Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-01-22
sedulously guarded against throughout.


The Justification of history for the sake of of.
iect or less excusable motives, by poets and nov
| elisis, is charge to which few writer's are more
| obnoxious than Sir Walter Scott himself IL is
a charge to which Shakespeare is also liable, from
too ready adoption of the fables and misrepre-
sensations of the old Cbronicler,, as the reader
| will see in tho following remark on the fate of
the "gracious Duncan" who fell by the dagger
of Macbeth. son reading these names" observ-
ed our author, every reader must feel as if
brought from darkness into the blaze of noon.
day so familiar are we with the per soma ges
whom we last named, and so clearly and distinct
ly we recall the events in which they are inter
csted, in comparison with the doubtful and misty
views which we can form Of the twilight times
before and after fortunate period. But we must
| not be bliuded by our poeticol enthusiasm, nor
| add more than due Importance to the legends,
because they have been woven into the most
striking tale of ambition aGd remorse that ever
struck awe into human bosom. The genius of
Shakespeare having found the tale of Macbeth in
the Scottish chronicles of Holinshed, adorned i,
with lustre similar TO that which 4 level beam
OF the sun often invests some fragment of glass,
lustre of diamond, is by near investigation
discovered TO be of no worth or estimation
DUNCAN AND MACBETH
Duncan succeeded to Kenneth H. in 1898; he
reigned only six years. Macbeth, his near reIa
ion, also grand child of Malcolm H. though
by the mothers side, was stirred up by ambition
to contes! the throne, with the possessor. The
lady Of Macbeth, also, whose real name was
Graoch, had deadly injuries to avenge on the
reigning prince. She was the grand-d daughter of
Kenneth Nv. killed in l003 fighting against NAL
colin ii ; and other causes for revenge animated
the mind of her, who has been since painted as
the stcrnest of women. The old annalsts add
some instigations of supernatural kind to the
| influence OF a vindictive woman over an anibi-
tieus husband. Three women, of more than hu-
man stature and beauty, appeared to Macbeth IN
vision, and hailed him SUCCESSFULLY by the
names of thane of Cromarty, thane of Moray,
T'lsio7 tasc 1r;s a-,l
king of Scots, which inspired him with the sedu.
Give hopes so well expressed in the drama Mac
beth broke no law of hospitality in his attempt
| on Duncan's life. He attacked and slew the
king at place called Bothgowan, or the Smith S
House, near Elgin, in 1899, and not, as has been
! supposed, i'll the castle of Inverness The act
| was bloody, as was the custom ofthe times but,
in very truth, the claim of Macbeth TO the throne,
| according to the rule ofSco!tsh succession, was
better than that of Duncan AS king, the ty-
rant so much exclaimed against was, in reality,
firm, just, and equitable. Apprehension of
party which Malcolm the eldest son of the
slaughtered Duncan, had set on foot in Nor
thumberland, and still maintained in Scotland,
seems, in process of time to have soured the tenn
per of Macbeth and rendered him formidable to
his nobility Against Macduff, in particular
| the powerful Maormar of Fife, he had uttered
some threats which occasioned him to fly from
the court of Scotland. Urged by this new coun-
sellor, Siward, the Danish earl of Northumber-
land, invaded Scotland in the year 1854, display
ing his banner in behalf of the banished NAL
colin Macbeth engaged them in the nei ghbor-
hood of his celebrated castle of Dunsinnane He
was defeated, but escaped from the battle, and
was slain at Lurhphananan in 1856. Very slight
observation will enable us to recollect how much
this simple statement differs from that of the dra-
ma, though the plot Of the latter is consistent e.
nough with Inaccurate historians from whom
ed, that early authorities shew us no such per.
sons as Banquo and his son Feance, nor have
we reason to think that the latter ever fed fur
Their from Macbeth than across the fiat scene ac-
cording to the stage direction Neither were
Banquo or his ancestors of the house of Ste
mind dwes pertinaciously on the impression
made by the impositions Of genius While the
works of Shakespeare are read, and the EpclisI,
language subssts, History may say what she
will but the general reader will only recollect
Macbeth as sacrilegious usurper, and Richard
as deformed murderer
Macbeth, we believe, visited Rome, and ,yas
held to be one of the wiscst and most accomplisb
ed princes of his age.
A DAMPEE.--A young city fop, in com
pany with some bellies of fashion. was RI.
ding into the country pleasing, when
they saw poor rustic locking country
lad at work by the roads side, Thinking
1t fine opportunity to show his nit to the
damsels, by sporting with the poor boys
| ignorance, he thus ac Gosted him" Can
you inform Inc, Mr. Zebcdee, how far is it
to where am g'mg, and which is the
most direct roa.d" Poor Zebby, not al
all daunted, out with the most sober and
composed counteDance, replied =" If you
are going 10 the gaIlows it is but short
distance if to the Jail, it stands few
rods this side bu: if only TO poverty and
disgrace, you are now approaching your
journeys end-As foi the most direct road
to either, you arc now in il, and cannot
miss the way" Dandy dropped his head
and drove on.
a motion has been mado in the North Carroll
na Legislature Tor Il tax On gold mines.