I.iii.21 (405,9) He shall live a man forbid] Mr. Theobald has very justly explained _forbid_ by _accursed_, but without giving any reason of his interpretation. To _bid_ is originally _to pray_, as in this Saxon fragment, Ethe iy şiy ş bit y bote _He is wise that_ prays and makes amends. As to forbid_ therefore implies to _prohibit_, in opposition to the word _bid_ in its present sense, it signifies by the same kind of opposition to _curse_, when it is derived from the same word in its primitive meaning. I.iii.42 (409,3) are you aught/That man may question?] Are ye any beings with which man is permitted to hold converse, or of which it is lawful _to ask questions_? I.iii.53 (410,5) Are ye fantastical] By _fantastical_, he means creatures of fantasy or imagination; the question is, Are these real beings before us, or are we deceived by illusions of fancy? I.iii.97 (412,8) As thick as tale] [As thick as hail] Was Mr. Pope's correction. The old copy has, --_As thick_ as tale _Can_ post _with_ post;-- which perhaps is not amiss, meaning that the news came as _thick_ as a _tale_ can _travel_ with the _post_. Or we may read, perhaps yet better, --_As thick as tale_ Came _post with post_;-- That is, posts arrived as fast as they could be counted. I.iii.130 (414,4) This supernatural solliciting] _Solliciting_ is rather, in my opinion, _incitement_ than _information_. I.iii.134 (414,5) why do I yield] To _yield_ is, simply, to _give way to_. I.iii.137 (414,6) Present fears/Are less than horrible imaginings] [W: feats] _Present fears_ are _fears of things present_, which Macbeth declares, and every man has found, to be less than the _imagination_ presents them while the objects are yet distant. _Fears_ is right. I.iii.140 (415,7) single state of man] The _single state of man_ seems to be used by Shakespeare for an _individual_, in opposition to a _commonwealth_, or _conjunct body_. I.iii.40 (415,8) function/Is smother'd in surmise; and nothing is,/ But what is not] All powers of action are oppressed and crushed by one overwhelming image in the mind, and nothing is present to me, but that which is really future. Of things now about me I have no perception, being intent wholly on that which has yet no existence. I.iii.147 (415,9) Time and the hour runs through the roughest day] I suppose every reader is disgusted at the tautology in this passage, _Time and the hour_, and will therefore willingly believe that Shakespeare wrote it thus, _Come what come may_, Time! on!--_the hour runs thro' the roughest day_. Macbeth is deliberating upon the events which are to befall him, but finding no satisfaction from his own thoughts, he grows impatient of reflection, and resolves to wait the close without harrassing hinaelf with conjectures. _Come what come may_. But to shorten the pain of suspense, he calls upon Time In the usual stile of ardent desire, to quicken his motion, _Time! on!_ --