1 Priam's fon, upon the ftage, to tell a very long and lamentable tale. Here is therefore produced, by each tragedian, the departed Spirit walking this upper world for causes adinitted by popular faith. Among the Ancients, the Unburied, and with us the Murdered, were fuppofed to do so. The apparitions are therefore equally justifiable or blamable; fo the laurel must be adjudged to that Poet who throws most of the Sublime and the Marvellous into the supernatural agent; best preserves the credibility of its intervention, and renders it most useful in the drama. There furely can be no difpute of the fuperiority of our countryman in these articles. There are many bombast fpeeches in the tragedy of Macbeth; and these are the lawful prize of the Critic: but Envy, not content to nibble at faults, ftrikes at its true object, the prime excellencies and perfections of the thing, it would depreciate. One should not wonder if a school-boy critic, who neither knows what were the fuperftitions of former times, or the Poet's privileges in all times, fhould flourish away, with all the rafh dexterity of wit, upon the appearance of a Ghoft; but it is ftrange a man of universal learning, a real and just connoiffeur, and a true genius, should cite, as improper and abfurd, what has been practifed by the most celebrated artists in the dramatic way, when fuch machinery was authorized by the belief of the people. Is there not reafon to fufpect from fuch uncandid treatment of our Poet by this Critic, that he Views him with jealous, yet with scornful eyes, The difference between a mind naturally prone to evil, and a frail one warped by the violence of temptations, is delicately diftinguished in Macbeth and his wife. There are also fome touches of the pencil, that mark the male and female character. When they deliberate on the murder of the king, the duties of host and subject strongly plead with him against the deed. She paffes over these confiderations; goes to Duncan's chamber refolved to kill him, but could not da do it, because, fhe fays, he refembled her father while he flept. There is something feminine in this, and perfectly agreeable to the nature of the fex; who, even when void of principle, are feldom entirely divested of Sentiment; and thus the Poet, who, to ufe his own phrase, had overstepped the modesty of nature in the exaggerated fierceness of her character, returns back to the line and limits of humanity, and that very judiciously, by a sudden impreffion, which has only an inftantaneous effect. Thus the may relapse into her former wickedness, and, from the fame fufceptibility, by the force of other impreffions, be afterwards driven to diftraction. As her character was not composed of those gentle elements outof which regular repentance could be formed, it was well judged to throw her mind into the chaos of madness; and, as the had exhibited Wickednefs in its highest degree of ferocity and atrociousness, she should be an example of the wildest agonies of Remorfe. As Shakefpear could most exactly delineate the human mind, mind, in its regular state of reason, so no one ever so happily caught its varying forms, in the wanderings of delirium. The scene in which Macduff is informed of the murder of his wife and children, is fo celebrated, that it is not neceffary to enlarge upon its merit. We feel there, how much a just imitation of natural fentiments, on fuch a tender occafion, is more pathetic, than chofen terms and ftudied phrafes. As, in the foregoing chapter, I have made fome obfervations on our author's management of the Præternatural Beings, I forbear to enlarge further on the fubject of the Witches: that he has kept closely to the traditions concerning them, is very fully fet forth, in the notes of a learned commentator on his works. This piece may certainly be deemed one of the best of Shakespear's compofitions: and, though it contains fome faulty fpeeches, and one whole scene entirely abfurd and improper, |