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 for a display of personal bravery, Macbeth sometimes screws his courage to the sticking place,' but never rises into constitutional heroism." Shakspeare, voL x. p. 296.

Had not Mr. Steevens, here and there, prudently provided himself with an escape from the full reproach of this surprizing proposition, it would have been unworthy of serious notice: The evident drift, however, of his dissertation on the character of Macbeth being, to leave his readers in a complete conviction of the truth of all the material part of Mr. Whateley's theory, the best way of refuting him, it was thought, was, at once, to root up the foundation of his system,