Compare 1587 edition: 1 Hereupon enſued oftentymes ſundrie bicke|rings, and diuerſe light ſkirmiſhes, for thoſe that were of Malcolmes ſide, woulde not ieoparde to ioyne with their enimies in a pight field, tyll his comming out of England to their ſupport. But after that Makbeth perceiued his enimies power to encreaſe,Makbeth re|culeth. by ſuch ayde as came to them forth of England with his aduerſarie Malcolme, he reculed backe into Fife, there purpoſing to abide in campe fortified, at the Caſtell of Dunſinane, and to fight with his enimies, if they ment to purſue him, howbeit ſome of his friends aduyſed him, that it ſhould be beſt for him, eyther to make ſome agreement with Malcolme,Makbeth is counſailed to flee into the Iles. or elſe to flee with all ſpeed into the Iles, and to take his trea|ſure with him, to the ende he might wage ſun|drie great Princes of the realme to take his part, and retayne ſtraungers, in whom he might bet|ter truſt than in his owne ſubiectes, which ſtale dayly from him: but he had ſuche confidence in his prophecies, that he beleeued he ſhoulde neuer be vanquiſhed,Makbethes truſt in pro|pheſies. till Byrnane wood were brought to Dunſinnane, nor yet to be ſlaine with anye man, that ſhould be or was borne of any womã.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Malcolme folowing haſtily after Makbeth, came the night before the battaile vnto Byrnan wood, and when his armie had reſted a while there to refreſhe them,Braunches of trees. hee commaunded euerye man to get a bough of ſome tree or other of that wood in his hand, as bigge as he might beare, and to march forth therwith in ſuch wiſe, that on the next morow they might come cloſely and with|out ſight in thys manner within viewe of hys enimies.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 On the morow when Makbeth beheld them comming in this ſort, hee firſt marueyled what the matter ment, but in the end remembred him|ſelfe, that the prophecie which he had hearde long before that time, of the comming of Byrnane wood to Dunſinnane Caſtell, was likely to bee now fulfilled. Neuertheleſſe, he brought hys men in order of battell,Makbeth ſet|teth his men in order of battel. Makbeth flee|eth, and is pur|ſued of Mak|duffe. and exhorted them to doe valiantly, howbeit his enimies had ſcarcely caſt from them their boughes, when Makbeth percei|uing their numbers betook him ſtreight to flight, whom Makduffe purſued with great hatred euẽ till he came vnto Lunfannain, where Makbeth perceiuing that Makduffe was hard at his back, leapt beſide his horſe, ſaying, thou traytor, what meaneth it that thou ſhouldeſt thus in vaine fol|low me that am not appoynted to be ſlain by a|ny creature that is borne of a woman, come on therefore, and receyue thy rewarde which thou haſt deſerued for thy paynes, and therewithall he lyfted vp his ſworde thinking to haue ſlaine him. But Makduffe quickly auoyding from his horſe, ere he came at him, anſwered (with his na|ked ſworde in his hande) ſaying: it is true Mak|beth, and now ſhall thine inſatiable crueltie haue an ende, for I am euen he that thy wyſards haue tolde the of, who was neuer borne of my mo|ther, but ripped out of hir wombe: therewithall he ſtept vnto him, & ſlue him in the place.Makbeth is ſlaine. Then cutting his heade from the ſhoulders, hee ſet it EEBO page image 252 vpon a poll, and brought it vnto Malcolme. This was the end of Makbeth, after he had raig|ned .xvij. yeares ouer the Scottiſhmen.