Part 3 (2/2)

Macbeth ”screwed his courage up to the sticking-place” indeed, and then and there was the end of the life of Duncan When the deed was done, he put his poniard into the hand of a sentinel, as sleeping in the king's rooed

[Illustration: WITCHES]

When the , Macbeth and his lady pretended to be et up Macduff, the thane of Fife, as one of the royal party, decided at last to go to the king's apartreat excitement, as onenarrative:--

”_Macduff_ O horror! horror! horror!

_Macbeth_ What's the matter?

_Macd_ Confusion now hath ious murder hath broke ope the Lord's anointed te

_Macb_ What is 't you say? the life?”

Macbeth appeared to be greatly shocked by the event, and, with a great show of fury and , whoned to believe had done the deed Lady Macbeth fell upon the floor, pretending, of all things in the world for a woman of such mettle, to faint

So Macbeth came to the throne But he remembered that the weird wos, which ht to correct the tables of destiny somewhat, and so he induced two desperate men to do by Banquo as he had done by Duncan The spirit of Banquo was not quiet like Duncan's, but haunted hiave to the thanes

Now Banquo had a son named Fleance, whom the murderers were instructed to kill, but who, on the death of his father, eluded his enemies and fled to France The story-writers say that the line of Stuart was descended from this son

Macbeth, like all wicked people who accomplish their ends, was very unhappy He lived in continual fear lest some of his relations should do by him as he had done by Duncan and Banquo He became so miserable at last that he decided to consult the witches who had foretold his elevation, to hear what they would say of the rest of his life

He found the The old wo, the wool of a bat, an adder's tongue, an oing, and s, of which you will find the list in Shakspeare Now and then they walked around the pot, repeating a very sensible ditty:--

”Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire, burn; and, caldron, bubble”

They at last called up an apparition, who said that Macbeth should never be overcome by his enemies until Birnam wood should come to the castle of Dunsinane, the royal residence, to attack it

”Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnaainst him”

Now, Birnam elve miles froht that the language was athat he alould be exehtful heir to the throne, was a ood King Edward the Confessor against Macbeth Macduff, having quarrelled with the king, joined Malcol favorably of their cause, sent a great army into Scotland to discrown Macbeth

When this army reached Birnam wood, on its way to Dunsinane, Macduff ordered the h of a tree, and to hold it before hiht not be able to discover the nuth of the assailants Thus Birnaht his courage failed him, and he saw that his hour had come A battle ensued, in which he was conquered and killed

Such is the story, and it seeood a story; but I fear that Shakspeare made his wonderful plot of much the sarandson of Malcolrandson of the sah on the side of his mother On the death of Malcol to rule of Scottish succession, had the best claim, but Duncan obtained the power Macbeth was naturally dissatisfied, and the insolence of Malcolm, the son of Duncan, who placed hi party in Northued his dissatisfaction to resent He once had a dream, which he deemed remarkable, in which three old women met him and hailed hi Upon this light basis genius has built one of the e

Duncan was slain near Elgin, and not in the castle of Inverness

Malcol Macbeth at a place called Lumphanan, and not at Dunsinane, as recorded in the play

And then Sir Walter Scott finds that ”Banquo and his son Fleance”