son was appointed governor of Cumberland and prince of the Scots; and a law was enacted which placed the succession of heirs on the same basis. To this bold and unjust line of action may be traced those sanguinary disputes which so long distracted the houses of Duff and Kenneth. It was a wrong step, and the impress of which was to be seen in blood. The king had taken the life of an innocent and beloved youth. Nor could he be at rest. His conscience, as the voice of God, spoke to him in accents not to be misunderstood. To still that inward monitor, an ignorant and superstitious priesthood instructed him to build monasteries and enrich churches, visit the tombs of the saints, reverence relics, and expiate his sins by masses and by almsgivings. But there is a God to whom vengeance belongs, and under whose government there are frequent breakings forth of moral retribution. His death was compassed by treachery. He came to an untimely end, and went down to the grave with a character stained and defiled.

No sooner had Kenneth gone down to the silence of the tomb than his son, for whose elevation he had laid violent hands on his own nephew, was set aside by CONSTANTINE THE FOURTH, the son of Cullen, who immediately commenced a canvass for the kingdom, in which he endeavoured to persuade the nobles of the injustice and probable evil workings of the law which had been passed by the advice of the late king. He solemnly avowed his aim to be the recovery of their liberty, and the restoration of their ancient institutions. His adherents rapidly multiplied, and twelve days after the funeral of Kenneth he was proclaimed king at Scone. Malcolm, the son of Kenneth, at once convened his friends to consult them in so peculiar an exigency. It was resolved that the question of supremacy should be decided by an appeal to arms. The competitors met at Amon, near Perth, and in the shock of battle Constantine fell, and thus finished an inglorious reign of some eighteen months. Still the spirit of faction was not quelled. GRIM, or KENNETH THE FOURTH, brother of the late Constantine, disputed the crown with Malcolm. War would have followed, but for a timely arrangement into which both parties entered, and by which it was settled that Grim should retain the sovereignty as long as he lived; that on his death the kingdom should revert to Malcolm; and that henceforth the law of Kenneth, establishing the succession in the children of the monarch, should be held sacred and inviolable. For nearly eight years this covenant was observed with great fidelity. The cause of its violation originated with Grim. To meet the claims of his own extravagance and folly, he imposed the heaviest burdens on his nobles. They protested, but in vain. They refused; he laid his hand on everything which they possessed. Disgusted with his conduct, and reduced in their own circumstances, they now turned their eye to Malcolm. He was in England, assisting his southern neighbours against the Danes; and on being recalled, not only sympathised with the nobles and the people in their sufferings, but put himself in direct opposition to Grim. They met in open field, and victory decreed the glory to Malcolm, who behaved magnanimously towards the vanquished. Burying in oblivion the memory of all past offences, he received into favour the

oppcsite faction, and caused the body of Grim, their leader, to be laid in the sepulchre of his ancestors.

The path now seemed clear for the elevation of MALCOLM THE SECOND to the throne of his father; but till the law which his father had enacted touching the succession had been publicly ratified and confirmed, he refused to take on himself the duties and responsibilities of government. For this purpose he convened his nobles at Scone, and the law having received their sanction, his first care was to heal all internal dissensions, and restore the health and tone of the State. But, though his reign was characterised by more than usual vigour, and though he successfully defended his country from the incursions of the Danes and the attacks of the English, he was a man of strong resentments. The administration of law was wanting in the spirit of wisdom and moderation. It is said that Finlegh, or Finel-the thane of Glamis, and father of the immortal Macbethfell a victim to the king's passion; that the thane of Moray, and father of Lulach, was from the same cause burned in his castle with fifty of his clan; that Macbeth only waited his time to avenge the death of his sire, and that Malcolm fell at Glamis by the hand of an assassin. Others affirm that he died in peace after a reign of more than thirty years; and had it not been for the avarice of his old age, which led him to resume unjustly the grants which he had formerly made to his nobles, and so to harass the richer classes by fines as to reduce them to comparative poverty, and then persecute them to death, his character would have been all but untarnished, and he would have been numbered among the first and best of princes.

