ome
against him. "Sweet bodements! good!" cried Macbeth; "who can unfix
the forest, and move it from its earth-bound roots? I see I shall live
the usual period of man's life, and not be cut off by a violent death.
But my heart throbs to know one thing. Tell me, if your art can tell
so much, if Banquo's issue shall ever reign in this kingdom?" Here
the cauldron sank into the ground, and a noise of music was heard,
and eight shadows, like kings, passed by Macbeth, and Banquo last,
who bore a glass which shewed the figures of many more, and Banquo
all bloody smiled upon Macbeth, and pointed to them; by which Macbeth
knew, that these were the posterity of Banquo, who should reign after
him in Scotland; and the witches, with a sound of soft music, and with
dancing, making a shew of duty and welcome to Macbeth, vanished. And
from this time the thoughts of Macbeth were all bloody and dreadful.

The first thing he heard when he got out of the witches' cave, was,
that Macduff, thane of Fife, had fled to England, to join the army
which was forming against him under Malcolm, the eldest son of the
late king, with intent to displace Macbeth, and set Malcolm, the right
heir, upon the throne. Macbeth, stung with rage, set upon the castle
of Macduff, and put his wife and children, whom the thane had left
behind, to the sword, and extended the slaughter to all who claimed
the least relationship to Macduff.

These and such-like deeds alienated the minds of all his chief
nobility from him. Such as could, fled to join with Malcolm and
Macduff, who were now approaching with a powerful army which they
had raised in England; and the rest secretly wished success to their
arms, though for fear of Macbeth they could take no active part. His
recruits went on slowly. Every body hated the tyrant, nobody loved
or honoured him, but all suspected him, and he began to envy the
condition of Duncan whom he had murdered, who slept soundly in his
grave, against whom treason had done its worst: steel nor poison,
domestic malice nor foreign levies, could hurt him any longer.

While these things were acting, the queen, who had been the sole
partner in his wickedness, in whose bosom he could sometimes seek a
momentary repose from those terrible dreams which afflicted them both
nightly, died, it is supposed by her own hands, unable to bear the
remorse of guilt, and public hate; by which event he was left alone,
without a soul to love or care for him, or a fr