“How would the True Story of Macbeth answer?” asked Master Lewis.
“That would be excellent: Shakspeare. The greatest ghost story ever written.”
“And if you don’t mind, I’ll just wait and hear that story, too,” said good-humored Grandmother Golden.
MASTER LEWIS’S STORY OF MACBETH.
More than eight hundred years ago, when the Roman wall divided England from Scotland, when the Scots and Picts had become one people, and when the countries of Northern Europe were disquieted by the ships of the Danes, there was a king of the Scots, named Duncan. He was a very old man, and long, long after he was dead, certain writers discovered that he was a very good man. He had two sons, named Malcolm and Donaldbain.
Now, when Duncan was enfeebled by years, a great fleet of Danes, under the command of Suene, King of Denmark and Norway, landed an army on the Scottish coast. Duncan was unable to take the field against the invaders in person, and his sons were too young for such a trust. He had a kinsman, who had proved himself a brave soldier, named Macbeth. He placed this kinsman at the head of his troops; and certain writers, long, long after the event, discovered that this kinsman appointed a relation of his own, named Banquo, to assist him. Macbeth and Banquo defeated the Danes in a hard-fought battle, and then set out for a town called Forres to rest and to make merry over their victory.
A thane was the governor of a province. The father of Macbeth was the thane of Glamis.
There lived at Forres three old women, whom the people believed to be witches. When these old women heard that Macbeth was coming to the place they went out to meet him, and awaited his coming on a great heath. The first old woman saluted him on his approach with these words: “All hail, Macbeth—hail to thee, thane of Glamis!”
And the second: “All hail, Macbeth—hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!”
And the third: “All hail, Macbeth—thou shalt be king of Scotland!”