a sort of riddling terms, to be _lesser
than Macbeth and greater_! _not so happy, but much happier_! and
prophesied that though he should never reign, yet his sons after him
should be kings in Scotland. They then turned into air, and vanished: by
which the generals knew them to be the weird sisters, or witches.

While they stood pondering on the strangeness of this adventure, there
arrived certain messengers from the king, who were empowered by him to
confer upon Macbeth the dignity of thane of Cawdor: an event so
miraculously corresponding with the prediction of the witches astonished
Macbeth, and he stood wrapped in amazement, unable to make reply to the
messengers; and in that point of time swelling hopes arose in his mind
that the prediction of the third witch might in like manner have its
accomplishment, and that he should one day reign king in Scotland.

Turning to Banquo, he said, "Do you not hope that your children shall be
kings, when what the witches promised to me has so wonderfully come to
pass?" "That hope," answered the general, "might enkindle you to aim at
the throne; but oftentimes these ministers of darkness tell us truths in
little things, to betray us into deeds of greatest consequence."

But the wicked suggestions of the witches had sunk too deep into the
mind of Macbeth to allow him to attend to the warnings of the good
Banquo. From that time he bent all his thoughts how to compass the
throne of Scotland.

Macbeth had a wife, to whom he communicated the strange prediction of
the weird sisters, and its partial accomplishment. She was a bad,
ambitious woman, and so as her husband and herself could arrive at
greatness, she cared not much by what means. She spurred on the
reluctant purpose of Macbeth, who felt compunction at the thoughts of
blood, and did not cease to represent the murder of the king as a step
absolutely necessary to the fulfilment of the flattering prophecy.

It happened at this time that the king, who out of his royal
condescension would oftentimes visit his principal nobility upon
gracious terms, came to Macbeth's house, attended by his two sons,
Malcolm and Donalbain, and a numerous train of thanes and attendants,
the more to honour Macbeth for the triumphal success of his wars.

The castle of Macbeth was pleasantly situated, and the air about it was
sweet and wholesome, which appeared by the nests which the martlet, or
swallow, had built under all the jutting friezes and butt