The history of Scotland written in Latin by George Buchanan ; faithfully rendered into English.

Mackbeth, The Eighty Fifth King.

MAckbeth, to confirm the ill-gotten Kingdom to himself, pro∣cured the favour of the Nobles by great Gifts, being secure of the Kings Children because of their Age, and of his Neighbouring Princes, in regard of their mutual Animosities, and Discords. Thus having engaged the great Men, he determined to procure the fa∣vour of the Vulgar by Justice and Equity▪ and to retain it by Seve∣rity, if nothing else would do. Whereupon, he determined with himself to punish the Free-booters or Thieves, who had taken cou∣rage from the Lenity of Duncan; but, foreseeing, that this could not be done without great Tumults and much ado, he devised this Pro∣ject, which was, to sow the Seeds of Discord amongst them, by some fit Men, for that purpose, that thereupon they might challenge one another; and so, some of them might fight in equal and divided Numbers, one with another. All this was to be done on one and the same day, and that in the most remote parts of Scotland, too; when they all met at the time appointed, they were taken by an Ambush, which he had laid for that purpose. Their Punishment strook a Terrour into the rest. Besides, he put to death the Thanes of Caithnes, Ross, Sutherland, and Narn, and some others of the Clans, by whose Fewds the Commonalty were miserably harassed, before. After∣wards, he went into the Aebudae Islands, and used severe Justice there. After his return from thence, he once or twice summoned Macgill or Macgild, the powerfullest Man in all Galway, to appear, but he re∣fused so to do, rather out of fear for being of Malcolm's Faction, than for the guilt of the Crimes objected to him; whereupon, he sent Forces against him, who overthrew him in Battel, and cut off his Head.

The publick Peace being thus restored, he applied his mind to make Laws, (a thing almost wholly neglected by former Kings) and indeed, he Enacted many good and useful ones, which now are either wholly unknown, or else lie unobserved, to the great damage of the Publick. In a word, he so managed the Government for ten years, that, if he had not obtained it by Violence, he might have been ac∣counted inferior to none of the former Kings. But when he had so strengthned himself with the Aid and Favour of the Multitude, that he feared no Force to disturb him; the Murder of the King (as 'tis very probable) hurried his Mind into dangerous Precipices, so that he converted his Government, got by Treachery, into a Cruel Ty∣ranny. He vented the first Shock of his Inhumanity upon Bancho, who was his Companion in the Kings Parricide. Some ill Men had spread a kind of Prophecie abroad among the Vulgar, That hereafter his Posterity should enjoy the Kingdom; whereupon, fearing lest he, being a powerful and active Man, and also of the Blood Royal, should imitate the Example proposed by himself, he courteously invited him and his Son to Supper, but, in his return, he caused him to be slain, as if a sudden Fray and Tumult had arisen. His Son Fleanchus, be∣ing not known in the dark, escaped the Ambush, and, being inform∣ed by his Friends, how his Father was treacherously slain by the

King, and that his Life was also sought after, he fled secretly into Wales. Upon that Murder, so cruelly and perfidiously committed, the Nobles were afraid of themselves, insomuch, that they all de∣parted to their own homes, and came but few of them, and those very seldom, to Court. So that the Kings Cruelty being partly disco∣vered by some, and partly vehemently suspected by all, mutual Fear and Hatred sprung up betwixt him and the Nobility. Whereupon, seeing the matter could no longer be concealed, he broke forth into open Tyranny, and the Rich and Powerful for light, frivolous, and, many times, but pretended, Causes, were put to Death. Their Confiscated Goods helped to maintain a Band of Debauchees, which he had about him under the name of a Guard. And yet, he thought, that his Life was not sufficiently secured by them neither, so that he resolved to build a Castle on the top of the Hill Dunsinnan, where there was a large Prospect all over the Country; which Work pro∣ceeding but slowly on, by reason of the difficulty of Carriage of Materials thither, he commanded in all the Thanes of the whole King∣dom, and so dividing the Task amongst them, They themselves were to oversee, That the Labourers did their Duty. At that time, Mack∣duff was the Thane of Fife, a very powerful Man in his Country; He, being loth to commit his Life unto the Kings hands, went not himself, but sent thither many Workmen, and some of them his in∣timate Friends, to press on the Work. The King, either out of a desire (as was pretended) to see how the Building proceeded, or else to apprehend Mackduff, (as he himself feared) came to view the Structure, and by chance spying a Teem of Mackduff's Oxen, not able to draw up their Load against a steep Hill, he took thence a willing occasion to vent his Passion against the Thane, saying, That he knew well enough, before, his disobedient Temper, and therefore, was resolved to punish it; and, to make him an Exam∣ple, he threatened to lay the Yoke upon his own Neck, instead of his Oxen. Maecduff, hearing of it, commended the Care of his Family to his Wife, and, without any delay, fitted up a small Vessel, as well as the streights of Time permitted, and so passed over into Lothian, and from thence into England. The King hearing, that he intended to fly, made haste into Fife, with a strong Band of Men to prevent him; but, he being departed before, the King was presently admit∣ted into his Castle, where he poured out all his Fury upon the Thane's Wife and Children, who were there present. His Goods were con∣fiscated, He himsel was proclaimed Traitor, and a grievous Punish∣ment was threatened to any, who dared to converse with, or enter∣tain, him. He exercised also great Cruelty against others, if they were either Noble or Rich, without distinction. For now the Nobility was despised by him, and he managed the Government by Dome∣stick Counsels. In the mean time, Macduff, arriving in England, found Malcolm there, Royally Treated by King Edward. For Edward, when the Danes Power was broken in England, being recalled from Banish∣ment, did favour Malcolm, who was brought to him by Sibert, (his Grandfather by the Mother side) for many Reasons, as, either, because his Father and Grandfather, when Governors of Cumberland, had always favoured the Concerns of his Ancestors, as much as the Times

