tha. The headlesse trunke he commanded to bee hoong vpon an high paire of gallowes. 6. [Describes how "the Ilandmen conceived a deadlie grudge towards Makbeth," calling him "a cruell murtherer," because of the heavy fines and punishments he inflicted on them; how he was on the point of marching against them with an army, but was dissuaded by his friends.] Thus was iustice and law restored againe to the old accustomed course, by the diligent means of Makbeth. Immediatelie wherevpon woord came that Suene King of Norway was arriued in Fife with a puissant armie, to subdue the whole realme of Scotland. 7. [Contains a digression to explain that this Sueno was the second son of that Sueno who drove Ethelred from the throne of England, and was, therefore, brother of Canute the Great. It also explains that Canute and Edmund Ironside agreed to fight a duel for the crown.] 8. [Describes the duel, and their agreement to divide the kingdoni.] 9. But now touching the arriwall of Sueno the Norwegian king in Fife (as before is oxpressed) ye shall vnderstand, that the pretense of his comming was to rewenge the slaughter of his vncle, Camus, and other of the Danish nation slaine at Barre, Crowdane, and Gemmer. The crueltie of this Sueno was such, that he neither spared man, woman, nor child, of what age, condition or degree soeuer they were. Whereof when K. Duncane was certified, he set all slouthfull and lingering delaies apart, and began to assemble an armie in most speedie wise, like a verie valiant capteine; for oftentimes it happeneth, that a dull coward and sloutbfull person, constreined by necessitie, becommeth verie hardie and actiue. Therefore when his whole power was come togither, he diuided the same into three battels. The first was led by Makbeth, the second by Banquho, & the King himselfe gouerned in the maine battell or middle ward, wherein were appointed to attend and wait vpon his person the most part of all the residue of the Scotish nobilitie. 10, 11, 12, 13. [Describe the meeting of the Scots with the Danes at Culross; the defeat of the Scots; the flight of Duncane to Castell Bertha, where he is besieged by Sueno; the device whereby Duncane sent drugged wine to the Danes, and how, when they were overcome with sleep and stupor, Makbeth fell upon them and slaughtered them], so that of the whole number there escaped no more but onelie Sueno himselfe and ten other persons, by whose helpe he got to his ships lieng at rode in the mouth of Taie. [Sueno escaped with only one ship, the rest of his fleet being destroyed by a storm. The Scots celebrate their victory by processions and solemn thanksgivings to almighty God.] 14. But whilest the people were thus at their processions, woord was brought that a new fleet of Danes was arriued at Kingcorne, sent thither by Canute King of England, in reuenge of his brother Suenos ouerthrow. To resist these enemies, which were alreadie landed, and busie in spoiling the countrie, Makbeth and Banquho were sent with the kings authoritie, who hauing with them a conuenient power, incountred the enimies, slue part of them, and chased the other to their ships. They that escaped and got once to their ships, obteined of Makbeth for a great summe of gold, that such of their friends as were slaine at this last bickering, might be buried in Saint Colmes Inch. In memorie whereof, manie old sepultures are yet in the said Inch, there to be seene grauen with the armes of the Danes, as the maner of burieng noble men still is, and heeretofore hath beene vsed. A peace was also concluded at the same time betwixt the Danes and Scotishmen, ratified (as some haue written) in this wise: That from thencefoorth the Danes should neuer come into Scotland to make anie warres against the Scots by anie maner of meanes. And these were the warres that Duncane had with forren enimies, in the seuenth yeere of his reigne. 15. Shortlie after happened a strange and vncouth woonder, which afterward was the cause of much trouble in the realme of Scotland, as ye shall after heare. It fortuned as Makbeth and Banquho iournied towards Fores, where the king then laie, they went sporting by the waie togither without other companie, saue onelie themselues, passing thorough the woods and fields, when suddenlie in the middest of a laund, there met them three women in strange and wild apparell, resembling creatures of elder world, whome when they attentiwelie beheld, woondering much at the sight, the first of them spake and said :- "All haile Makbeth, thane of Glammis !" (for he had latelie entered into that dignitie and office by the death of his father Sinell). The second of them said : "Haile Makbeth thane of Cawder!" But the third said: "All haile Makbeth that heereafter shalt be king of Scotland!" 