beth was sent to raise more forces. In the mean time Sweno laid siege to Perth, which was defended by Duncan and Banquo. The Danes were so much distressed for want of provisions, that they at last consented to treat for a peace, provided the pressing necessities of the army were relieved. The Scots historians inform us, that this treaty was set on foot to amuse Sweno, and gain time for the stratagem which Duncan was preparing. This was no other than a barbarous contrivance of infusing intoxicating herbs into the liquors, that were sent with the other provi | sions to the Danish camp. These soporifics had their intended effect; and while the Danes were under their influence, Macbeth and Banquo broke into their camp, where they put all to the sword, and it was with difficulty that some of Sweno's attendants carried him on board the only ship of all the fleet that returned to Norway. It was not long, however, before a fresh body of Danes landed at Kinghorn, in Fifeshire; but they were entirely defeated by Macbeth and Banquo. Such of the Danes as escaped fled to their ships; but before they departed they obtained leave to bury their dead in Inchcolm, a small island lying in the Forth, where one of their monuments is still to be seen.

Thus ended the formidable invasions of the Danes; after which Duncan applied himself to the adminis tration of justice, and the reformation of the manners of his subjects. Macbeth, however, who had obtained great reputation by his success against the Danes, began to form ambitious designs, and to aspire to the crown itself. The fables relating to his usurpation are so well known from the tragedy composed by Shakespear, which bears the name of Macbeth, that we need not take notice of them; but only mention the fact, that Duncan, not knowing that he had so dangerous an enemy near his person, was murdered at Inverness, in the sixth year of his reign, by Macbeth, who succeeded him in the throne, in the year 1040. During the greatest part of the reign of the

usurper,

usurper, Malcolm, the true heir to the crown of Scot land, kept close in his principality of Cumberland, without any thoughts of ascending his father's throne. Macbeth for some time governed with moderation, and enacted some excellent laws; but at last became a tyrant. Becoming jealous of Banquo, the most powerful subject in his dominions, he invited him to an entertainment, and caused him to be treacherously murdered. His son Fleance was destined to the same fate, but escaped to Wales. After him Macduff, the thane of Fife, was the most powerful person in Scotland; for which reason, Macbeth determined to destroy him. But Macduff understanding this, fled to France; and Macbeth cruelly put to death his wife and infant children, and sequestered his estate. Macduff vowed revenge, and encouraged Malcolm to attempt to dethrone the tyrant. Macbeth opposed them with his whole force; but being defeated in a pitched battle, he took refuge in the most inaccessible places of the Highlands, where he defended himself for two years; but in the mean time Malcolm was acknowledged king of Scotland, and crowned at Scone, in the year 1055. The war between Macbeth and the new king continued for two years after the coronation of the Jatter; but at last he was killed in a sally by Macduff The public tranquility, however, was not restored by his death for his followers elected one of his kins named Lullach, sirnamed the Idiot, to succeed him; but he, unable to withstand Malcolm, withdrew to the north, where, being pursued, he was killed at Essey, in Strathbogie, after a reign of four months.

men,

Malcolm being now established on the throne, be gan with rewarding Macduff for his great services; and conferred upon his family four extraordinary privileges; 1. That they should place the king in his chair of state at the coronation. 2. That they should lead the van of all the royal armies. 3. That they should have a regality within themselves; and 4. That if any of Macduff's family should happen to kill a noble