would permit them to do; or else, because the Similitude of Events, and the remembrance of Dangers, did assimilate their Minds, for each King had been unjustly banished by Tyrants; Or, Lastly, because the Affliction of Kings doth conciliate and move the Minds, even of the greatest strangers, to pity and favour them. Whereupon, the Thane, as soon as he had opportunity to speak with Malcolm, in a long Dis∣course declared to him the Necessity of his unhappy Flight, the Cru∣elty of Mackbeth against all ranks of Men, with the universal Hatred of the People, conceived against him; so that he advised him, in an accurate Harangue, as he was a Son, so to endeavour the Recovery of his Fathers Kingdom, especially, seeing he could not, without in∣curring a great deal of Guilt, leave the Murder of his Father, to pass unrevenged; nor, neglect the Miseries of the People, which God had committed to his Charge; nor finally, ought He to shut his Ears, against the just Petitions of his Friends. Besides, he told him, That King Edward was so Gracious a Prince, That he would not be wanting to him, his Friend, and Suppliant; That the People did also favour Him and hated the Tyrant; In fine, That Gods Fa∣vour would attend the Good, against the Impious, if he were not wanting to himself. But Malc••lm, who had often before been persuaded, and solicited to return, by Messengers secretly sent to him from Mack∣beth; That he might not be ensnared, before he committed so great a Concern to Fortune, resolved to try the Faithfulness of Mackduff; and therefore, he framed his Answer, thus,

I know (says he) That all what thou hast said is true; but I am afraid That you, who in∣vite Me to undertake the Regal Government, do not throughly know my Disposition; for those Vices, which have already destroyed ma∣ny Kings, viz. Lust, and Avarice, do almost Reign, even in me, too; and thô now, my private Fortune doth hide and disguise them, yet the Liberty of a Kingdom will let loose the Reins thereunto; And therefore, said he, Pray, have a care, that you invite me not, rather to my Ruin, than to a Throne: When Mackduff had reply∣ed thereto, That the Lust and Desire of many Concubines might be prevented by a lawful Marriage; and that Avarice might be al∣so bounded and forborn, when the fear of Penury (as it must be upon a Throne) is removed: Malcolm subjoyned, That he had ra∣ther now make an ingenious Confession to him, as his Friend, than to be found guilty hereafter, to the great damage of them both; For my Self, to deal plainly with you, said he, There is no Truth nor Sincerity in me, I confide in no Body living, but I change my De∣signs and Counsels, upon every blast of Suspition; and th••s, from the Inconstancy of my own Disposition, I use to make a Judgment of other Mens.

Whereupon, Mackduff replyed,

Avant, says he, Thou Disgrace and Prodigy of the Royal Name and Stock, worthi∣er to be sent into the remotest Desert, than to be called to a Throne;

and, in a great Anger, he was about to fling away. Then Malcolm took him by the hand, and declared the Cause of this his Dissimula∣tion to him, telling him, That he had been so often assaulted by the Wiles of Mackbeth, that he did not dare, lightly, to trust every body. But now he saw no Cause to suspect any Fraud in Macduff, in respect either of his Lineage, his Manners, Fame, nor Fortune.

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Thus they, plighting their Faith one to another, consulted, con∣cerning the destruction of the Tyrant, and advised their Friends of it, by secret Messages. King Edward assisted him with Ten Thousand Men, over whom Malcolm's Grandfather, by the Mothers side, was made General. At the Report of this Armies March, there was a great combustion in Scotland, and many flock'd in daily to the new King; Mackbeth being deserted by almost all his Men, in so suddain a Revolt, not knowing what better course to take, shut up himself in the Castle of Dunsinnan, and sent his Friends into the Aebudae, and into Ireland, with Money to hire Soldiers. Malcolm understanding his Design, makes up directly towards him, the People praying for him all along as he went, and, with joyful Acclamations, wishing him good Success. His Soldiers took this as an Omen of Victory, and thereupon stuck up green Boughs in their Helmets, representing an Army Triumphing, rather than going to Fight▪ Mackbeth being ter∣rified at the Confidence of his Enemy, immediately fled; and his Soldiers forsaken by their Leader, surrendred themselves up to Mal∣colm; Some of our Writers do here Record many Fables, which are like Milesian Tales, and fitter for the Stage, than an History; and therefore I omit them. Mackbeth Reigned Seventeen Years. In the first Ten, he performed the Duty of a very good King; in the last Seven, he equalled the Cruelty of the worst of Tyrants.

Notes

• Mackbeth se∣vere against Thieves.
• He makes Wholesom Laws.
• But▪ afterward▪ degenerates, & causes Bancho to be treache∣rously slain.
• Lying South∣west, 3 miles from Cowper in Angus.
• Mackduff, ill resents Mack∣beth.
• He flies into England.
• And stirs up Malcolm, Duncan's Son, against him.
• Malcolm, by the assistance of Edward, K. of England, recovers the Kingdom from Mack∣beth.
• See Note ^a p. 77.