The seventh king of Scotland after Duff, with an interval of
sixty-eight years, was Macbeth. The historian begins his tale of
witchcraft, towards the end of the reign of Duncan, his predecessor,
with observing, "Shortly after happened a strange and uncouth wonder,
which afterward was the cause of much trouble in the realm of Scotland.
It fortuned, as Macbeth and Banquo journeyed towards Fores, where the
king as then lay, they went sporting by the way together, without
other company save only themselves, passing through the woods and
fields, when suddenly, in the midst of a laund, there met them three
women in strange and ferly apparel, resembling creatures of an elder
world, whom when they attentively beheld, wondering much at the sight,
the first of them spake and said, All hail, Macbeth, thane of Glamis
(for he had lately entered into that dignity and office by the death
of his father Synel). The second of them said, Hail, Macbeth, thane of
Cawdor. But the third said, All hail, Macbeth, that hereafter shall be
king of Scotland. Then Banquo, What sort of women, said he, are you,
that seem so little favourable unto me, whereas to my fellow here,
besides high offices, ye assign also the kingdom, appointing forth
nothing for me at all? Yes, saith the first of them, we promise
greater benefits unto thee than unto him, for he shall reign indeed,
but with an unlucky end, neither shall he leave any issue behind him
to succeed in his place; where contrarily thou indeed shall not reign
at all, but of thee those shall be born, which shall govern the
Scottish kingdom by long order of continual descent. Herewith the
foresaid women vanished immediately out of their sight.
"This was reputed at the first but some vain fantastical illusion by
Macbeth and Banquo, insomuch that Banquo would call Macbeth in jest
king of Scotland, and Macbeth again would call him in sport likewise
the father of many kings. But afterwards the common opinion was, that
these women were either the weird sisters, that is (as you would say)
the goddesses of destiny, or else some nymphs or fairies, endued with
knowledge of prophecy by their necromantical science, because every
thing came to pass as they had spoken.
"For shortly after, the thane of Cawdor, being condemned at Fores of
treason against the king committed, his lands, livings and offices
were given of the king's liberality unto Macbeth." [159]
Malcolm, the preceding king of Scotland, had two daughters, one of
them the mother of Duncan, and the other of Macbeth; and in virtue of
this descent Duncan succeeded to the crown. The accession of Macbeth
therefore was not very remote, if he survived the present king. Of
consequence Macbeth, though he thought much of the prediction of the
weird sisters, yet resolved to wait his time, thinking that, as had
happened in his former preferment, this might come to pass without his
aid. But Duncan had two sons, Malcolm Cammore and Donald Bane. The law
of succession in Scotland was, that, if at the death of the reigning
sovereign he that should succeed were not of sufficient age to take on
him the government, he that was next of blood to him should be
admitted. Duncan however at this juncture created his eldest son
Malcolm prince of Cumberland, a title which was considered as
designating him heir to the throne. Macbeth was greatly troubled at
this, as cutting off the expectation he thought he had a right to
entertain: and, the words of the weird sisters still ringing in his
ears, and his wife with ambitious speeches urging him to the deed, he,
in conjunction with some trusty friends, among whom was Banquo, came
to a resolution to kill the king at Inverness. The deed being
perpetrated, Malcolm, the eldest son of Duncan, fled for safety into
Cumberland, and Donald, the second, into Ireland. [160]
Macbeth, who became king of Scotland in the year 1010, reigned for ten
years with great popularity and applause, but at the end of that time
changed his manner of government, and became a tyrant. His first
action in this character was against Banquo. He remembered that the
weird sisters had promised to Banquo that he should be father to a
line of kings. Haunted with this recollection, Macbeth invited Banquo
and his son Fleance to a supper, and appointed assassins to murder
them both on their return. Banquo was slain accordingly; but Fleance,
under favour of the darkness of the night, escaped. [161]
This murder brought Macbeth into great odium, since every man began to
doubt of the security of his life, and Macbeth at the same time to
fear the ill will of his subjects. He therefore proceeded to destroy
all against whom he entertained any suspicion, and every day more and
more to steep his hands in blood. Further to secure himself, he built
a castle on the top of a high hill, called Dunsinnan, which was placed
on such an elevation, that it seemed impossible to approach it in a
hostile manner. This work he carried on by means of requiring the
thanes of the kingdom, each one in turn, to come with a set of workmen
to help forward the edifice. When it came to the turn of Macduff,
thane of Fife, he sent workmen, but did not come himself, as the
others had done. Macbeth from that time regarded Macduff with an eye
of perpetual suspicion. [162]
Meanwhile Macbeth, remembering that the origin of his present
greatness consisted in the prophecy of the weird sisters, addicted
himself continually to the consulting of wizards. Those he consulted
gave him a pointed warning to take heed of Macduff, who in time to
come would seek to destroy him. This warning would unquestionably have
proved fatal to Macduff; had not on the other hand Macbeth been buoyed
up in security, by the prediction of a certain witch in whom he had
great trust, that he should never be vanquished till the wood of
Bernane came to the castle of Dunsinnan, and that he should not be
slain by any man that was born of a woman; both which he judged to be
impossibilities. [163]
This vain confidence however urged him to do many outrageous things;
at the same time that such was his perpetual uneasiness of mind, that
in every nobleman's house he had one servant or another in fee, that
he might be acquainted with every thing that was said or meditated
against him. About this time Macduff fled to Malcolm, who had now
taken refuge in the court of Edward the Confessor; and Macbeth came
with a strong party into Fife with the purpose of surprising him. The
master being safe, those within Macduff's castle threw open the gates,
thinking that no mischief would result from receiving the king. But
Macbeth, irritated that he missed of his prey, caused Macduff's wife
and children, and all persons who were found within the castle, to be
slain. [164]
Shortly after, Malcolm and Macduff, reinforced by ten thousand English
under the command of Seyward, earl of Northumberland, marched into
Scotland. The subjects of Macbeth stole away daily from him to join
the invaders; but he had such confidence in the predictions that had
been delivered to him, that he still believed he should never be
vanquished. Malcolm meanwhile, as he approached to the castle of
Dunsinnan, commanded his men to cut down, each of them, a bough from
the wood of Bernane, as large as he could bear, that they might take
the tyrant the more by surprise. Macbeth saw, and thought the wood
approached him; but he remembered the prophecy, and led forth and
marshalled his men. When however the enemy threw down their boughs,
and their formidable numbers stood revealed, Macbeth and his forces
immediately betook themselves to flight. Macduff pursued him, and was
hard at his heels, when the tyrant turned his horse, and exclaimed,
"Why dost thou follow me? Know, that it is ordained that no creature
born of a woman can ever overcome me." Macduff instantly retorted, "I
am the man appointed to slay thee. I was not born of a woman, but was
untimely ripped from my mother's womb." And, saying this, he killed
him on the spot. Macbeth reigned in the whole seventeen years. [165]