Page:The Plays of William Shakspeare (1778).djvu/339

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From a book entided Rex Platonicus, cited by Dr. Farmer, we learn that king James, when he viited Oxford in 1605, was addreSS undefineded by three tudents of St. John’s college, who peronated the three weird iters, and recited a hort dramatick poem, founded on the prediction of thoe ybils, (as the author calls them) relative to Banquo and Macbeth.

Dr. Farmer is of opinion, that this little piece preceded Shakpeare’s play; a uppoition which is trengthened by the ilence of the author of Rex Platonicus, who, if Macbeth had then appeared on the tage, would probably have mentioned omething of it. It hould be likewie remembered, that there ubited at that time a pirit of oppoition and rivalhip between the regular players and the academicks of the two univerities; the latter of whom frequently acted plays both in Latin and Englih, and eem to have piqued themelves on the uperiority of their exhibitions to thoe of the etablihed theatres. Wihing probably to manifet this uperiority to the royal pedant, it is not likely that they would chue for a collegiate interlude, a ubject, which had already appeared on the public tage, with all the embellihments that the magick hand of Shakpeare could betow.

This tragedy contains an alluion to the union of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, under one overeign, and alo to the cure of the king’s-evil by the royal touch ; but in what year that pretended power was [X2]