[1] Then Banquho, what maner of women (ſaith he) are you, that ſeeme ſo litle fauourable vnto me, where as to my fellow here, beſides highe offices, yee aſſigne alſo the kingdome, ap|pointyng foorth nothing for me at all? Yes ſayth the firſte of them, wee promiſe greater benefites vnto thee, than vnto him, for he ſhall reygne in in deede, but with an vnluckie ende: neyther ſhall he leaue any iſſue behinde him to ſucceede in his place, where contrarily thou in deede ſhalt not reygne at all, but of thee thoſe ſhall be borne whiche ſhall gouerne the Scottiſhe kingdome by long order of continuall diſcent. Herewith the foreſayde women vaniſhed immediatly out of theyr ſight.A thing to wonder at. This was reputed at the firſt but ſome vayne fantaſticall illuſion by Mak|beth and Banquho, in ſo muche that Ban|quho woulde call Makbeth in ieſte kyng of [page 244] Scotland,Banquho the father of many kings. and Makbeth againe would call him in ſporte likewiſe, the father of many kings. But afterwards the common opinion was, that theſe women were eyther the weird ſiſters, that is (as ye would ſay ye Goddeſſes of deſtinie, or els ſome Nimphes or Feiries, endewed with knowledge of propheſie by their Nicromanticall ſcience, bi|cauſe euery thing came to paſſe as they had ſpoken.