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104
Läsebok. iS:o 94.
Macbeth was not the more happy that he had slain his
brave friend and cousin, Banquo. He knew that men began
to suspect the wicked deeds which he had done, and he was
constantly afraid that some one would put him to death as
he had done his old sovereign, or that Malcolm would obtain
assistance from the king of England, and come to make war
against him, and take from him the Scottish kingdom. So,
in this great perplexity of mind, he thought he would go to
the old women, whose words had first put into his mind the
desire of becoming a king. It is to be supposed that he
offered them presents, and that they were cunning enough to
study how to give him some answer, which should make him
continue in the belief that they could prophesy what was to
happen in future times. So they answered to him that he
could not be conquered, or lose the crown of Scotland, until
a great forest, called Birnam Wood, should come to attack a
strong castle situated on a high hill called Dunsinane, in
which castle Macbeth commonly resided. Now, the bill of
Dunsinane is upon the one side of a great valley, and the
forest of Birnam is upon the other. There are twelve miles’
distance betwixt them; and besides that, Macbeth thought it
was impossible that the trees could ever come to the assault
of the castle. He therefore resolved to fortify his castle on
the hill of Dunsinane very strongly, as being a place in which
he would always be sure to be safe. For this purpose, he
caused all his great nobility and Thanes to send in stones,
and wood, and other things wanted in building, and to drag
them with oxen up to the top of the steep hill where he was
building the castle.
Now, among other nobles who were obliged to send oxen,
and horses, and materials to this laborious work, was one
called Macduff, the Thane of Fife. Macbeth was afraid of
this Thane, for he was very powerful, and was accounted
both brave and wise; and Macbeth thought he would most
probably join with Prince Malcolm, if ever he should come
from England with an army. The King, therefore, had a
private hatred against the Thane of Fife, which he kept
concealed from all men, until he should have some opportunity
of putting him to death, as he had done Duncan and Banquo.
Macduff, on his part, kept upon his guard, and went to the
King’s court as seldom as he could, thinking himself never
safe unless while in his own castle of Kennoway, which is on
the coast of Fife, near to the mouth of the Frith of Forth.
It happened, however, that the King had summoned
several of his nobles, and Macduff, the Thane of Fife, amongst
others, to attend him at his new castle of Dunsinane; and
they were all obliged to come — none dared stay behind. Now,
the King was to give the nobles a great entertainment, and
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