rish Scots, the
little kingdom in Argyle was merged with that of the Picts, and by the
eleventh century the latter name had disappeared and the name Scotland
was applied to the whole country. In the two centuries following this
union there were four reigns, in which wars between hostile clans were
diversified by wars with invading Danes, and with the Angles near the
border, with whom there was a chronic struggle, caused by aggressions
upon both sides. Malcolm II. succeeded in defeating the Angles on the
Tweed, seized Lothian, incorporated this bit of old England with his
own kingdom, then died, in 1034, leaving his throne to his grandson,
Duncan. There was the same play of fierce ambitions upon this small
stage as on larger ones. Scottish thanes strove to undermine and
supplant other thanes, just as Norman barons and Scotch-English earls
would do later, and as in other lands and at all times, the dream of
aspiring, intriguing nobles {252} was by some happy chance to snatch
the crown and reign at Scone.

Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, was by birth nearest to the supreme
prize. His wife, whose "undaunted mettle" we all know, had royal blood
in her veins. We also know how the poison of ambition worked in the
once guiltless soul of the thane after the prophecy of the "Weird
Sisters" had commenced its fulfilment. The story was quaintly told a
century before Shakespeare lived, in a history of Scotland by Boece.
The book was written in Latin, and in the sixteenth century was
translated into the Scottish vernacular. It tells of the meeting
between Macbeth, Banquo, and the "Weird Sisters." "The first of thaim
said, 'Hale, Thane of Glammis!' the secound said, 'Hale, Thane of
Cawder!' and the thrid said, 'Hale, King of Scotland!' Then Banquo
said, 'How is it ye gaif to my companyeon not onlie landis and gret
rentis, bot Kingdomes, and gevis me nocht?' To which they reply,
'Thoucht he happin to be ane King, nane of his blude sall eftir him
succeid. Be contrar, thow sail nevir be King, bot of the sal cum mony
Kingis, quhilkis {253} sall rejose the Croun of Scotland!' Then they
evanist out of sicht." This seems to have amused the two friends and
"Fur sam time Banquho wald call Makbeth 'King of Scottis' for
derisioun; and he on the samin maner wald call Banquho 'the fader of
mony Kingis!' Yit, not long efter, it hapnit that the Thane of Cawder
was disinherist and forfaltit of his landis for certane crimes; and his
landi