![]() ![]() ![]() While they stood pondering on the strangeness of this adventure there arrived certain messengers from the king, who were empowered by him to confer upon Macbeth the dignity of Thane of Cawdor. They then turned into air and vanished by which the generals knew them to be the weird sisters, or witches. Then turning to Banquo, they pronounced him, in a sort of riddling terms, to be LESSER THAN MACBETH, AND GREATER! NOT SO HAPPY, BUT MUCH HAPPIER! and prophesied that though he should never reign, yet his sons after him should be kings in Scotland. The general was not a little startled to find himself known by such creatures but how much more, when the second of them followed up that salute by giving him the title of Thane of Cawdor, to which honor he had no pretensions and again the third bid him, “ All hail! that shalt be king hereafter!” Such a prophetic greeting might well amaze him, who knew that while the king's sons lived he could not hope to succeed to the throne. Macbeth first addressed them, when they, seemingly offended, laid each one her choppy finger upon her skinny lips, in token of silence and the first of them saluted Macbeth with the title of Thane of Glamis. The two Scottish generals, Macbeth and Banquo, returning victorious from this great battle, their way lay over a blasted heath, where they were stopped by the strange appearance of three figures like women, except that they had beards, and their withered skins and wild attire made them look not like any earthly creatures. This Macbeth was a near kinsman to the king, and in great esteem at court for his valor and conduct in the wars, an example of which he had lately given in defeating a rebel army assisted by the troops of Norway in terrible numbers. When Duncan the Meek reigned King of Scotland there lived a great thane, or lord, called Macbeth. ![]()
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