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the Introduction to Don Quixote), that the first accounts of enchantiments were brought into this part of the world by those who returned from their eastern expeditions. But there is always some distance between the birth and maturity of folly as of wickedness: this opinion had long existed, though perhaps the application of it had in no foregoing age been so frequent, nor the reception so general. Olympiodorus in Photius's extracts, tells us of one Libanius, who practised this kind of military magic, and having promised xégis éxitÕV κατὰ βαρβάρων ἐνεργεῖν, to perform great things against the Barbarians without soldiers, was, at the instance of the em press Placidia, put to death, when he was about to have given proofs of his abilities. The empress showed some kindness in her anger, by cutting him off at a time so convenient for his reputation.

But a more remarkable proof of the antiquity of this notion may be found in St. Chrysostom's book de Sacerdotio, which exhibits a scene of enchantments not exceeded by any romance of the middle age: he supposes a spectator overlooking a field of battle attended by one that points out all the various objects of horror, the engines of destruction, and the arts of slaughter. Δεικνύτω δὲ ἔτὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἐναντίοις καὶ πεταμένες ἵππες διά τινος μαγγανείας, καὶ ὁπλίτας δὲ αέρος φερομέ της, καὶ πάσης γοητείας δύναμιν καὶ ἰδέαν. Let him then proceed to show him in the opposite armies horses flying by enchantment, armed men transported through the air, and every power and form of magic. Whether St. Chrysostom believed that such performances were really to be seen in a day of battle, or only endeavoured to enliven his description, by adopting the notions of the vulgar, it is equally certain, that such notions were in his time received, and that therefore they were not imported, from the Sarracens in a later age, the wars with the Sarracens however gave occasion to their propagation, not only as bigotry naturally discovers prodigies, but as the scene of action was removed to a great distance.

The Reformation did not immediately arrive at its meridian, and though day was gradually increasing upon us, the goblins of witchcraft still continued to hover in the twilight. In the time of queen Elizabeth was the remarkable trial of witches of Warbois, whose conviction is still commemorated in an annual sermon at Huntingdon. But in the reign of King James, in which this tragedy was written, many circumstances

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concurred to propagate and confirm this opinion. The King, who was much celebrated for his knowledge, bad, before his ́arrival in England, not only examined in person a woman accused of witchcraft, but had given a very formal account of the practises and illusions of evil spirits, the compacts of witches, the ceremonies used by them, the manner of detecting them, and the justice of punishing them, in his dialogues of Dæmonologie, written in the Scottish dialect, and published at Edinburgh. This book was, soon after his succession, reprinted at London, and as the ready way to gain King James's of Dæmonosystem favour was to flatter his speculations, the logie was immediately adopted by all who desired either to gam preferment or not to lose it. Thus the doctrine of witchcraft was very powerfully inculcated; and as the greatest part of mankind have no other reasons for their opinions than that they are in fashion, it cannot be doubted but this persuasion made a rapid progress, since vanity and credulity co-operated in its favour. The infection soon reached the parliament, who, in the first year of King James made a law, by which it was enacted, chap. XII: That,,1) if any person shall use any invocation or conjuration of any evil or wicked spirit; 2) or shall consult, covenant with, entertain, employ, feed or reward any evil or cursed spirit 10 or for any intent or purpose; 3) or take up any dead man, woman or child, out of the grave, or the skin, bone, or any part of the dead person, to be employed or used in any manner of witchcraft, sorcely, chaim, or enchantment; 4) or shall use, practise or exercise any sort of witchcraft, sorcery, charm or enchantment; 5) whereby any person shall be destroyed, killed, wasted, This consumed, pined or lamed in any part of the body; 6) that such person being convicted shall suffer death,' every law was repeated in our own time.

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Thus, in the time of Shakspeare, was the doctrine of witchcraft at once established by law and by the fashion, and it became not only impolite, but criminal to doubt it; and as prodigies are always seen in proportion as they are expected, witches were every day discovered, and multiplied so fast in some places, that bishop Hall mentions a village in Lancashi re, where their number was greater than that of the houses. The jesuits and sectaries took advantage of this universal error and endeavoured to promote the interest of their parties by pretended cures of persons afflicted by evil spirits; but they

were detected and exposed by the clergy of the established church.

