Explore "Lectures on English Poets" by James Russell Lowell on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
One of the laws of the historical Macbeth declares that "Fools, minstrels, bards, and all other such idle people, unless they be specially licensed by the King, shall be compelled to seek some craft to win their living," and the old chronicler adds approvingly, "These and such-like laws were used by King Macbeth, through which he governed the realm ten years in good justice."
I do not quote this in order to blacken the memory of that unhappy monarch. The poets commonly contrive to be even with their enemies in the end, and Shakspeare has taken an ample revenge. I cite it only for the phrase _unless they be specially licensed by the King_, which points to a fact on which I propose to dwell for a few moments before entering upon my more immediate object.