Series 1 > History of Greater Britain, as well England as Scotland

CHAP. V.]
OF GREATER BRITAIN
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made yet a third objection, saying: ‘ I am a liar, a man of
deceit, unstable in all my ways.’ And then to him Macduff is
said to have made this answer: 4 Dregs of the race of man,
begone; begone, thou monster among men—fit neither to reign
nor live.’1 Now Malcolm, when he had thus proved the honesty
and good faith of Macduff, declared to him the true reason
wherefore he had made these objections, and bade him be of
good courage,—promising bim that if, as he trusted, God should
restore the sceptre to his hands, he would make double restitu¬
tion whereof Macduff had been despoiled. Yet he was unwill¬
ing to take his departure from England, where already he had
been an exile fifteen years, till he had come to speech of Edward,
king of the English, and had received the king’s gracious con¬
sent that he should depart. And Edward received him with
all kindness—for all men were sure of the kindest reception
from him—and granted him support both of money and men.
Meanwhile arise mutterings of revolt in Scotland against
Macbeth, and on the first arrival of Malcolm and Macduff the
princes and people welcomed them gladly, and met their king
with tokens of joy; which when Macbeth the usurper came to
know, he fled to the northern parts of Scotland. Thither Flight of
Malcolm pursued him, making no delay, and after a shortMacbeth-
struggle, Macbeth, who was much inferior in his forces, was
at Lumphanan slain. Meanwhile, however, when news of his His death,
death was brought to the followers of Macbeth, they carry to
Scone one Lulach2, his cousin, nicknamed the simpleton, and Luiach the
there crown him, judging that some part of the nobles and Sllly‘
the common people would be with them ; but when they found
he had no following, they fled. When Malcolm came to know
what had happened he sends men in search of Lulach, whom
they find and put to death at Strathbogie, and the few who His end.
had still clung to him hid themselves as best they could. On
the final overthrow of this evil faction, Malcolm was brought
to Scone, and there, in the year of our Lord one thousand and
fifty-seven, was solemnly crowned.
1 Shakespeare has embodied this conversation in Macbeth, though it was
through Hector Boece (Holinshed’s translation) that he had it.
2 Orig. and F. ‘ Lutach’; but see Mr. Skene’s Celtic Scotland, vol. i. p. 411.