king's-evil by the royal touch *; but in what year that pretended power was assumed by king James I. is uncertain. Macbeth was not entered in the Stationers' books, nor printed, till 1623. In The Tragedy of Cæsar and Pompey, or Casar's Re venge, are these lines: "Why think you, lords, that 'tis ambition's spur "That pricketh Cæsar to these high attempts?" If the author of that play, which was published in 1607, should be thought to have had Macbeth's soli loquy in view (which is not unlikely), this circumstance may add some degree of probability to the supposition that this tragedy had appeared before that year: "I have no spar "To prick the sides of my intent, but only At the time when Macbeth is supposed to have been written, the subject, it is probable, was considered as a topick the most likely to conciliate the favour of the court. In the additions to Warner's Albion's England, which were first printed in 1606, the story of "The. Three Fairies, or Weird Elves," as he calls them, is shortly told, and king James's descent from Banquo carefully deduced. * Macbeth, A& IV. Sc. i. ii. Ben Ben Jonson, a few years afterwards, paid his court to his Majesty by his Masque of Queens*, presented at Whitehall, February 12, 1609; in which he has given a minute detail of all the magick rites that are recorded by king James in his book of Dæmonologie, or by any other author ancient or modern. Mr. Steevens has lately discovered a MS. play, entitled THE WITCH, written by Thomas Middletont, which renders it questionable, whether Shakspére was not indebted to that author for the first hint of the magick introduced in this tragedy. The reader will find an account of this single curiosity in the note. * Mr. Upton was of opinion that this masque preceded Macbeth. But the only ground that he states for this conjecture, is, "that Jonson's pride would not suffer him to borrow from Shakspere, though he stole from the ancients." + In an advertisement prefixed to an edition of A Mad World my Masters, a comedy by Thomas Middleton, 1640, the printer says, that the author was "long since dead." Middleton probably died soon after the year 1626. He was chronologer to the city of London, and it does not appear that any masque or pageant, in honour of the LordMayor, was set forth by him after that year*. From the dates of his printed plays, and from the ensuing verses on The Triumph of Health and Prosperity at the Inauguration of the most worthy Brother, the Right Hon. Cuthbert Hasket, draper; composed by Thomas Middleton, draper, 1626, 4to, hote*.-To the observations of Mr. Steevens I have only to add, that the songs, beginning, Come away, &c. and Black spirits, &c. being found at full length in his last performance, by Sir William Lower, we may conclude, that he was as early a writer, and at least as old, as Shakspere: "Tom Middleton his numerous issue brings, “And his last muse delights us when she sings: "And his white locks shew master of his art." The following dramatick pieces, by Middleton, appear to have been published in his life-time.-Your Five Gallants, no date.-Blunt Master Constable, or the Spaniard's Night Walke, 1602.-Michaelmas Term, 1607.-The Phænix, 1607. -The Family of Love, 1608.-A Trick to catch the Old One, 1608.-A Mad World my Masters, 1608.-The Roaring Girl, or Moll Cutpurse, 1611.-Fair Quarrel, 1617.—A Chaste Maid of Cheapside, 1620.-A Game at Chesse, 1625.-Most of his other plays were printed, about thirty years after his death, by Kirkman and other booksellers, into whose hands his manuscripts fell. * In a former note on this tragedy, I have said that the original edition contains only the two first words of the song in the 4th act, beginning Black spirits, &c. but have lately discovered the entire stanza in an unpublished dramatick piece, viz. "A Tragi-Coomodie called THE WITCH; long since acted by his Majesties Servants at the Black Friers; written by Tho. Middleton." The song is there called-A charme-song, about a vessel." The other in The Witch, while only the two first words of them are printed in Macbeth, favour the supposition that Middleton's other song omitted in the 5th scene of the third act of Macbeth, together with the imperfect couplet there, may likewise be found, as follows, in Middleton's performance, -The Hecate of Shakspere, says : "I am for the air, &c." The Hecate of Middleton (who like the former is summoned away by aerial spirits) has the same declaration in almost the same words:" I am for aloft, &c. "Heere.] in the aire. * And Hoppo too, and Hellwaine too, "Hec. I will but 'noynt, and then I mount, "A spirit like S his dues, a cat descendsA kisse, a coll, a sip of blood: in the aire. above, And why thou staist so long "I muse, I muse, "Since the aire's so sweet and good. "Hec. Middleton's piece preceded that of Shakspere; the latter, it should seem, thinking it unnecessary to set down verses which were probably well known, and perhaps then in the possession of the managers of the Globe Hec. Oh, art thou come? "What newes, what newes? "All goes still to our delight, "Either come, or els Refuse, refuse. "Hec.] Now am furnish'd for the flight. above. Fire.] Hark, hark, the catt sings a brave treble in her owne language. "Hec. going up. Now I goe, now I flie, "Malkin my sweete spirit and I, "Oh what a daintie pleasure 'tis "To ride in the aire, "When the moone shines faire, "And sing, and daunce, and toy and kiss! "Over steepe towres and turrets, "We fly by night 'amongst troopes of spiritts. "Fire.] Well mother, I thank your kindness: you must be gambolling i' th'aire, and leave me to walk here, like a fool and a mortall, Exit, Finis Alus Tertii.” This |