Though this is not the most sparkling passage in the play, and though the name of a dog is of no great importance, yet it may not be improper to remark, that there is no such species of dogs as shoughs mentioned by Caius De Canibus Britannicis, or any other writer that has fallen into my hands, nor is the word to be found in any dictionary which I have examined.  I, therefore, imagined that it is falsely printed for slouths, a kind of slow hound bred in the southern parts of England, but was informed by a lady, that it is more probably used, either by mistake, or according to the orthography of that time, for shocks.

NOTE XXVI.

Macbeth.—­In this hour, at most,
I will advise you where to plant yourselves;
Acquaint you with the perfect spy o’th’time,
The moment on’t; for’t must be done to-night,
And something from the palace.—­

What is meant by the spy of the time, it will be found difficult to explain; and, therefore, sense will be cheaply gained by a slight alteration.—­Macbeth is assuring the assassins that they shall not want directions to find Banquo, and, therefore, says,

I will—­
  Acquaint you with a perfect spy o’th’time.

Accordingly a third murderer joins them afterwards at the place of action.

Perfect is well instructed, or well informed, as in this play,

  Though in your state of honour I am perfect.

Though I am well acquainted with your quality and rank.

NOTE XXVII.

SCENE IV.

  2 Murderer.  He needs not to mistrust, since he delivers
                Our offices and what we have to do,
                To the direction just.

Mr. Theobald has endeavoured unsuccessfully to amend this passage, in which nothing is faulty but the punctuation.  The meaning of this abrupt dialogue is this:  The perfect spy, mentioned by Macbeth in the foregoing scene, has, before they enter upon the stage, given them the directions which were promised at the time of their agreement; and, therefore, one of the murderers observes, that, since he has given them such exact information, he needs not doubt of their performance.  Then, by way of exhortation to his associates, he cries out,

 —­To the direction just.

Now nothing remains but that we conform exactly to Macbeth’s directions.

NOTE XXVIII.

SCENE V.

Macbeth.  You know your own degrees, sit down: 
At first and last, the hearty welcome.

As this passage stands, not only the numbers are very imperfect, but the sense, if any can be found, weak and contemptible.  The numbers will be improved by reading,