the gates, and suffred him to enter, mistrusting none euill. But neuerthelesse Makbeth most cruelly caused the wife and children of Makduffe, with all other whom he found in that castell, to be slaine.

Also he confiscate the goodes of Makduffe, proclaymed him traytor, and confined him out of al the partes of his realme, but Makduffe was alreadie escaped out of daunger and gotten into England vnto Malcolme Canmore, to trie what purchas he might make by meanes of his support to reuenge the slaughter so cruelly executed on his wife, his children, and other friends.

'At his comming vnto Malcolme, he declared into what great miserie the estate of Scotlande was brought, by the detestable cruelties exercysed by the tyranne Makbeth, hauing committed many horrible slaughters and murthers, both as well of the nobles as commons, for the which he was hated right mortally of all his liege people, desiring nothing more than to be deliuered of that intollerable and moste heauie yoke of thraldome, whiche they susteyned at suche a caytifes handes.

'Malcolme hearing Makduffes words which he vttred in right lamentable sort, for pure compassion and very ruth that pearced his sorowful hart, bewayling the miserable state of his country, he fetched a deepe sigh, which Makduffe perceyuing, began to fall most earnestly in hande wyth him, to enterprise25 the deliuering of the Scottishe people out of the hands of so cruell and bloudie a tyrant, as Makbeth by too many plaine experiments did shew himselfe to be, which was an easie matter for him to bring to passe, considering not only the good tytle he had, but also the earnest desire of the people to haue some occasion ministred, whereby they might be reuenged of those notable iniuries, which they dayly susteyned by the outragious crueltie of Makbeths misgouernance.

'Though Malcolme was right sorowful for the oppression of his Countreymen the Scottes, in maner as Makduffe had

25 attempt.

1

declared, yet doubting whether he were come as one that ment vnfaynedly as hee spake, or else as sent from Makbeth to betray him, he thought to haue some further triall, and therevpon dissembling his minde at the first, he answered as followeth.

'I am truly right sorie for the miserie chaunced to my Countrey of Scotlande, but though I haue neuer so great affection to relieue ye same, yet by reason of certaine incurable vyces, whiche raigne in me, I am nothing meete thereto First suche immoderate lust and voluptuous sensualitie (the abhominable fountaine of all vyces) foloweth me, that if I were made king of Scots, I shoulde seeke to deflower your Maydes and matrones in such wise, that mine intemperancie shoulde bee more importable vnto you, than the bloudie tyrannie of Makbeth now is.

'Hereunto Makduffe answered: this surely is a very euill fault, for many noble Princes and Kings haue lost both lyues and Kingdomes for the same, neuerthelesse there are women ynowe in Scotlande, and therefore follow my counsell, make thy selfe king, and I shall conuey the matter so wisely, that thou shalt be so satisfied at thy pleasure in suche secrete wise, that no man shall be aware therof.

'Then saide Malcolme, I am also the moste auaritious creature on the earth, so that if I were king, I should seeke so many wayes to get lands and goodes, that I woulde slea the most part of all the nobles of Scotland by surmised accusations, to the end I might enioy their lands, goods, and possessions, & therfore to shew you what mischief may ensue on you through mine vnsatiable couetise,26 I will rehearse vnto you a fable.

'There was a Foxe hauing a sore place on him ouerset-7 with a swarme of flies that continually sucked out hir bloud, and when one that came by and saw this maner demaunded whether she woulde haue the flies dryuen besyde hir, she answered no: For if these flies that are alreadie full, and

26

Covetousness.

27

overcome, oppressed.

by reason thereof sucke not very egerly, should be chased away, other that are emptie and felly 28 an hungred, shoulde light in theyr places, and suck out the residue of my bloud farre more to my grieuance than these, which now being satisfied doe not much annoy me. Therefore sayth Malcolme, suffer me to remaine where I am, least if I attaine to the regiment of your realme, mine inquenchable auarice may proue such, that ye would thinke the displeasures which now grieue you, should seeme easie in respect of the vnmeasurable outrage, whiche might ensue through my comming amongst you.

'Makduffe to this made answere, how it was a farre worse fault than the other, for auarice is the roote of all mischiefe, and for that crime the most part of our kings haue bene slain & brought to their finall ende. Yet notwithstanding follow my counsel, and take vpon thee the crowne, there is golde and riches inough in Scotlande to satisfie thy greedie desire.

