Pol. Ay, and make't manifest where she has

liv'd,

Or, how stol'n from the dead?

Paul. That she is living,

Were it but told you, should be hooted at
Like an old tale; but it appears, she lives,

Though yet she speak not.

while.

Mark a little

Turn, good

Please you to interpose, fair madam; kneel,
And pray your mother's blessing.

lady;

Our Perdita is found.

[Presenting Perdita, who kneels to Hermione.] Her. You gods, look down,

And from your sacred vials pour your graces
Upon my daughter's head!

own,

Tell me, miné

Where hast thou been preserv'd? where liv'd? how found

Thy father's court? for thou shalt hear, that I,Knowing by Paulina, that the oracle.

Gave hope thou wast in being, have preserv'd
Myself, to see the issue.

Paul. There's time enough for that;
Lest they desire, upon this push, to trouble
Your joys with like relation, Go together,
You precious winners all; your exultation
Partake to every one: I, an old turtle,

Will wing me to some wither'd bough; and there
My mate, that's never to be found again,
Lament, till I am lost.

Leon. O peace, Paulina;

Thou should'st a husband take by my consent,
As I by thine a wife: this is a match,

And made between's by vows. Thou hast found

mine;

But how, is to be question'd: for I saw her,
As I thought, dead; and have, in vain, said many

her

A prayer upon grave:

I'll not seek far

(For him, I partly know his mind,) to find thee An honourable husband: Come, Camillo,

And take her by the hand: whose worth, and ho

nesty,

Is richly noted; and here justify'd

By us, a pair of kings.Let's from this place.-both your What? Look upon my brother: pardons,

That e'er I put between your holy looks
My ill suspicion. This your son-in-law,
And son unto the king, (whoin heavens directing,)
Is troth-plight to your daughter.- Good Paulina,
Lead us from hence; where we may leisurely
Each one demand, and answer to his part
Perform'd in this wide gap of time, since first
We were dissever'd: Hastily lead away.

[Exeunt.]

MALCOLM II, king of Scotland, had two daughters. The eldest was married to Crynin, the father of Duncan, Thane of the Isles, and western parts of Scotland; and on the death of Malcolm, without male issue, Duncan succeeded to the throne. Malcolm's second daughter was married to Sinel, Thane of Glamis, the father of Macbeth. Duncan, who mar. ried the daughter of Siward, Earl of Northumberland, was murdered by his cousin germain, Macbeth, in the castle of Inverness, according to Buchanan, in the year 1040; according to Hector Boethius, in 1045. Boethius, whose history of Scotland was first printed in seven teen books, at Paris, in 1526, thus describes the event which forms the basis of the tragedy before us:,,Mak beth, be persuasion of his wyfe, gaderit his friendis to ane counsall at Invernes, quhare kyng Duncane happennit to be for ye tyme. And because he fand sufficient opportunitie, be support of Banquho and otheris his friendis, he slew kyng Duncane, the vii zeir of his regne." After the murder of Duncan, Macbeth „come with ane gret power to Scone, and tuk the crowne." Chroniclis of Scotland, translated by John Bellenden, folio, 1541. Macbeth was himself slain by Macduff in the year 1061, according to Boethius; according to Buchanan, in 1057; at which time King Edward the Confessor possessed the throne of England. Holinshed copied the history of Boethius, and on Holinshed's relation Shakspeare formed his play.

In the reign of Duncan, Banquo having been plundered by the people of Lochaber of some of the king's revenues, which he had collected, and being dange rously wounded in the affray, the persons concerned in this outrage were summoned to appear at a certain day. But they slew the serjeant at arms who summoned them, and chose ne MACDOWALD as their captain. Macdowald speedily collected a considerable body of forces from Ireland and the Western Isles, and in one action gained a victory over the king's army. In this battle Malcolm, a Scottish noble-man, who was (says Boethius),,Lieutenant to Duncan in Lochaber," was slain. Afterwards Macbeth and Banquo were ap pointed to the command of the army; and Macdowald being obliged to take refuge in a castle in Lochaber,

3.

first slew his wife and children, and then himself Macbeth on entering the castle finding his dead body. ordered his head to be cut off, and carried to the king, at the castle of Bertha, and his body to be hung on a, high tree.

At a subsequent period, in the last year of Dun. can's reign, Sueno, king of Norway, landed a powerful army in Fife, for the purpose of invading Scotland. Duncan immediately assembled an army to oppose him, and gave the command of two divisions of it to Macbeth and Banquo, putting himself at the head of a third. Sueno was successful in one battle, but in a second was routed; and after a great slaughter of his troops he escaped with ten persons only, and fled back to Norway. Thongh there was an interval of time between the rebellion of Macdowald and the invasion of Sueno, our author has woven these two actions together, and immediately after Sueno's defeat the present play commences.

وف

It is remarkable that Buchanan has pointed out Macbeth's history as a subject for the stage. Multa hic fabulose quidam nostrorum affingunt; sed, quia theatris aut Milesiis fabulis sunt aptiora quam historiae, ea omitto. RERUM SCOT. HIST. L. VII." But there was no translation of Buchanan's work till after our author's death.

This tragedy, was written, I believe, in the year 1606.