"When Duncan heard that Macbeth had gained this victory, and driven his
enemies out of Scotland, he was so much pleased, that he went, with his
two sons, to pay him a visit at his castle; but he little thought, poor
old man, what was going to happen, for in the middle of the night, when
he was fast asleep, Macbeth went softly into his room, and killed him
with a dagger. So in the morning, when it became known that the king was
murdered, Macbeth pretended to be very much surprised and grieved at it,
and although the people all thought he had done it himself, they were
afraid to say so; and he was made king of Scotland. But wickedness is
sure to be punished, as you shall hear; for the two young Princes,
Malcolm and Donald Bane, as soon as they heard their father was dead,
escaped from the castle, fearing that if they staid they might be killed
too.

"Now happened that at that very time there was in England a very good
king, called Edward the Confessor, who was an enemy to all bad men;
therefore the Scottish princes determined to go to his court, and tell
him what Macbeth had done; for they did not doubt that when he heard of
it, he would render them some assistance; and they were not mistaken.
The English king declared that he would revenge the death of Duncan,
and place Malcolm on the throne; so he sent a large army into Scotland,
to fight for the young prince, and Macbeth was killed in a battle, which
gave great joy to the people, who were very glad to have Malcolm for
their king. All this happened nearly eight hundred years ago, and
Malcolm, who is called in the history of Scotland, Malcolm Canmore, was
one of the best kings that ever reigned over that country."

By the time Mr. Barker had finished this story they had arrived at the
theatre, and were just seated in the front row of a box, as the curtain
drew up. The two boys liked the play very much, although it made them