Languages & literature > Key to the drama

C i-fa )'
braced me, and faid he fliould be at-my
dirpofal. I told him, that his deftru&ion
had been relblved upon, not only by death,
but by torture; and that, if pofiible, to
prevent either the one or the other, I had
mylelf undertaken to have him privately
murdered, to the end, that at the fame
time that Macbeth's apprehmfions of dan¬
ger from his influence might be at an end,
the fury of his friends might not be pro¬
voked by the fight of a public execution :
that, in confiflency with my projed, I would
contrive means for his efcape, on condition,
(for I could not be fafe nayfelf upon any
other) that he would fubmit,. until better
times fliould relieve him, to. a confinement
in my caftle at Ila; and that I fliould, by a
management in this fort, have it {till in my
power to proted and rear up hisfon, whole
exiftence would be lefs alarming, when it
was believed :-he father was adually dead.
To all which the worthy Thane, yet eager
on revenge, reludantly afiented. Argyle
had one fervant, in whom he could confide,
and I ieleded one of the moft trufty of my
own, to accomplifii the execution of fo im¬
portant a defign ; thefe I employed, in the
uniform of guards, to bring from prifon a
malefador, then under fentence of death,
to mv houfe; the fervants ftrangled him,
ftript him, and put upon him the clothes
of