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 þiy þ 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.