man unpremeditately, he should pay twenty-four marks of silver, and if a plebian twelve. The king's next care was to reinstate in their father's possessions all the children that had been disinherited by the late tyrant; which he did in a convention of his nobles held at Forfar. In the time of William the Conqueror, Malcolm was engaged in a dangerous war with England, the occasion of which was as follows: on the death of Edward the Confessor, Harold II. siezed the throne of England, to the prejudice of Edgar Atheling, the true heir to the crown. However, he created him earl of Oxford, and treated him with great respect; but on the defeat and death of Harold, William discovered some jealousy of Edgar. Soon after, William having occasion to pay a visit to his dominions in Normandy, he appointed Edgar to attend him, along with some other noblemen whom he suspected to be in his interest; but on his return to England, he found the people in a state of such disaffection to his government, that he proceeded with great severity, and great numbers of his subjects were obliged to take refuge in Cumberland and the southern parts of Malcolm's dominions. Edgar had two sisters, Margaret and Christina: these, with his two chief friends Gospatric and Marteswin soon made him sensible how precarious his life was under such a jealous tyrant, and persuaded him to make preparations for flying into Hungary or some foreign country. Edgar accordingly set sail with his mother Agatha, his two sisters, and a great train of Anglo-Saxon noblemen; but by stress of weather were forced into the Frith of Forth, where the illustrious exiles landed at a place since then called the Queen's Ferry Malcolm no sooner heard of their landing than he paid them a visit in person; and at this visit he fell in love with the princess Margaret. In consequence of this, the chief of Edgar's party repaired to the court of Scotland. William soon made a formal demand of Edgar; and on Mal-colm's refusal, declared war against him. William was

the

the most formidable enemy the Scots had ever encountered, as having not only the whole force of England, but of Normandy at his command. However, as he had tyrannized most unmercifully over his English subjects, they were much more inclined to assist his enemies than their own prince: and he even found himself obliged to give up the county of Northumberland to Gospatric, who had followed Edgar, upon condition of his making war upon the Scots. This nobleman accordingly invaded Cumberland; in return for which Malcolm ravaged Northumberland in a dreadful manner, carrying off an immense booty, and inviting at the same time the Irish and Danes to join him. Even at this time the Danes kept up their claims to the crown of England, so that they could not be supposed very zealous for the interest of Edgar. The Irish were also interested in advancing the cause of Harold's three sons, who had put themselves under their protection, besides their view of obtaining plunder at the expence of any party. However, as all these views tended to the pulling down of William's power, an union was formed against him; but when they came to particular stipulations the parties immediately disagreed. The three sons of Harold, with a body of Irish made a descent upon Somersetshire, and defeated a body of English ; but the Irish having thus obtained an opportunity of acquiring some booty, immediately retired with it, after having ravaged the country. The Danes landed at the mouth of the Humber from forty small ships, where they were joined by Edgar and his party; and had the allies been unanimous, it is probable that William's government would have been overthrown. By this time William had taken from Gospatric the earldom of Northumberland, and given it to Robert Cummin, one of his Norman barons; but the Northumbrians having joined Gospatric, and received the Danes as their countrymen, murdered Cummin and all his followers at Durham, where they had been guilty of great cruelties. After this, they laid siege to

H 3

the

the forts built by William in Yorkshire; but not being able to reduce them, the English, Scots and Danes, united their forces, took the city of York, and put to the sword three thousand Normans, who were there in garrison; and this success was followed by many incursions and ravages, in which the Danes and Northumbrians acquired great booty. It soon appeared, that these allies had the interest of Edgar no more at heart than the Irish; and that all the dependence of this forlorn prince, was upon Malcolm, and the few Englishmen, who had followed his fortune; for the booty was no sooner obtained, than the Danes retired to their ships, and the Northumbrians to their habitations, as though they had been in perfect safety. But in the mean time William, having raised a considerable army, advanced northwards. He first took a severe revenge upon the Northumbrians; then he reduced the city of York, and put to death all the inhabitants; and perceiving that danger was still threatened by the Danes, he bribed them with a sum of money to depart to their own country. Malcolm was now left alone to encounter this formidable adversary; who finding himself unable to oppose so great a force, withdrew to his own dominions, where he remained for some time upon the defensive, but making great preparations for invading England once more.

His second invasion took place in the year 1071, while William was employed in quelling an insurrection in Wales. He is said, at this time, to have behaved with the greatest cruelty. He invaded England by Cumberland, ravaged Teesdale; and at a place, called Hundreds-keld, he massacred some English noblemen with all their followers. From thence he marched to Cleveland in the north riding of Yorkshire, which he also ravaged with the utmost cruelty, sending back the booty, with part of his army to Scotland: after which he pillaged the bishopric of Dur ham, where he is said not to have spared the most sacred edifices, but to have burnt them to the ground. Meanwhile,