Languages & literature > Key to the drama

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had conceived a fettled antipathy againft
Macbeth. Many of the Caithnefs faftion
gave Thar foe the convoy of a day’s journey;
but this Macduald, with fome of his fol¬
lowers, propofed to accompany him quite
to the place of exile, intending, with the
fon of the lately revered Caithnefs at. their
head, to ftir up the Iflanders, who were of
themfelves very formidable, to commotion j
and by their means, and fuch ajun&ion as
might be hoped for from amongft the other
malecontents, to create fuch a difturbance
as might enable him to gratify his revenge,
not againft Macbeth and his party only, but
againft the King himfelf, as we ihall fee by
and by.
‘ In the mean time, preparations were
going forward to Iblemnize, with every
magnificence, the marriage of Macbeth,
which was celebrated in prefence of the
King, and a moft fplendid court. Soon
after which, the Thane of Caithnefs feeing
no fort of hope of regaining either refpeft
or intereft at court, bethought him of ex¬
erting his abilities upon fome other plan.
He was pofieffed of a very extenfive and
well peopled eflate in the North; and the
Thanes of Nairn and Sutherland, whofc
properties lay not very diftant from his,
and who were alfo the fuperiors of a people
as turbulent as they were potent, who had
clofely