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If these simple facts were sufficiently known, we might leave it to 

 posterity to do justice to the name of Macbeth ; but more requires to 

 be told. Duncan reigned six years — " Donchath Mac Crini, abbatis de 

 Dunkeld, et Bethoc filiae Malcolm Mac-Cinat, sex annis regnavit." He 

 is called Duncan " of the clean breath" (probably meaning of good re- 

 putation) ; yet in '* The Chronica Hegum" his name is entirely omitted. 

 We are told by Simeon of Durham, that in 1 035 he besieged that city, 

 but he lost all his foot and some of his horse, and had a narrow escape 

 for his own life. It is probable that this unfortunate event tended to 

 show his incapacity, for the same writer records that he was slain by his 

 own people (a suis occisus), and, with one or two exceptions, that is the 

 form in which his death is recorded. Tigemach tells us what we sus- 

 pected before, that he was *' supremus AlbaniaB, rex immatura cetate: " 

 and Simeon says that his death took place not long after his return from 

 the disasters of Durham to Scotland (nee multo post cum jam in Scotiam 

 rediisset). It was actually five years after ; but the two events are 

 associated as cause and efifect, and it is not improbable that he had taken 

 refuge in the meantime in Cumberland, or with his powerful relatives in 

 England. 



In 1040 (some say 1037), Macbeth began to reign. •' The Annals of 

 Ulster" record that the gallant old Crinan was slain in 1045, in "a 

 battle between the Scots themselves," where fell " even nine times 

 twenty heroes." He was evidently trying to avenge the death of his 

 son; but Macbeth was too firmly seated on the throne. In 1050, the 

 king was at Rome on a pilgrimage, as several writers attest ; and it 

 would appear, from the abundance of his largesse, that he had enough 

 and to spare — '* argentum spargendo distrihuit" In 1054, the great 

 battle was fought, in which Macbeth was defeated by the assistance of 

 the English allies ; but the authorities do not concur that he was killed 

 there. "The Annals of Ulster" again record that 3000 Scots and 

 1500 Saxons fell ; but the mention of the king's death is by a few 

 English chroniclers, whose " wish was" probably '• father to the thought." 

 The male line of Crinan, namely, the children of Duncan, inherited at 

 last the throne of Scotland, after the modern manner, and the memory 

 of Macbeth was execrated. It was said that he was the son of the devil, 

 and that his mother and sisters were well known to be witches ; some 

 of which polite and compUmentary traditions survived, no doubt, till the 

 time of Shakspeare. But the testimony of Androu of Wyntoun, in 

 his " Cronikil," the materials of which all existed for more tlian 200 

 years before Shakspeare wrote, is interesting, impartial, and bears the 

 stamp of truth upon it ; for he wrote with all the calumnies before him. 

 He says — 



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