Malcolm, who laboured so strenuously that the law enacted by his father, which settled the succession in the children of the reigning prince, should be confirmed by the universal suffrage of the people, left no male descendant, and was "succeeded by THE GRACIOUS DUNCAN-the same who fell by the poignard of Macbeth. On reading these names, every reader must feel as if brought from darkness into the blaze of noon-day, so familiar are we with the personages whom we last named, and so clearly and distinctly we recal the events in which they are interested, in comparison with any doubtful and misty views which we can form of the twilight times before and after that fortunate period. But we must not be blinded by our poetical enthusiasm, nor add more than due importance to legends because they have been woven into the most striking tale of ambition and remorse that ever struck awe into a human bosom. The genius of Shakspere having found the tale of Macbeth in the Scottish chronicles of Hollingshed, adorned it with a lustre similar to that with which a level beam of the sun often invests some fragment of glass, which, though shining at a distance with the lustre of a diamond, is, by a near investigation, discovered to be of no worth or estimation."

Duncan, who was the grandson of Malcolm, by his daughter Beatrice, came to the throne in the year 1033, in the possession of a mild and generous character, and with other qualities which promised to render him exceedingly popular. But he was lacking in the courage and the independence proper to a true manhood. He was vacillating in counsel, indolent in action, and timid in danger.

His irresolution was that which Macbeth, his maternal cousin, could not endure, and to which he attributed the loss of the military habits of the people. All testimony asserts that Macbeth was "a man of a penetrating genius, high spirit, unbounded ambition, and, if he had possessed moderation, was worthy of any command." Knowing to what extent the spirit of discontent which had broken out in the county of Lochaber had spread itself over the kingdom, he promised in a short time to restore internal tranquillity, if the command were given to him in conjunction with Banquo, his friend and relative. He was faithful to his promise. He reduced the country to peace, and completely overcame the Islanders and the Irish, whom the malcontents had allured to their assistance. He also rendered invaluable service to Duncan in his successive contests with the Danes. Such, in fact, was his success that he began to cherish the idea of secretly seizing upon the Crown itself. This his ambition nourished; and my lady Macbeth, who was the grand-daughter of the fourth Kenneththat Kenneth who was killed in fighting with the second Malcolmfound in this fact and in others the most deadly injuries to avenge on the reigning prince. Such was the influence which she exerted over the mind of her husband, that he began to meditate the death of the monarch as a preparatory step to his own elevation. After having defeated the Danes, he withdrew with his army to the town of Forres, on approaching which, tradition tells us, he was met by three old women, who, on hearing the tread of the conquering hero, put themselves in the front of his soldiers, exclaiming, the one after the other" All hail! Macbeth !-hail to thee, thane of Glamis !" "All hail! Macbeth!-hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!" "All hail! Macbeth!-thou shalt be king of Scotland!" In an age of superstition, when it was currently believed that individuals had intercourse with the unseen world, it is not wonderful that even Macbeth should have fancied that in these empty sounds he heard some prophetic voice. Nor could his impression fail to be strengthened by the coincidence that before he had recovered from his surprise, there came a messenger to tell him of his father's death, by which event he became by inheritance the thane of Glamis. Nor was this all. No sooner was he in possession of his new honours than a second messenger came from the king to inform him that the thane of Cawdor had been guilty of rebellion against the throne, and that having deprived him of his titles and his honours, it was the royal pleasure to confer them on Macbeth in remembrance of his recent great victory. He now became thane of Cawdor as well as of Glamis, and two parts of the prophecy having thus been fulfilled, why should it fail in its last and highest development? Duncan was still alive; he stood related to Macbeth; he had shown the thane many acts of kindness, had conferred upon him numerous marks of favour and distinction, had proved a faithful friend as well as a good master. Could Macbeth, with the laurels fresh from the hand of his prince now decking his brow, meditate the death of such a man? Let the sun grow dark, and the stars go down into deeper night! What is a single life! What a coward to think of suffering the few remaining days of a man infirm with age, inactive in war, and unfit for govern

