Part 3 (1/2)

”How fine that there boy talks,” said Grandmother Golden ”Get to be a minister some day, I reckon”

”Hoould the _True_ Story of Macbeth answer?” asked Master Lewis

”That would be excellent: Shakspeare The greatest ghost story ever written”

”And if you don't ood-humored Grandmother Golden

MASTER LEWIS'S STORY OF MACBETH

More than eight hundred years ago, when the Roland from Scotland, when the Scots and Picts had become one people, and when the countries of Northern Europe were disquieted by the shi+ps of the Danes, there was a king of the Scots, na after he was dead, certain writers discovered that he was a very good man He had two sons, named Malcolm and Donaldbain

Nohen Duncan was enfeebled by years, a great fleet of Danes, under the co of Denmark and Norway, landed an army on the Scottish coast Duncan was unable to take the field against the invaders in person, and his sons were too young for such a trust He had a kinsman, who had proved himself a brave soldier, named Macbeth He placed this kins after the event, discovered that this kinsman appointed a relation of his own, named Banquo, to assist hiht battle, and then set out for a town called Forres to rest and to overnor of a province The father of Macbeth was the thane of Glamis

There lived at Forres three old women, whom the people believed to be witches When these old wo to the place they went out to reat heath The first old woman saluted him on his approach with these words: ”All hail, Macbeth--hail to thee, thane of Glamis!”

And the second: ”All hail, Macbeth--hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!”

And the third: ”All hail, Macbeth--thou shalt be king of Scotland!”

Macbeth was very much astonished at these salutations; he expected to beco of Scotland, but he had never anticipated such a disclosure of his destiny as this The old wos, and then they vanished, according to Shakspeare, ”into the air”

Macbeth and Banquo rode on very much elevated in spirits, when one met them who informed them that the thane of Glamis was dead The melancholy event was not unwelcoher pitch; one thing that the old women had foretold had speedily come to pass,--he was indeed thane of Gla court party came out to welcome the army They hailed Macbeth as thane of Cawdor He wasThey told hi had bestowed the province upon hience, feeling quite sure that the rest of the prophecy would come to pass, and that he would one day wear the diadem

Now the wife of Macbeth was a very wicked woman, and the prophecy of the witches quite turned her head, so that she could think of nothing but beco queen She was much concerned lest the nature of her husband should prove ”too full of the olden round” So she decided that should an opportunity offer itself for an intervieith the king, she would somewhat assist in the fulfilreat feast in the grand old castle of Inverness, and invited the king Lady Macbeth thought this a golden opportunity for acco arrived she told Macbeth that the time had come for him to strike boldly for the crown As Shakspeare says:--

”_Macbeth_ My dearest love, Duncan cooes hence?

_Macbeth_ To-morrow

_Lady M_ O never shall sun that morrow see”

When this dreadful wo off of Duncan, she went to the banquet-hall and greeted the royal guest with a face all radiant with smiles, and called hioblet ine, so that he thought, we doubt not, that she was thecreature in all the world

It was a storht, that of the banquet; it rained, it thundered, and the wind made dreadful noises in the forests, which events, we have noticed in the stories of the old writers, were apt to occur in early ti was about to happen We are also informed that the owls hooted, which seems probable, as oere quite plenty in those days

Duncan was conducted to a chareat state, when the feast was done Before retiring he sent to ”his e diamond as a present; he then fell asleep ”in measureless content”

When all was still in the castle Lady Macbeth told her husband that the hour for the deed had come He hesitated, and reminded her of the consequences if he should fail She taunted hie up to the sticking-place, and he would not fail” Then he took his dagger, and, according to Shakspeare,speech over it, a speech which, I a in a most unearthly manner ever since the days of Queen Bess

[Illustration: DUNCAN ASLEEP]