—­our duties
  Are to your throne and state, children and servants,
  Which do but what they should, in doing every thing
  Fiefs to your love and honour.

My esteem for these criticks, inclines me to believe, that they cannot be much pleased with the expressions, Fiefs to love, or Fiefs to honour; and that they have proposed this alteration, rather because no other occurred to them, than because they approved it.  I shall, therefore, propose a bolder change, perhaps, with no better success, but “sua cuique placent.”  I read thus,

                              —­our duties
  Are to your throne and state, children and servants,
  Which do but what they should, in doing nothing,
  Save tow’rd your love and honour.

We do but perform our duty, when we contract all our views to your service, when we act with no other principle than regard to your love and honour.

It is probable that this passage was first corrupted by writing safe for save, and the lines then stood thus: 

                —­doing nothing
  Safe tow’rd your love and honour.

Which the next transcriber observing to be wrong, and yet not being able to discover the real fault, altered to the present reading.

NOTE XII.

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.