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102
Läsebok. iS:o 94.
-fencouraged bim in bis wicked purpose, by all the means
in her power, and persuaded him that the only way to get
possession of the crown was to kill the good old King
Duncan. Macbeth was very unwilling to commit so great a crime,
for he knew what a good sovereign Duncan had been; and
he recollected that he was his relation, and had been always
very kind to him, and had intrusted him with the command
of his army, and had bestowed on him the government or
Thanedom of Cawdor. But his wife continued telling him
what a foolish, cowardly thing it was in him not to take the
opportunity of making himself King, when it was in his power
to gain what the witches promised him. So the wicked
advice of his wife, and the prophecy of these wretched old
women, at last brought Macbeth to think of murdering his
King and friend. The way in which he accomplished his
crime, made it still more abominable.
Macbeth invited Duncan to come to visit him, at a great
castle near Inverness; and the good King, who had no
suspicions of his kinsman, accepted the invitation very willingly.
Macbeth and his lady received the King and all his retinue
with much appearance of joy, and made a great feast, as a
subject would do to make his King welcome. About the
middle of the night, the King desired to go to his
apartment, and Macbeth conducted him to a line room, which had
been prepared for him. Now, it was the custom, in those
barbarous times, that wherever the king slept, two armed men
slept in the same chamber, in order to defend his person, in
case he should be attacked by any one during the night.
But the wicked Lady Macbeth had made these two watchmen
drink a great deal of wine, and had besides put some drugs
into the liquor; so that when they went to the King’s
apartment they both fell asleep, and slept so soundly, that nothing
could awaken them. Then the cruel Macbeth came into
King Duncan’s bedroom, about two in the morning. It was
a terrible stormy night; but the noise of the wind and of the
thunder did not awaken the King, for he was old, and weary
with his journey; neither could it awaken the two sentinels,
who were stupefied with the liquor, and the drugs they had
swallowed. They all slept soundly. So Macbeth having come
iuto the room, and stepped gently over the floor, he took
the two dirks which belonged to the two sentinels, and stab-
O 7
bed poor old king Duncan to the heart, and that so
effectually, that he died without giving even a groan. Then
Macbeth put the bloody daggers into the hands of the
sentinels, and daubed their faces all over with blood, that it
might appear as if they had committed the murder. Macbeth
was, however, greatly frightened at what he had done, but
his wife made him wash his hands and go to bed.
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