show Macbeth their willingness, not their aversion, to execute his orders. MALONE.

P. 40, 1. 26. Shoughs are probably what we now call shocks, demi-wolves, lyciscae; dogs bred between wolves and dogs. JOHNSON.

P. 40, 1. 27. and fol. the valued file &c. &c.] In this speech the word file occurs twice, and seems in both places to have a meaning different from its present use. The expression, valued file, evidently means, a list or catalogue of value. A station in the file, and not in the worst rank, may mean, a place in the list of manhood, and not in the lowest place. But file seems rather to mean, in this place, a post of honour; the first rank, iu opposition to the last; a meaning which I have not observed in any other place. JOHNSON.

The valued file is the file or list where the value and peculiar qualities of every thing is set down, in contradistinction to what he immediately mentions, the bill that writes them all alike. File, in the second instance, is used in the same sense as in this, and with a reference to it. Now if you belong to any class that deserves a place in the valued file of man, and are not of the lowest rank, the common herd of mankind, that are not worth distinguishing from each other. STEEVENS,

-P. 41, 1. 10. So weary with disasters, tugg'd with fortune.] We see the

speaker means to say, that he is weary with struggling with adverse fortune. But this reading expresses but half the idea; viz. of a man tugg'd and haled by fortune without making resistance. give the compleat thought, we should read:

To

So weary with disastrous tuggs with fortune. This is well expressed, and gives the reason of his being weary, because fortune always hitherto got the better, And that Shakspeare knew how to express this thought, we have an instance in The Winter's Tale:

"Let myself and fortune

"Tug for the time to come."

Besides, to be tugg'd with fortune, is scarce English. WARBURTON,

Tugg'd with fortune may be, tugg'd or worried by fortune. JOHNSON.

I have left the foregoing note as an evidence of Dr. Warburton's propensity to needless altera

tions.

Mr. Malone very justly observes that the old reading is confirmed by the following passage in an Epistle to Lord Southampton, by S. Daniel, 1603:

"He who hath never warr'd with misery,

"Nor ever tugg'd with fortune and distress." STEEVENS.

P. 41, l. 17. Distance, for enmity.

WARBURTON.

By bloody distance, is here meant, such a distance as mortal enemies would stand at from each other, when their quarrel must be determined by the sword. This sense seems evident from the continuation of the metaphor, where every minute

of his being is represented as thrusting at the nearest part where life resides. STEEVENS.

P. 41, l. 22. For, in the present instance, signifies because of. STEEVENS.

P. 41, 1. 32. at most,] These words have no other effect than to spoil the metre, and may therefore be excluded as an evident interpolation. STEEVENS.

P. 41, 1. 34. Acquaint you with the perfect spy o'the time.] What is meant by the spy of the time, it will be found difficult to explain; and therefore sense will be cheaply gained by a slight alteration. Macbeth is assuring the assassins that they shall not want directions to find Banquo, and therefore says: I will

Acquaint you with a perfect spy o'the time, Accordingly a third murderer joins them afterwards at the place of action.

Perfect is well instructed, or well informed, as in this play :

Though in your state of honour I am

perfect."

though I am well acquainted with your quality and rank. JOHNSON.

P. 41, last 1. but one. The moment on't ;] i. e. the critical juncture. WARBURTON.

How the critical juncture is the spy o'the time, I know not, but I think my own conjecture right.

I rather believe we should read thus:

JOHNSON.

Acquaint you with the perfect spot, the time,

The moment on't;

TYRWITT.

I believe that the word with, has here the force of by; in which sense Shakspeare frequently uses

it; and that the meaning of the passage is thus: "I will let you know by the person best informed, of the exact moment in which the business is to be done." And accordingly we find in the next scene, that these two murderers are joined by a third, as Johnson has observed. In his letter to his wife, Macbeth says, "I have heard by the perfectest report, that they have more than mortal knowledge." And in this very scene, we find the word with used to express by, where the murderer says he is tugg'd with fortune." M. MASON. The meaning, I think is, I will acquaint you with the time when you may look out for Banquo's coming, with the most perfect assurance of not being dissappointed; and not only with the time in general most proper for lying in wait for him, but with the very moment when you may expect him. MALONE.

I explain the passage thus, and think it needs no reformation, but that of a single point.

Within this hour at most,

I will advise you where to plant yourselves. Here I place a full stop; as no further instructions could be given by Macbeth, the hour of Banquo's return being quite uncertain. Macbeth therefore

adds "Acquaint you" &c. i. e. in ancient language, “acquaint yourselves" with the exact time most favourable to your purposes; for such a moment must be spied out by you, be selected by your own attention and scrupulous observation. You is ungrammatically employed, instead of yourselves.

Macbeth, in the intervening time, might have learned from some of Banquo's attendants, which way he had ridden out, and therefore could tell the murderers where to plant themselves so as to

cut him off on his return; but who could ascertain the precise hour of his arrival, except the ruffians who watched for that purpose? STEEVENS.

P. 42. first 1. That I require a clearness :] i. e. you must manage matters so, that throughout the whole transaction I may stand clear of suspicion. So, Holinshed: appointing them to meet Banquo and his sonne without the palace, as they returned to their lodgings, and there to slea them, so that he would not have his house slandered, but that in time to come he might cleare himself." STEEVENS.

P. 42, 1. 22. Surely, the unnecessary words Nought's had are a tasteless interpolation; for they violate the measure without expansion of the sentiment.

For a few words. Madam, I will, All's

is a complete verse.

spent,

There is sufficient reason to suppose the metre of Shakspeare was originally uniform and regular. His frequent exactness in making one speaker complet the verse which another has left imperfect, is too evident to need exemplification. Sir T. Hanmer was aware of this, and occasionally struggled with such metrical difficulties as occurred; though for want of familiarity with ancient language, he often failed in the choice of words to be rejected or supplied. STEEVENS.

P. 42, 1. 28. sorriest - i. e. worthless, ignoble, vile.

Sorry, however, might signify sorrowful, melancholy, dismal.

So, in the play before us (as Mr. M. Mason observes) Macbeth says,

"This is a sorry sight." STEEVENS.