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.

SCENE VIII.

King.  This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air
Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself
Unto our gentle senses.

Ban.  This guest of summer,
The temple-haunting martlet, does approve,
By his lov’d mansionry, that heaven’s breath
Smells wooingly here.  No jutty frieze,
Buttrice, nor coigne of ’vantage, but this bird
Hath made his pendent bed, and procreant cradle: 
Where they most breed and haunt, I have observ’d,
The air is delicate.

In this short scene, I propose a slight alteration to be made, by substituting site for seat, as the ancient word for situation; and sense for senses, as more agreeable to the measure; for which reason likewise I have endeavoured to adjust this passage,

—­heaven’s breath
Smells wooingly here.  No jutty frieze,

by changing the punctuation and adding the syllable thus,

 —­heaven’s breath
  Smells wooingly.  Here is no jutty frieze.

Those who have perused books, printed at the time of the first editions of Shakespeare, know that greater alterations than these are necessary almost in every page, even where it is not to be doubted, that the copy was correct.

NOTE XVI.

SCENE.  X.

The arguments by which Lady Macbeth persuades her husband to commit the murder, afford a proof of Shakespeare’s knowledge of human nature.  She urges the excellence and dignity of courage, a glittering idea which has dazzled mankind from age to age, and animated sometimes the housebreaker, and sometimes the conqueror; but this sophism Macbeth has for ever destroyed, by distinguishing true from false fortitude, in a line and a half; of which it may almost be said, that they ought to bestow immortality on the author, though all his other productions had been lost: 

  I dare do all that may become a man;
  Who dares do more is none.