16. Then Banquho: "What manner of women (saith he) are you, that seeme so little fauourable vnto me, whereas to my fellow heere, besides high offices, ye assigne also the kingdome, appointing foorth nothing for me at all?" "Yes (saith the first of them) we promise greater benefits vnto thee, than vnto him; for he shall reigne in deed, but with an vnluckie end neither shall he leaue anie issue behind him to succeed in his place, where contrarilie thou in deed shalt not reigne at all, but of thee those shall be borne which shall gouerne the Scotish kingdome by long order of continuall descent." Herewith the foresaid women vanished immediatlie out of their sight. This was reputed at the first but some vaine fantasticall illusion by Makbeth and Banquho, insomuch that Banquho would call Makbeth in iest, king of Scotland; and Makbeth againe would call him in sport likewise, the father of manie kings. But afterwards the common opinion was, that these women were either the weird sisters, that is (as ye would say) the goddesses of destinie, or else some nymphs or feiries, indued with knowledge of prophecie by their necromanticall science, bicause euerie thing came to passe as they nad spoken. For shortlie after, the Thane of Cawder being condemned at Fores of treason against the king committed; his lands, liuings, and offices were giuen of the kings liberalitie to Makbeth. 17. The same night after, at supper, Banquho iested with him and said; "Now Makbeth thou hast obteined those things which the two former sisters prophesied, there remaineth onelie for thee to purchase that which the third said should come to passe. Wherevpon Makbeth reuoluing the thing in his mind, began euen then to deuise how he might atteine to the kingdome; but yet he thought with himselfe that he must tarie a time, which should aduance him thereto (by the Diuine Prouidence) as it had come to passe in his former preferment. But shortlie after it chanced that King Duncane, hauing two sonnes by his wife which was the daugh ter of Siward earle of Northumberland, he made the elder of them, called Malcolme, prince of Cumberland, as it were thereby to appoint him his successor in the kingdome, immediatlie after his deceasce. Mackbeth sore troubled herewith, for that he saw by this means his hope sore hindered (where, by the old lawes of the realme, the ordinance was, that if he that should succeed were not of able age to take the charge vpon himselfe, he that was next of bloud vnto him should be admitted) he began to take counsell how he might vsurpe the kingdome by force, hawing a iust quarell so to doo (as he tooke the matter) for that Duncane did what in him lay to defraud him of all maner of title and claime, which he might in time to come, pretend vnto the crowne. 18. The woords of the three weird sisters also (of whom before ye haue heard) greatlie incouraged him herevnto, but speciallie his wife lay sore vpon him to attempt the thing, as she that was verie ambitious, burning in vnquenchable desire to beare the name of a queene. At length therefore, communicating his purposed intent with his trustie friends, amongst whome Banquho was the chiefest, vpon confidence of their promised aid, he slue the king at Enuerns, or (as some say) at Botgoswane, in the sixt yeare of his reigne. Then hauing a companie about him of such as he had made priuie to his enterprise, he caused himselfe to be proclamed king, and foorthwith went vnto Scone, where (by common consent) he receiued the inuesture of the kingdome according to the accustomed The bodie of Duncane was first conueied vnto Elgine, & there buried in kinglie wise; but afterwards it was remoued and conueied vnto Colmekill, and there laid in a sepulture amongst his predecessors, in the yeare after the birth of our Sauiour, 1046. maner. 19. Malcolme Cammore and Donald Bane, the sons of King Duncane, for feare of their liues (which they might well know that Mackbeth would seeke to bring to end for his more sure confirmation in the estate) fled into Cumberland, where Malcome remained, till time that Saint Edward the sonne of Ethelred recouered the dominion of England from the Danish power, the which Edward receiued Malcolme by way of most friendlie enterteinment; but Donald passed ouer into Ireland, where he was tenderlie cherished by the king of that land. Makbeth, after the departure thair of Duncanes sonnes, vsed great liberalitie towards the nobles of the realme, thereby to win their fauour, and when he saw that no man went about to trouble him, he set his whole intention to mainteine iustice, and to punish all enormities and abuses, which had chanced through the feeble and slouthfull administration of Duncane. And to bring his purpose the better to passe without anie trouble or great businesse, he deuised a subtill wile to bring all offendors and misdooers vnto iustice, solliciting sundrie of his liege people with high rewards, to challenge and appeale such as most oppressed the commons, to come at a day and place appointed, to fight singular combats within barriers, in triall of their accusations. When these theeues, barrettors, and other oppressors of the innocent people were come to darren battell in this wise (as is said) they were streight waies apprehended by armed men, and trussed vp in halters on gibbets, according as they had iustlie deserued. The residue of misdooers that were left, were punished and tamed in such sort, that manie yeares after all theft and reiffings were little heard of, the people inioieng the blissefull benefit of good peace and tranquillitie. Mackbeth shewing himselfe thus a most diligent punisher of all iniuries and wrongs attempted by anie disordered persons within his realme, was accounted the sure defence and buckler of innocent people; and hereto he also applied his whole endeuor to cause yoong men to exercise themselues in vertuous maners, and men of the church to attend their diuine service according to their vocations. 