Act 1 — SCENE VII.

—Thou'dst have, great Glamis, That which cries, "thus thou must do, if thou have it; And that," &c.

As the object of Macbeth's desire is here introduced speaking of itself, it is necessary to read,

—thou'dst have, great Glamis, That which cries, "thus thou must do, if thou have me."

NOTE XIII.

—Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear; And chastise with the valour of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round, Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem To have thee crown'd withal.

For seem, the sense evidently directs us to read seek. The crown to which fate destines thee, and which preternatural agents endeavour to bestow upon thee. The golden round is the diadem.

NOTE XIV.

Lady Macbeth.—Come, all you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here; And fill me, from the crown to th' toe, top-full Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood, Stop up th' access and passage to remorse; That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between Th' effect and it!

—Mortal thoughts,— This expression signifies not the thoughts of mortals, but murderous, deadly, or destructive designs. So in Act v.

Hold fast the mortal sword.

And in another place,

With twenty mortal murthers.

—Nor keep peace between Th' effect and it!—

The intent of Lady Macbeth evidently is to wish that no womanish tenderness, or conscientious remorse, may hinder her purpose from proceeding to effect; but neither this, nor indeed any other sense, is expressed by the present reading, and, therefore, it cannot be doubted that Shakespeare wrote differently, perhaps, thus:

That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep pace between Th' effect and it.

To keep pace between, may signify to pass between, to intervene. Pace is, on many occasions, a favourite of Shakespeare. This phrase, is indeed, not usual in this sense; but was it not its novelty that gave occasion to the present corruption?

NOTE XV.