· Double, double toil and trouble; otherwise the solemnity is abated by the immediate recurrence of the rhyme. STEEVENS.

-P. 55, last. 1. but one, The blind-worm is the slow-worm. STEEVENS.

2

P.56, 1.6. The gulf is the swallow, the throat.

STEEVENS.

P. 56, 1. 7. Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark;]

Mr. M. Mason observes that we should read ravin instead of ravin'd. Ravin'd is glutted with prey. Ravin is the ancient word for prey obtained by violence,

STEEVENS.

To ravin, according to Minsheu, is to devour, or eat greedily. See his DICT. 1617, in v. To devour. I believe, our author, with his usual li couce, used ravin'd for ravenous, the passive participle for the adjective. MALONE.

P. 56, 1. 11. Sliver is a common word in the North, where it means to cut a piece or a slice. STEEVENS. r. 56, 1. 12. Nose of Turk, and Tarter's lips;] These ingredients in all probability owed their introduction to the detestation in which the Turks were held, on account of the holy wars.

So solicitous indeed were our neighbours the French (from whom most of our prejudices as well as customs are derived) to keep this idea awake, that even in their military sport of the quintain, their soldiers were accustomed to point their lancs at the figure of a Saracen. STEEVENS,

P. 56, 1. 16. Chaudron, i. e, entrails; a word formerly in common use in the books of cookery, in one of which, printed in 1597, I meet with a receipt to make a pudding of a calf's chauldron,

See also Pegge's Forme of Cury, a roll of ancient English Cookery, &c. Svo. 1780, p. 66.

STEEVENS..

P. 56, 1. 22. The insertion of these words (and the other three Witches) in the original copy, must be owing to a mistake. There is no reason to suppose that Shakspeare meant to introduce nore than three witches upon the scene, RITSON.

P. 56, 1. 23. O, well done:] Ben Jonson's Dame, in his Masque of Queens, 1609, addresses her associates in the same manner :

"Well done, my hags."

The attentive reader will observe, that in this piece, old Ben has exerted his strongest efforts to rival the incantation of Skakspeare's Witches, and the final address of Prospero to the aerial spirits under his command.

It may be remarked also, that Shakspeare's Hecate, after delivering a speech of five lines, interferes no futher in the business of the scene, but is lost in the crowd of subordinate witches. Nothing, in short, is effected by her assistance, but what might have been done without it. STREVENS. P. 56, 1. 28. and fol. Black spirits and white, &c.] In a former note on this tragedy, I had observed, that the original edition contains only the two first words of the song before us; but have since discovered the Witch, a dramatic piece by Middleton, already quoted. The song is there called - "a Charmesong, about a vessel." I may add, that this invocation, as it first occurs in the Witch, is "White spirits, black spirits, gray spirits, red. spirits." Afterwards, we find it in its présent metrical shape.

The song was in all probability a traditional one. The colours of spirits are often mentioned. So, in Monsieur Thomas, 1639:

"Be thou black, or white, or green,

"Be thou heard, or to be seen.'

Perhaps, indeed, this musical scrap (which does not well accord with the serious business of the scene) was introduced by the players, without the suggestion of Shakspeare. STEEVENS.

P. 57, first 1. By the pricking of my thumbs,] It is a very ancient superstition, that all sudden pains of the body, and other sensations which Could not naturally be accounted for, were presages of somewhat that was shortly to happen. STEEVENS.

P. 57, l. 13. the yesty waves - That is foaming or frothy waves. JOHNSON.

P. 57, 1. 15. Though bladed corn be lodg'd,] Gorn, prostrated by the wind, in modern language, is said to be lay'd; but lodg'd had anciently, the same meaning. RITSON."

P. 57, 1. 17. STEEVENS. P. 57, 1. 21. Of nature's germins —] This was substituted by Theobald for Natures germaine. JOHNSON, Germins arc seeds which have begun to germinate or sprout. Germen, Lat. Germe, Fr. Germe is a word used by Brown in his Vulgar Errors: "Whether it be not made out of the germe or treadle of the egg," &c.

Topple, is used for tumble.

STEEVENS.

P. 58, 1. 2. - deftly ii. e. with adroitness, dexterously.

7

Deft is a North-Country word. So, in Richard Broome's Northern Lass, 1633:

"He said I were a deft lass."

STEEVENS.

P. 58, 1. 3. The armed head represents symbolically Macbeth's head cut off and brought to Malcolm by Macduff. The bloody child is Macduff untimely ripp'd from his mother's womb. The child with a crown on his head, and a bough in his hand, is the royal Malcolm, who ordered his soldiers to hew them down a bough, and bear it before them to Dunsinane. This observation I have adopted from Mr. Upton. STEEVENS.

a no

Lord Howard, in his Defensative against the Poison of supposed Prophecies, mentions table example of a conjurer, who represented (as it were in dumb show) all the persons who should possess the crown of France; and caused the King of Navarre, or rather a wicked spirit in his stead, to appear in the fifth place," &c. FARMER.

P. 58, 1. 10.. Beware the Thane of Fife.] He had learned of certain wizzards, in whose words he put great confidence, how that he ought to take heede of Macduff," &c. Holinshed.

STEEVENS. P. 58, 1. 14. To harp, is to touch on a passion as a harper touches a string. STEEVENS. P. 58, 1. 24. 25. for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth.] So, Holinshed: "And surely hereupon he had put Macduff to death, but that a certaine witch, whom he had in great trust, had told him; that he should never be slaine with man borne of anie woman, nor vanquished till the wood of Bernane came to the castell of Dunsinane. This prophecie put all feare out of his heart." STEEVENS.

P. 58, 1. 29. And take a bond of fate:] In this scene the attorney has more than once de

-

graded the poes; for presently we have "the lease of nature. STEEVENS..

P. 59, 1. 4. The round is that part of the crown that encircles the head. The top is the ornament that rises above it. JOHNSON.

P. 59, 1. 9-11.

Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill &c.] The present quantity of Dunsinane is right. In every subsequent instance the accent is misplaced. RITSON.

Prophesies of apparent impossibilities were common in Scotland; such as the removal of one place to another. Under this popular prophetick formulary the present prediction may be ranked. T. WARTON. P. 59, 1. 13. Who can impress the forest; —] i. e. who can command the forest to serve him like a soldier impress'd. JOHNSON. P. 59, 1. 16. Rebellious head. copy has

-] The old

rebellious dead. MALONE. We should read Rebellious head, i. e. let rebellion never make head against me till a forest move, and I shall reign in safety. THEOBALD. Mr. Theobald rightly observes, that head means host, or power:

"That Douglas and the English rebels met ;— "A mighty and a fearful head they are.” K. Henry IV. P. I. JOHNSON, This phrase is not peculiar to Shakspeare.

STEEVENS.

P. 59, 1. 26. Noise, in our ancient poets, is often literally synonymous for music. Thus Spenser, Faerie Queene, I. xii. 39:

"During which time there was a heavenly noise."

See likewise the 47th Psalm: "God is gone up