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Fleance descended a race of monarchs who afterwards filled the Scottish
throne, ending with James the Sixth of Scotland and the First of
England, under whom the two crowns of England and Scotland were united.

At supper, the queen, whose manners were in the highest degree affable
and royal, played the hostess with a gracefulness and attention which
conciliated every one present, and Macbeth discoursed freely with his
thanes and nobles, saying, that all that was honourable in the country
was under his roof, if he had but his good friend Banquo present, whom
yet he hoped he should rather have to chide for neglect, than to lament
for any mischance. Just at these words the ghost of Banquo, whom he had
caused to be murdered, entered the room and placed himself on the chair
which Macbeth was about to occupy. Though Macbeth was a bold man, and
one that could have faced the devil without trembling, at this horrible
sight his cheeks turned white with fear, and he stood quite unmanned
with his eyes fixed upon the ghost. His queen and all the nobles, who
saw nothing, but perceived him gazing (as they thought) upon an empty
chair, took it for a fit of distraction; and she reproached him,
whispering that it was but the same fancy which made him see the dagger
in the air, when he was about to kill Duncan. But Macbeth continued to
see the ghost, and gave no heed to all they could say, while he
addressed it with distracted words, yet so significant, that his queen,
fearing the dreadful secret would be disclosed, in great haste dismissed
the guests, excusing the infirmity of Macbeth as a disorder he was often
troubled with.

To such dreadful fancies Macbeth was subject. His queen and he had their
sleeps afflicted with terrible dreams, and the blood of Banquo troubled
them not more than the escape of Fleance, whom now they looked upon as
father to a line of kings who should keep their posterity out of the
throne. With these miserable thoughts they found no peace, and Macbeth
determined once more to seek out the weird sisters, and know from them
the worst.

He sought them in a cave upon the heath, where they, who knew by
foresight of his coming, were engaged in preparing their dreadful
charms, by which they conjured up infernal spirits to reveal to them
futurity. Their horrid ingredients were toads, bats, and serpents, the
eye of a newt, and the tongue of a dog, the leg of a lizard, and the
wing of the night-owl, the scale of a drago