ment, to keep the hero of so many fields from grasping the crown which was now within his reach! It may be that Macbeth at first shrank from so dark a crime, but ambition overcame his fear, and the death of the king became at once his aim and his object. Duncan, having accepted an invitation from Macbeth to visit him at his castle near Inverness, proceeded thither without even the shadow of suspicion on his mind. He was received as became a prince by the thane and his lady. His bed-room was fitted up in the most sumptuous style. Duncan retired to rest. Two armed attendants slept in the same chamber, to defend the person of royalty. Lady Macbeth, at whose instigation her husband acted his part, had drugged the wine which was given to these sentinels. The night was one of fearful storm. The attendants were under the influence of narcotics. They awoke not. The king was old and exhausted. He continued to sleep. Lady Macbeth was awake, and so was Macbeth. Now was the crisis. The thane entered the royal chamber. He found the sentinels not likely to be roused or startled, took their dirks from their girdle, lightly stepped across the floor, found himself by the couch of majesty, for a moment gazed upon the countenance of the king, and then plunged the dagger into his heart. It was done. Duncan uttered not even a groan. Macbeth threw down the dirk, washed his hands, and retired to bed! Did he sleep? It was not the sleep of a pure conscience. Morning came. The nobles assembled. Even the shadow of the king was not to be seen. There was sound neither of his voice nor of his step. One of the noblemen hastened to his apartment. There lay the two attendants fast asleep, and their dirks covered with blood. Duncan, too, was there. He was stiff, cold, motionless. Had life left the old man's frame Could it be that he was dead? The sad intelligence ran through the castle. As soon as the nobles beheld their murdered sovereign, they were overpowered with grief and burned with rage. Macbeth feigned to be filled with a righteous indignation, and drew his sword and slew the sentinels as they lay asleep at his feet. But it was more than he could do to ward off suspicion from himself.* The king's two sons, Malcolm and Donaldbane, could not hold Macbeth guiltless, and fearing that the same cruel hand might fall on themselves, left the country. Donaldbane took refuge in one of the more remote islands, but Malcolm went to England, and throwing himself on the resources and the aid of her sovereign, begged his assistance in attempting to recover the throne of his father.+

Macbeth was proclaimed at Scone, and took possession of the king.

* Some writers have asserted that Macbeth broke no law of hospitality in his attempt on Duncan's life; that he slew the king, not in his own castle, but at a place called Bathgowan, near Elgin; that his claim to the throne was better founded than that of Duncan; and that, as a king, Macbeth proved himself a firm, just, and equitable prince. Poor defence this!

+ While yet a boy, Malcolm had, according to the royal will and pleasure of his father, been made governor of Cumberland, which had highly incensed Macbeth, who thought it an obstacle in the way of his ambition, as the command of Cumberland was always considered the next and nearest step to the

crown.

dom. He reigned in fear. He was in constant apprehension lest a conspiracy might be formed against his own life. He could not but remember that the three women who had hailed his entrance in Forres had foretold, in connexion with his own elevation, that the children of Banquo, his friend and relative, should in after time come to the throne of Scotland. To cut off all danger from this source, he hired a certain number of hardy ruffians to watch in a wood, where Banquo and his son Fleance sometimes passed their evenings in a quiet walk, and gave them instructions to kill both father and son. They did as they were ordered. Banquo lost his life; but the boy, making his escape, fled from Scotland into Wales, and it is said that his children came, in the family of Stuart, to possess the Scottish throne. Still Macbeth felt neither safe nor happy. He betook himself to the three prophetic women, to learn at their lips his future fortune. They assured him that he should not be conquered, nor lose the crown of Scotland, until Birnam wood should come to attack Dunsinane castle. This castle was Macbeth's own residence, and about twelve miles distant from the forest. Macbeth, believing that it was impossible that the trees could ever come to the assault of the castle, retired with a light and cheerful heart. His next business was to fortify his castle, and make it secure against attack from any possible point. To aid him in this undertaking, he laid all his nobles under contribution. Macduff, the thane of Fife, sent some very inferior oxen which were employed in drawing up stones, and other materials, to the top of the hill on which the castle stood. These oxen fell down under their load. Macbeth was indignant, and threatened to put the neck of the thane to whom they belonged into the yoke, and make him drag the burdens himself. Macduff was a noble of great influence, and Macbeth, having a private hatred against him, was resolved on his death. Macduff, who was at the castle when Macbeth uttered his threat, was no sooner informed of the king's feelings and sentiments than he called for his horses and his servants, and hastened his flight back to Fife. Macbeth pursued him with quickened speed. Macduff crossed the Tay, entered his own province, and forced his way to Kennoway castle. On entering it, he ordered his lady to close the gates, take up the drawbridge, and on no account to permit the king or any of his soldiers an entrance. Happily, there was a small vessel lying in the harbour belonging to the castle; it was immediately equipped, and putting himself on board, Macduff set sail for England. At this juncture, Macbeth arrived. He summoned the lady to surrender the castle, and deliver up her husband. She answered from the wall of the castle in these words :-"Do you see yon white sail upon the sea? Yonder goes Macduff to the court of England. You will never see him again, till he comes back with the young prince Malcolm to force you from the throne and put an end to your life." This roused the soul and the anger of Macbeth, who with his guards attacked the castle, took it, and put the lady and every soul they found within its walls to the edge of the sword.

Edward the Confessor occupied the throne of England, and the prince Malcolm-son of Duncan-was at his court in the character of