King's evil.

Attire of Johnson's witches.

Why confined to them. Claim of the French kings from Clovis. Queen-conforts never touched for the evil. Lewis XI. and St. Francis of Paul, their meeting.-Banishment of royal witchMacduff's character. Wilks,

· craft.

Booth, and Ryan. Hell is murky explained. English epicures. Old enmity between the English and Scots. - Juvenal quoted. - Deportment of Macduff criticifed. Title of Thane, from Spelman, Buchanan, and Gurdon.

A&t

T

HE incantation, in this act, has been

greatly celebrated, and, for boldnefs. of invention, strength of imagination, and propriety of conduct, is thought equal to any effort of our author's genius.

Mr. Malone has, with much probability, fixed the first representation of Macbeth to the year 1606. However that may be, we are certain it was acted before Ben Jonfon produced his Mafque of Queens, which was exhibited before the king and queen in 1609. In that compofition, there are many evident imitations of the magical inchantment in Macbeth. The fuccefs of Shakspeare alarmed the jealoufy of a man who fancied himself his rival, or rather his fuperior. In this mafque, Jonfon has measured fwords with our inimitable poet, and, to be juft, we must own he

has difplayed abundance of reading, and no mean vein of poetry. But, left I should fall under the charge of afferting what I cannot prove, I will present the reader with some extracts from the Masque, in which the imitator endeavours, though in vain, to conceal his obligations to the original.

Twelve hags bring their dame, who is fubstituted in the place of Hecate, an account of the ingredients which they have gathered to make the charm powerful. She fees them bufy, and cries out, almost in the words of Shakspeare, Well done,

my hags!' She bids them relate what they

have done.

FIRST HAG.

I have been all day looking after

A raven feeding upon a quarter.

As foon the turn'd her beak to the fouth,
I fnatch'd this morfel out of her mouth.

SECOND HAG.

I have been gathering wolves hairs,

The mad dog's foam, and the adder's ears.
The fpurging of a dead man's eyes,

And all fince the evening-star did rise.

I had a dagger, what did I with that?
Kill'd an infant to have his fat.

TENTH.

I, from the jaws of a gardener's bitch,
Did fnatch thefe bones, and then leapt a ditch,

ELEVENTH.

I went to the toad lives under the wall;
I charm'd him out, and he came to my call.
I fcratch'd out the eyes of the owl before;
I tore the bat's wing: what have you more?

I fhall close my proofs with two quotations more. The abrupt, but sublime, addrefs of Macbeth to the witches, in this fourth act, and an imitation of it spoken by the dame in the Mafque. The merit of both will plead in their behalf.

МАСВЕТН.

How now, you fecret, black, and midnight, hags!
I conjure you, by that which you profess,
Howe'er you come to know it, answer me;

Though you untie the winds, and let them fight
Against the churches: though the yefty waves

Confound and swallow navigation up;

Though

Though bladed corn be lodg'd and trees blown down :
Though caftles topple on their warders heads :
Though palaces and pyramids do flope

Their heads to their foundations: though the treasure
Of nature's germins tumble all together,
E'en till deftruction ficken-Anfwer me
To what I ask you!

The dame's invocation, from Jonson.
You fiends and furies, if yet any be

Worfe than ourselves, you that have quak'd to fee

Thefe knots unty'd, and fhrunk when we have

charm'd.

You, that, to arm us, have yourselves difarm'd,
And to our pow'rs refign'd your whips and brands,
When we went forth the fcourge of men and lands.
You that have seen me ride when Hecate

Durst not take chariot; when the boisterous sea,
Without a breath of wind, hath knock'd the sky,
And that hath thunder'd, Jove not knowing why.
When we have fet the elements at wars,

Made midnight fee the fun, and day the stars.
When the wing'd light'ning in the course hath staid,
And swifteft rivers have run back, afraid
To fee the corn remove, the groves to range,
Whole places alter, and the feasons change:
When the pale moon, at the first voice, down fell,'
Poifon'd, and durft not ftay the fecond spell-
You that have oft been confcious of these fights,
And thou, thrice-formed ftar, that, on these nights,

Art