In viewing o'er the rest of the self-same days? He finds thee in the stout Norweyan ranks, Nothing afeard of what thyself didst make, Strange images of death. As thick as tale, baA As thick as tale,] Meaning, that the news came as thick as a tale can travel with the post. Or we may read, perhaps, yet better: As thick as tale, Came post with post ; t That is, posts arrived as fast as they could be counted.c So, in King Henry VI. P. III. Act II. sc. i: Mr. Rowe reads-as thick as hail. STEEVENS. ས།་། ין JOHNSON. The old copy reads-Can post. The emendation is Mr. Rowe's. Dr. Johnson's explanation would be less exceptionable, if the old copy had-As quick as tale. Thick applies but ill to tale, and seems rather to favour Mr. Rowe's emendation. "As thick as hail," as an anonymous correspondent observes to me, is an expression in the old play of King John, 1591: cd breathe out damned orisons, "As thick as hail-stones 'fore the spring's approach." The emendation of the word can is supported by a passage in King Henry IV. P. II: "And there are twenty weak and wearied posts aron pi "Come from the north." MALONE. Dr. Johnson's explanation is perfectly justifiable. As thick, in ancient language, signified as fast. To speak thick, in our author, does not therefore mean, to have a cloudy indistinct utterance, but to deliver words with rapidity. So, in Cymbeline, Act III. sc. il: "say, and speak thick, (Love's counsellor should fill the bores of hearing "To the smothering of the sense) how far it is grolad To this same blessed Milford." VA W Again, in King Henry IV. P. II. Act H. sc. iii: PW » LIL" And speaking thick, which nature made his blemish, W "Became the accents of the valiant ; "For those that could speak low and tardily, or "Would turn &c. To seem like him." Thick therefore is not less applicable to tale, the old reading, than to hail, the alteration of Mr. Rowe. STEEVens. Came post with post; and every one did bear Thy praises in his kingdom's great defence, H And pour'd them down before him, it ma We are sent, To give thee, from our royal master, thanks; BAN. 07 What, can the devil speak true? MACB. The thane of Cawdor lives; Why do you dress me In borrow'd robes? ANG. Who was the thane, lives yet; But under heavy judgment bears that life Which he deserves to lose. Whether he was Combin'd with Norway; or did line the rebelnoz With hidden help and vantage; or that with both To herald thee &c.] The old copy redundantly reads-Only to herald thee &c. STEEVENS. ༄། ིི The players not understanding that by " Norway" our author meant the King of Norway, as in Hamlet Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy," &c. foisted in the words at present omitted. STEEvens. There is, I think, no need of change. The word combin'd belongs to the preceding-line: A "Which he deserves to lose. Whe'r he was combin'd "With those of Norway, or did line the rebel," &c. » Whether was in our author's time sometimes pronounced and written as one syllable,whe'r... So, in King John: "Now shame upon you, whe'r she does or no. gabrot blood V 19 MALONE. He labour'd in his country's wreck, I know not; МАСВ. 6 BAN. That, trusted home," ❝ trusted home,] i. e. entirely, thoroughly relied on. So, in All's well that ends well: The added word home shows clearly, in my apprehension, that our author wrote-That, thrusted home. So, in a subsequent scene: "That every minute of his being thrusts Thrusted is the regular participle from the verb to thrust, and though now not often used, was, I believe, common in the time of Shakspeare. So, in King Henry V: "With casted slough and fresh legerity." Home means to the uttermost. So, in The Winter's Tale: 66 - all my sorrows "You have paid home." It may be observed, that "thrusted home" is an expression used at this day; but "trusted home," I believe, was never used at any period whatsoever. I have had frequent occasion to remark that many of the errors in the old copies of our author's plays arose from the transcriber's ear having deceived him. In Ireland, where much of the pronunciation of the age of Queen Elizabeth is yet retained, the vulgar constantly pronounce the word thrust as if it were written trust; and hence, probably, the error in the text. The change is so very slight, and I am so thoroughly persuaded that the reading proposed is the true one, that had it been suggested by any former editor, I should, without hesitation, have given it a place in the text. MALONE. Might yet enkindle you' unto the crown, In deepest consequence. Cousins, a word, I pray you. MACB. Two truths are told, "Might yet enkindle you] Enkindle, for to stimulate you to seek. WARBURTON. A similar expression occurs in As you like it, Act I. sc. i: 66 -nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither." STEEVENS. Might fire you with the hope of obtaining the crown. 8 HENLEY. Two truths are told, &c.] How the former of these truths has been fulfilled, we are yet to learn. Macbeth could not become Thane of Glamis, till after his father's decease, of which there is no mention throughout the play. If the Hag only announced what Macbeth already understood to have happened, her words could scarcely claim rank as a prediction. STEEVENS, From the Scottish translation of Boethius it should seem that Sinel, the father of Macbeth, died after Macbeth's having been met by the weird sisters. "Makbeth (says the historian) revolvyng all thingis, as they wer said to be the weird sisteris, began to covat ye croun. And zit he concludit to abide, quhil he saw ye tyme ganand thereto; fermelie belevyng yt ye third weird suld cum as the first two did afore." This, indeed, is inconsistent with our author's words, "By Sinel's death, I know, I am thane of Glamis;"-but Holinshed, who was his guide, in his abridgment of the History of Boethius, has particularly mentioned that Sinel died before Macbeth met the weird sisters: we may, therefore, be sure that Shakspeare meant it to be understood that Macbeth had already acceded to his paternal title. Bellenden only says, "The first of them said to Macbeth, Hale thane of Glammis. The second said," &c. But in Holinshed the relation runs thus, conformably to the Latin original: "The first of them spake and said, All haile Mackbeth, thane of Glammis (for he had latelie entered into that dignitie and office As happy prologues to the swelling act Of the imperial theme.-I thank you, gentlemen.— Cannot be ill; cannot be good:-If ill, by the death of his father Sinell.) The second of them said," &c. Still, however, the objection made by Mr. Steevens remains in its full force; for since he knew that "by Sinel's death he was thane of Glamis," how can this salutation be considered as prophetic? Or why should he afterwards say, with admiration, "GLAMIS, and thane of Cawdor;" &c? Perhaps we may suppose that the father of Macbeth died so recently before his interview with the weirds, that the news of it had not yet got abroad; in which case, though Macbeth himself knew it, he might consider their giving him the title of Thane of Glamis ast a proof of supernatural intelligence. I suspect our author was led to use the expressions which have occasioned the present note, by the following words of Holinshed: "The same night after, at supper, Banquo jested with him, and said, Now Mackbeth, thou hast obteined those things which the Two former sisters PROPHESIED: there remaineth onelie for thee to purchase that which the third said should come to passe." MALONE. 9 - swelling act-] Swelling is used in the same sense in the prologue to King Henry V: 66 -princes to act, "And monarchs to behold the swelling scene." STEEVENS, This supernatural soliciting-] Soliciting for information. WARBURTON. Soliciting is rather, in my opinion, incitement, than information. JOHNSON. 2 - suggestion] i. e. temptation. So, in All's well that ends well: "A filthy officer he is in those suggestions for the young earl." STEEVENS. ว Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair,] So Macbeth says, in the latter part of this play: |