Upon this general infatuation Shakspeare might be easily allowed to found a play, especially since he has followed with great exactness such histories as were then thought true; por can it be doubted that the scenes of enchantment, however they may now be ridiculed, were both by himself and his audience thought awful and affecting. Was die Ermordung Macbeth's betrifft, so fällt diese nach Buchanan in das Jahr 1040, nach Hector Boethias 1045; Shakspeare schrieb, wie schon oben erinnert worden ist, seine Tragödie im Jahre 1606. Übrigens bemerken wir noch, das der be rühmte Schauspieler Garrick *) sich in der Rolle Macbeth's vorzüglich auszeichnete, und sich allgemeine Bewunderung erwarb., Wir besitzen diese meisterhafte Tragödie in unserer Deutschen Sprache in verschiedenen Übersetzungen, theils in den vorhin angeführten Verdeutschungen der sämmtlichen Werke Shakspeare's, theils auch einzeln von Bürger (im vierten Theil der Werke desselben), und von Schiller unter dem Titel: Macbeth, ein Trauerspiel zur Vorstellung auf dem Hoftheater zu Weimar eingerichtet. gr. 8. Tübingen 1801, Das Original, dem wir einen Platz in diesem Buche einräumen zu müssen glaubist nach der korrektesten Ausgabe abgedruckt, und mit einer Auswahl von Bemerkungen der vorzüglichsten Engltschen Kommentatoren versehen worden,

ten,

*) Garriak, der unsern unsterblichen Dichter anbetete, veranstaltete zum Andenken desselben 1769 m Sommer ein Fest, welches in einem Entertainment bestand, unter dem Titel: the Jubilee, und anfangs zu Stratford, nachher auch sehr oft in London gegeben wurde. Herr von Archenholz giebt in seiner Schrift England und Italien Seite 496 ff. eine Beschreibung desselben, die man mit Vergnügen lieset und wieder lieset.

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Lords, Gentlemen, Officers, Soldiers, Murderers, Attendants,

and Messengers.

The Ghost of Banquo, and several other Apparitions.

Scene in the end of the fourth act lies in England; through the rest of the play, in Scotland, and chiefly at Macbeth's castle,

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In thunder, lightning, or in rain?

2. Witch. When the hurlyburly's ") done,

When the battle's lost or won 2).

3. Witch. That will be ere set of sun.

*) Her name was Gruach. 1) hurlyburly wird in einem alten Englischen Buche durch uprore, tumultuous stirre erklärt. 2) The battle, in which Macbeth was then engaged. Warburton.

1., Witch. Where the place?

2. Witch.

Upon the heath ›

3. Witch. There to meet with Macbeth.

1. Witch. I come Graymalkin 3)!

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Hover through the fog and filthy air. [Witches vanish.]

Alarum within.

SCENE IL

A Camp near Fores.

Enter King Duncan, Malcolm, Donalbain, Lenox, with attendants, meeting a bleeding soldier.

Dun. What bloody man is that? He can report, As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt

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Who like a good and hardy soldier, fought
'Gainst my captivity. Hail, brave friend!
Say to the King the knowledge of the broil,
As thou didst leave it.

Sold.

Doubtfully it stood;
As two spent swimmers, that do cling together,
And choke their art. The merciless Macdonwald
(Worthy to be a rebel; for to that ")

The multiplying villainies of nature

Do swarm upon him,) from the western isles
Of Kernes and Gallowglasses is supplied ");

3) Graymalkin. From a little black-letter book, entitled: Beware the cat, 1584, I find it was permitted to a Witch to take on her a cattes body nime times. Mr. Upton observes, that to understand this passage, we should suppose one familiar calling with the voice of a cat, and an other with the croaking of a toad. Steevens. 4) Paddock. According to some naturalists a frog is called a paddock in the North: in Shakspeare however it certainly means a toad. 5) The meaning is: to us, perverse and malignant as we are, fair is foul and foul is fair. Johnson. ") to that i. e. in addition to that. The soldier who describes Macdonwald seems to mean, that, in addition to his assumed character of rebel he abounds with the numerous enormities to which man, in his natural state, is liable. Steevens. ") of and with are indiscriminately used by our ancient writers. SteeKernes waren leicht, und Gallowglasses schwer bewaffnete Fufsvölker der alten Bewohner Irlands.

vens.

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