29

'Then sayde Malcolme againe, I am furthermore inclined to dissimulation, telling of leasings 9 and all other kinds of deceyt, so that I naturally reioyce in nothing so muche as to betray and deceyue suche, as put any trust or confidence in my wordes. Then sith there is nothing that more becommeth a prince than constancie, veritie, truth, and iustice, with the other laudable felowship of those faire and noble vertues which are comprehended onely in soothfastnesse, & that lying vtterly ouerthroweth ye same, you see how vnable I am to gouerne any prouince or region: and therfore sith you haue remedies to cloke and hide al the rest of my other vices, I pray you find shift to cloke this vice amongst the residue.

'Then sayd Makduffe: this yet is the worst of all, and there I leaue thee, and therefore say, oh ye vnhappie & miserable Scottishmen, which are thus scourged with so many and sundrie calamities, eche one aboue other. Ye haue one

28 fiercely.

29 lies

30 truthfulness.

cursed and wicked tyrant that nowe raignes ouer you, without any right or tytle, oppressing you with his most bloudie crueltie: This other that hath the right to the crowne, is so replete with the inconstant behauiour and manifest vices of English men, that he is nothing worthie to enjoy it for by his owne confession he is not onely auaritious, and giuen to vnsatiable lust, but so false a traytour withall, that no trust is to be had to any worde he speaketh. Adue Scotlande, for now I account my selfe a banished man for euer without comfort or consolation; and with those words the teares trickled down his cheekes right abundantly.

'At the last when hee was readie to depart, Malcolme tooke him by the sleeue, and sayde, Be of good comfort Makduffe, for I haue none of these vices before remembred, but haue iested with thee in this maner, only to proue thy mind: for diuerse tymes heretofore, hath Makbeth sought by this maner of meanes to bring me into his handes, but the more slow I haue shewed my self to condiscend to thy motion and request, the more diligence shall I vse in accomplishing the same.

'Incontinently hereupon they embraced eche other, and promising to bee faythfull the one to the other, they fell in consultation, howe they might best prouide for al their businesse, to bring the same to good effect.

'Soone after Makduffe repayring to the borders of Scotlande, addressed his letters with secrete dispatch vnto the nobles of the realme, declaring howe Malcolme was confederate wyth him, to come hastily into Scotlande to clayme the crowne, and therefore he requyred them, sith he was right inheritor thereto, to assist him with their powers to recouer the same out of the hands of the wrongfull vsurper.

'In the meane time, Malcolme purchased such fauour at king Edwards handes, that old Sywarde Earle of Northumberlande, was appoynted with ten thousande men to go with him into Scotland, to support him in this enterprise, for recouerie of his right.

Act V. Scenes II, III. 'After these newes were spred d

abrode in Scotland, the nobles drew into two seuerall factions, the one taking part with Makbeth, and the other with Malcolme.

31

'Hereupon ensued oftentymes sundrie bickerings, and diuerse light skirmishes, for those that were of Malcolmes side, woulde not ieoparde to ioyne with theyr enimies in a pight 3 field, tyll his comming out of England to their support. But after that Makbeth perceiued his enimies power to encrease, by suche ayde as came to them forth of England with his aduersarie Malcolme, he reculed 32 backe into Fife, there purposing to abide in campe fortified, at the Castell of Dunsinane, and to fight with his enimies, if they ment to pursue him, howbeit some of his friends aduysed him, that it should be best for him, eyther to make some agreement with Malcolme, or else to flee with all speed into the Iles, and to take his treasure with him, to the ende he might wage 33 sundrie great Princes of the realme to take his part, and retayne straungers, in whom he might better trust than in his owne subiectes, which stale dayly from him: but he had suche confidence in his prophecies, that he beleeued he shoulde neuer be vanquished, till Byrnane wood were brought to Dunsinnane, nor yet to be slaine with anye man, that should be or was borne of any woman.

Act V. Scene IV. 'Malcolme folowing hastily after Makbeth, came the night before the battaile vnto Byrnan wood, and when his armie had rested a while there to refreshe them, hee commaunded euerye man to get a bough of some tree or other of that wood in his hand, as bigge as he might beare, and to march forth therwith in such wise, that on the next morow they might come closely and without sight in thys manner within viewe of hys enimies.

Act V. Scenes V, VI, VII, VIII. 'On the morow when Makbeth beheld them comming in this sort, hee first marueyled what the matter ment, but in the end remembred himselfe, that the prophecie which he had hearde long before

31 pitched.

32 retreated, retired.

33 hire.