ck in his throat, and
he could not pronounce it.

Again he thought he heard a voice which cried, "Sleep no more: Macbeth
doth murder sleep, the innocent sleep, that nourishes life." Still it
cried, "Sleep no more," to all the house. "Glamis hath murdered sleep,
and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more."

With such horrible imaginations Macbeth returned to his listening wife,
who began to think he had failed of his purpose, and that the deed was
somehow frustrated. He came in so distracted a state, that she
reproached him with his want of firmness, and sent him to wash his hands
of the blood which stained them, while she took his dagger, with purpose
to stain the cheeks of the grooms with blood, to make it seem their
guilt.

Morning came, and with it the discovery of the murder, which could not
be concealed; and though Macbeth and his lady made great show of grief,
and the proofs against the grooms (the dagger being produced against
them and their faces smeared with blood) were sufficiently strong, yet
the entire suspicion fell upon Macbeth, whose inducements to such a deed
were so much more forcible than such poor silly grooms could be supposed
to have; and Duncan's two sons fled. Malcolm, the eldest, sought for
refuge in the English court; and the youngest, Donalbain, made his
escape to Ireland.

The king's sons, who should have succeeded him, having thus vacated the
throne, Macbeth as next heir was crowned king, and thus the prediction
of the weird sisters was literally accomplished.

Though placed so high, Macbeth and his queen could not forget the
prophecy of the weird sisters, that, though Macbeth should be king, yet
not his children, but the children of Banquo, should be kings after him.
The thought of this, and that they had defiled their hands with blood,
and done so great crimes, only to place the posterity of Banquo upon the
throne, so rankled within them, that they determined to put to death
both Banquo and his son, to make void the predictions of the weird
sisters, which in their own case had been so remarkably brought to pass.

For this purpose they made a great supper, to which they invited all the
chief thanes; and, among the rest, with marks of particular respect,
Banquo and his son Fleance were invited. The way by which Banquo was to
pass to the palace at night was beset by murderers appointed by Macbeth,
who stabbed Banquo; but in the scuffle Fleance escaped. From tha