The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1867-12-26
sHAKsPEREAN NOTES.
MACBETH CONSIDERED IN NEW LIGHT

ldilu county, Onlo. lie was dlStantlY re-
lated TO the Highlands of the Hudson
He early emigrated to Scotland, where he
first attracted attention as brigadier OF
MALTA, One night, while crossing a
lonely moor, coming home from general
muster (pretty well peppered), be was ac-
costed by three witches, one of whom
cried, ''All hail Macbeth, Thane of Clam
Chowder J" while another saluted him
''King of the Cannibal Islands -
They all united in q chorus of seHoko
polka, waka, fum,'' all of which had the
effect to greatly inhame the ambition of
the General, Thane he was already, but
there was one slight difficulty in the way
! of his being king-the position was filed
Duncan held the throne, and it was evil
dent TO the most casual observer that
Duncan wasn't such dunkey as to abs
| dicate in favor of Mac or any other man
He wrote to his wife all about it, limiting
that he would like the situation of king,
should there be a vacancy-having held
almost every other Office, from alderman
OF his native village, up.
Mrs. h1acbeih was "a strong minded fe-
male, generally understood by the neigh
bors TO wear the breeches She couldn't
wait for Duncan to pass away in the reg
| uiar course OF nature, SO she egged Mac
beth on 10 hasten his demise and possess
the throne. An opportunity soon offered
The King one night having remained down
town until the cars had stopped running.
was forced TO stay over night at the Mac
beth residence. Mrs. Macbeth showed
him every attention. She gave him the
spare bedroom off from the parlor; she
had fire built in the parlor stove hot
water for him to wash in, &c.
When the good king had retired, Mac
beth and his wife consulted together as
to the best plan for removing him from
world of trouble. 1t was at length ar
ranged that she should get his servants
drunk on "apple7iack" while he carved
the aged Durcan. She would have done
it herself, she said, had he not resembled
Aacbeth's father IN law, as he slept
Macbeth steals on tip-toe to the kings
bed~cbamber and shortly returns with
dagger in each hand, stained with scope
berry juice. The deed is executed snd
stamped, and only requires to be register
ed He was very pale and trsmbled vio-
lently, being seized with that remorse of
conscience which every villain feels after
committing crime, until he is satisfied that
he isn't going to be caught at it
He is troubled about the sc0peberry
juice on his hands, and wants to know If
there is water enough outside of temper
ance organizations TO wash it off She
tolls h,F,, a. A.
ly fix that. He starts at every sound, and
seems to hear voice which says, s'Sleep
Ro more Macbeth doth murder Sleep
added something to the effect that Mrs
Wlnslow's soothing syrup would be una
vaiiing in the future to insure TO him q
quiet nap. Disguised with his timidity.
she snatches the daggers from his hands.
and, bearing them to the frcnt parIor.
places them by the sides of the kings SER
wants, who are drunk under the piano.
This is for the purpose of fastening suspi-
cion upon them as the guilty parties. it
being the well known custom of murderers
to lie down ond 60 to sleep, immediately
after butchering a gentleman, with the
CORY implements Of their profession in
their hands.
just before day break the door-belI rings;
McDuf, Scotch Eobleman of Irish ex-
traction, who had been up all night at
Fenian ball, had stopped to inquire if the
King was stirring yet, not knowing that
the King wouldn't stir any more. HIac-
beth directs him to the best bedroom where
the King lies. He goes there, but quick
ly returns with the startling announcement
that the King has been murdered J
Macbeth takes on terrible about It of
course. Mrs. Macbeth comes in her
night-gown, and is carried out in a swoon
the HeighboTs are aroused, and messen-
ger is dispatched at once for the coroner
Macbeth slabs the Kings servants, and
tells the jury at the inquest that he couldn't
help it when he. saw what they:had done
he never was so mortified in all his life
The King 3 sons leave the country. fear
tui that the malady that had carried off
their father might run in the family, when
Macbeth starts rumor that they were
Implicated in the assassination, and ap-
points himself king. Hsnceforth his ca
reer is one of blood, ably supported by
Mrs. Macbeth, who, like the devoted wife
that she was, did all she could to promote
her husbands prosperity.
They killed Banquo, one of King Dun,
cans generals, but his s host persisted In
sitting at their feasts, which didn't inn
prove their appetites particularly, and was
very uncivil in the ghost. They carried
on general slaughtering business for some
time, but at length McDutf raised reei-
ment of Fenians, and after vanquishiAg the
''Queen's Own" put all the King owned to
flight, when Macbeth was killed in hand
to-hand fight with McDuff. His last
words were, 'Lay on McDuff, and id
be him who first cries out Scotch snuff I"
and McDutf laid on with such effect that
Macbeth was soon knocked out Of time.