20. He caused to be slaine sundrie thanes, as of Cathnes, Sutherland, Stranauerne, and Ros, because through them and their seditious attempts, inuch trouble dailie rose in the realme. He appeased the troublesome state of Galloway, and slue one Makgill a tyrant, who had manie yeares before passed nothing of the regale authoritie or power. To be briefe, such were the woorthie dooings and princelie acts of this Mackbeth in the administration of the realme, that if he had atteined therevnto by rightfull means, and continued in vprightnesse of iustice as he began, till the end of his reigne, he might well haue beene numbred amongest the most noble princes that anie where had reigned. He made manie holesome laws and statutes for the publike weale of his subiects. [Here followes an enumeration of "Lawes made by King Makbeth, set foorth according to Hector Boetius."] 21. These and the like commendable lawes Makbeth caused to be put as then in vse, gouerning the realme for the space of ten yeares in equall iustice. But this was but a counterfet zeale of equitie shewed by him, partlie against his naturall inclination to purchase thereby the fauour of the people. Shortlie after, he began to shew what he was, in stead of equitie practising crueltie. For the pricke of conscience (as it chanceth euer in tyrants, and such as atteine to anie estate by vnrighteous means) caused him euer to feare, least he should be serued of the same cup, as he had ministred to his predecessor. The woords also of the three weird sisters, would not out of his mind, which as they promised him the kingdome, so likewise did they promise it at the same time vnto the posteritie of Banquho. He willed therefore the same Banquho with his sonne named Fleance, to come to a supper that he had prepared for them, which was in deed, as he had deuised, present death at the hands of certaine murderers, whom he hired to execute that deed, appointing them to meete with the same Banquho and his sonne without the palace, as they returned to their lodgings, and there to slea them, so that he would not haue his house slandered, but that in time to come he might cleare himselfe, if anie thing were laid to his charge vpon anie suspicion that might arise. 22. It chanced yet by the benefit of the darke night, that though the father were slaine, the sonne yet by the helpe of Almightie God reseruing him to better fortune, escaped that danger and afterwards hauing some inkeling (by the admonition of some friends which he had in the court) how his life was sought no lesse than his fathers, who was slaine not by chancemedlie (as by the handling of the matter Makbeth would haue had it to appeare) but euen vpon a prepensed deuise: whereupon to auoid further perill he fled into Wales. [The narrative here makes a long digression, in which the history of Fleance and his descendants, the Royal Stewarts, is minutely traced.] 23. After the contriued slaughter of Banquho, nothing prospered with the foresaid Makbeth: for in maner euerie man began to doubt his owne life, and durst vnneth* appeare in the kings presence; and euen as there were manie that stood in feare of him, so likewise stood he in feare of manie, in such sort that he began to make those awaie by one surmized cauillation or other, whome he thought most able to worke him anie displeasure. 24. At length he found such sweetnesse by putting his nobles thus to death, that his earnest thirst after bloud in this behalfe might in no wise be satisfied; for ge must consider he wan double profit (as hee thought) hereby for first they were rid out of the way whome he feared, and then againe his coffers were inriched by their goods which were forfeited to his vse, whereby he might better mainteine a gard of armed men about him to defend his person from iniurie of them whom he had in anie suspicion. Further, to the end he might the more cruellie oppresse his subiects with all tyrantlike wrongs, he builded a strong castell on the top of an hie hill called Dunsinane, situate in Gowrie, ten miles from Perth, on such a proud height that, standing there aloft, a man might behold well neere all the countries of Angus, Fife, Stermond, and Ernedale, as it were, lieng vnderneath him. This castell then being founded on the top of that high hill, put the realme to great charges before it was finished, for all the stuffe necessarie to the building, could not be brought vp with. * With difficulty. |