The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-02-03


"To return to the subject. Lady Macbeth, thus
adorned with every fascination of mind and per-
son, enters for the first time, reading part OF one
of those portentOus letters from her husband
They met me in the day of success; and have
learned by the perfectest report they have more in
them than mortal knowledge. When burned
with desire TO question them further, they made
themselves into thin air, into which they vanished.
While stood wrapped in the wonder OF 1t, came
missives from the king, who all hailed me Thane
of Cawdor,' by which title. before these sisters
had saluted me, and referred me to the coming on
Of time with Hail, king that shall be- This
have thought good to deliver thee, my dearest part
ner of greatness, that thou mighiest not lose the
dues of rejoicing, by being ignorant of what great
ness + promised. Lay it to thy heart, and fare
well!' Now vauting ambition and intrepid dar-
ing rekindle in moment all the splendors OF her
dark blue eyes. She fatally resolves that Gtdna,s
and Cawdor shall be also that which the mysterl-
Gus agents Of the Evil One have promised. She
then proceeds to the investigation of her husbands
character:
yet do fear thy nature.
TO catch ihe nearest way. Thou woudst be great,
An without ambition. but without
Hst thou thou @osldst would holly Wo%d,t not play isse.4 4
Rs ws Tsss sa Sn y o
And that which rather thou dosi fear to do
Than wishest should be undone.'
an this development, we find that though am
bitious he is YET amabe, conscientious, nay pious
and yet of temper so irfesoute and hucIuaiing as
TO require I'll the efforts, all the excitement which
her uncomfortable spirit and her unbounded nfu-
ence over him can perform. She continues
HE thea hther
That may pour my spirits in thine ear,
81, And chastise with the valor of tongue
All that impedes thee from the golden round.
Which fate and meta aphyscal aid doth seem
10 have thee crOwn'd witllai'
Shortly Macbeth appears. He announces The
kings approach and she, nsensible it should seem
TO all the pers which he has encountered in battle,
and to all the happiness of his safe return TO her,
for not one kind word Of greeting congratuaon
does she offer-is entirely swallowed up by the
horrible design, which has probably been suggested
to her by his letters as have entirely forgotten both
the one and the other. 1t is very remarkable that
Macbeth is frequent in expressions of tenderness
his wife, while she never betrays one symptom of
affection towards him, till, in the fiery furnace OF
afeton her iron heart is melted down to sofness.
For the present. she flies to welcome the venerable
| gracious Duncan with such show of eagerness
if allegiance IN her bosom sat crowned with de-
voton and gratitude.
1.-THE SECOND ACT
"There can be no doubt that Macbeth in the
first instance, suggested his design of assassnang
tine king, and it probable that he has invited his
gracious sovereign 10 his castle, in order the more
speedily and expsdousy 10 realize those thoughts,
ohose murder, though but yet tdntasticdt, so shook
his single state Of man.. YET, on the arrival of The
amable monarch who had SO honored him of late,
his naturally benevolent and good feelings resume
their wonted power He then solemny communes
with his heart, and after much powerful reasoning
upon the danger of the undertaking. calling to
mind that Duncan his king, of the mdest virtues,
| and his kinsman, lay as his guest. All those ac-
cumulated determents with the violated rights ot
sacred hospitality bringing up the rear, rising all at
once in terrible array his awakened conscience,
he relnquishes the atrocious purpose, and wisely
determines TO proceed no farther in the business
But, now, behold his evil-genius his grave-charri,
appears and by the force of her revilings her
| temptuous taunts, and, above all, by her oppro
brous asperslon of cowardice, chases the gather
ing drops of humanity from his eyes, and drives
before her impetuous and destructive career ali
those kindly charities, those Impressions OF loyalty
| and pity, and gratitude, which, but the momen
before, had taken full possession of his mind. She
| says:
| Il have given suck and know
| How tender 'ts to love the babe that milks me.
Iwould, while it was smiling in my face,
| And da;h'd the brains out had | but SO sworn
| As you have done TO this go
Even here, horrific as she is, she shows hersel
made by ambition, but not by nature, perfectly
| savage creature. The very use of such tende
aluson in the midst of her dreadful language, per
| suades one unequivocally that she has really iel
| the maternal yearnings of mother towards he
| babe, and that she considered this action the mos
enormous that ever required the strength of human
| nerves for its preparation. Her language to Mac
beth is the most poten,ly eloquent that guilt coulc
use. 1t is only in solloquy that she invokes thu
| powers of hell to unsex her. To her husband sh.
us believe her, that she had felt the instinct of fila
| as well as maternal love- But she makes her very
virtues the means of taunt to her lord Yot
have the milk of human kindness in your heart,
she says lin substance) to him, but ambition
which is my ruling passion, would be also yours
you had courage. With hankering desire t.
suppress, if you could, all your weaknesses of sym
pathy, you are too cowardly TO will the deed, ant
can only dare to wish it. You speak of sympathie
and feeling. | too have felt with tenderness whcI
| your sex cannot know but am resolute in my am
| bition 10 trampe on all that obsructs my way to
| crown. Look to me, and he ashamed Of your weak
| ness Abashed, perhaps, to find his own courag
humbled before this unimag enable instance Of iemal
| lOrtude, he at lasl screws up his courage to In
sticking place. and binds up each corporal agent L
this terrible feat. 1t is the dead of night The gra
cious Duncan, now shut up in measureess content
reposes sweety, while The restless spirit of wick
edness resolves that he shall wake no more. Th
daring fend, whose pernicous potions have stupe
| fled his attendants and who even laid their dag
gers ready,-her own spirit, as it seems, exalted b
The power Of wine, proceeds, 'Thatwhich hath mad
them drunk hath made me bold, now enters the ga
lery in eager expectation of the results of her diabO
cal diligence. In the tremendous suspense of thes
, moments, while she recollecis her habtua human
iy, one trait OF tender feeling 10 expressed, lila
he not resembed my father as he slept, had don
| it, Her humanity vanishes, however, in the sam
: instant for when she observes that Macbeth,
the terror and confusion of his faculties has broug
he daggers from the place VIII sre they had agree
they should remain for the elimination of the groom
she exhors him to return with them to that plac,
and to smear those attendants of the sovereign vii
blood. He, shuddering, exelaims, I'll go no more
/ | am afear'd to think Of what l have done Lot
i ont again dare not
I: Then instantaneousy the solitary particle
!, her human feeling is swallowed up in her remors
j. less ambition, and wrenching the daggers from Il
. feeble grasp of her husband, she finishes the a
o which the infirm of purpose had not courage
v complete, and calmly and steadily returns to h
i accompllce with the fiend-ks boast,
ell My hands are of your color
n but wouid scUrn to wear a heart so white
81 knocking at the gate interrupts this terri
dialogue; and all that now occupies her mind
urging him to wash his hands and put on his ng
gown, lest occasion CALL says she, and show
y 10 be the ,oatchers.' In deporable deprivation
e all rational knowledge, and lost to every recolle
u stiOn except that of his enormous guilt she hurr
7 him away to their own chamber.
10 THE THIRD ACT.
d "The golden round of royalty now crowns
is brow, and royal robes enfoId her form; but
peace that passeth all understanding is lost to h
n for ever, and the worm that never dies alrea
rs gnaws her heart.
. | 'Nought's had-alls spent,
" Where our desire is had without content.
u | Ills safer to be that which destroy,
an hv do txual Lin In.httr ttnue