Nigel Tranter: The Wisest Fool

The entry of MacBeth himself and his friend Banquo, to James's vehement shushing-who saw audience participation best confined to himself-produced approximate quiet. Richard Burbage played MacBeth, a noble-looking and battle-scarred warrior and Shakespeare himself was Banquo, his friend. With the latter demanding how far it was to Forres, present Majesty intervened with some geographical information and Lennox took the opportunity to ask who on earth was this Banquo? Heriot admitted that he had never heard of such a character. Possibly he was an invention of Shakespeare's own. Or the King's.

The unfortunate witches therefore again had some difficulty in getting their hailing over, their prophecies anent MacBeth somewhat lost in the general discussion. Montgomery was to be heard declaring that he was not very sure yet where Forres was but if he was this MacBeth, he'd have the plumpest one down in her own heather there and then and Forres could wait

The exchange between MacBeth and Banquo regarding the Thanes of Glamis and Cawdor went rather above the heads of most listeners, and the scene ended.

Furniture was clearly being' introduced behind the curtains, during a longer pause, as James announced that he was afraid Master Shakespeare had erred in this of the thanes. MacBeth was Thane of Glamis, yes-but the Celtic thane was a lesser rank to that of Mormaor, and MacBeth was in fact Monnaor of Moray. Some elaboration of the Celtic polity followed, with reminders that the actors should really be speaking the Gaelic, the true language of Heaven and Eden both, as he'd explained one time- but belike most of those present would be none the wiser, belonging to neither the one place nor the other 1

The scene in Duncan's palace went well, with James concerned that no one should interrupt while a king held the floor. But the change to MacBeth's own castle at Inverness, as Mormaor of Moray, demanded another geography lesson. Moreover Lady MacBeth's appearance drew forth dark allegations from present authority that yon was an ill woman if ever he'd seen one-and he'd seen a few. Though well-bred, mind. You couldn't aye depend on high breeding to produce proper females, like you could with bloodstock horses. If Queen Anne and her courtiers bridled at this sally, the King's own entourage cheered loyally. Scenes five, six and seven, to the end of Act one, therefore, were almost as active off stage as on.

At the interval, refreshments were brought on for all, largely liquid, James thoughtfully sending a good supply back-stage for the performers-which Lennox for one declared a somewhat rash proceeding-with his compliments that they were doing fine, fine, though he had not yet heard one good Scots voice. Thereafter, gazing about him in fatherly fashion, he espied Heriot and Alison, beside the Duke. Banging his tankard on the arm of his chair, to arouse their attention, he beckoned imperiously.

Highly embarrassed and reluctant, the pair got to their feet and made their way through the crush to the monarch's side.

"Aye, Geordie-so you have her, a' safe, sound and whaur she's best kept, atween your legs, heh? Or you between her's. Ooh, aye -and she's looking weel on it!"

Tight-lipped, Heriot bowed but said nothing. He squeezed Alison's arm comfortingly.

James did not fail to notice that squeeze. "Husbandly," he approved. "Aye, a kindly conjugality. And how like you married life, Mistress?"

She curtsied prettily. "Very well, Sire-very well indeed. But then, I have a better husband that most!"

James shot a glance at his Queen. "Hech, hech-pert, eh? I judge you pert, Mistress"

"I hope not, Sire-but only honest" She turned and dipped low to Anne. "Master Heriot is a better husband than most, I do swear!"

"M'mm. You'll hae to watch this one, Geordie," the King said. "Mind, I told you so before. She'll lead you a dance, if you're no' carefu'. I ken the kind!" And he sniffed.

The Queen, who had been prepared to be stiff, smiled graciously instead. "Welcome back to Court, Alison!" she said. "I need not ask if you are well. You bloom, child-you bloom!"

"Your Majesty is most kind. Most generous. I thank you. I have heard that you suffer greatly. Arthritic pains. Yet Your Majesty never looked fairer, more handsome…"

"Why, bless you, child-marriage seems to have done you good. In more than your health! Would we all could say as much! My pain is oft grievous, yes. But must be borne. Like other things!" "Yes, Majesty. You instruct us all in forbearance…"

The King banged his tankard. "Enough o' idle chatter" he commanded. "If there's ae thing I canna be doing wi', it's women enlarging on their bit aches and pains. Forby-you'll be holding up the play-acting, the pair o' you, wi' your clack. Look-I vow they're sweer to be at it again. Back to your seats, Geordie man- and dinna hold a' up."

Bowing away but not overhurriedly, the Heriots moved back to Duke Ludovick.

"Good for you, my dear," Lennox greeted. "Nicely played, I think. You should be safely back in Anne's favour, now."

"So long as I did not overdo it with the King," she murmured. "I did not really offend him, Geordie?"

"Not you, lass. James does not offend easily. Not over boldness. He'll think the more of you for a bit of spirit. That's what these English do not understand about him. They tend to grovel to their kings, as we do not." "You do not, anyway, Geordie!" Lennox chuckled, "I've never seen less of a groveller than Master Craftsman Heriot, in all my days" "Ssshh! The curtain, my lord Duke…"

The second act, ah at Inverness Castle, went well, with a minimum of royal interpolation, James quite caught up in the drama of it all, and the unfolding wickedness of Lady MacBeth, which so accurately bore out all his own assertions as to the essential baseness of the female nature. He was constrained at one stage to point out loudly, however, in ah fairness, that the woman -whose right name was Gruach-had some reason for believing that Duncan had less right to the throne than herself, his cousin, since she represented the elder line. But that, to be sure, did not give her the right to suggest the murder of the Lord's Anointed, the which there was no fouler crime in earth or heaven.

By the time the second interval was over, the refreshments, offstage and on, were beginning to have their effect. Even a three-act play was really over-long to put before a Court audience of this reign-and this one was reputed to have no fewer than five. Some of the actors, notably the Earl of Lennox, were speaking with increasing thickness-a circumstance which did not fail to rebound on his modern counterpart, in quips and sallies. When he came to the line, "My former speeches have but hit your thoughts," and rendered it, "My former theetches have but shit your sorts", he all but brought down the house-to his own surprise, since his was a comparatively minor part The rest of his speech went unheard, to the complete demoralisation of the poor man; and Shakespeare himself, who as Banquo had just been slain, had to come back on stage wearing another lord's cloak to pronounce the important finale of the act,

… some holy angel, fly to the Court of England and unfold, His message ere he come, That a swift, blessing may soon return to this our suffering country, Under a hand accurst…

The curtain drew again, James was not too happy about the impact of that. Having missed, through the noise, the fact that the now murdered Duncan had a son at the English Court and he it was who was being thus advised and summoned, the last bit sounded rather as though England were some superior and blest realm urged to come to the rescue of accursed Scotland-which was assuredly not the object of the evening's entertainment. It took the monarch all of the third interval to explain the true situation to a not very attentive audience.