[100]
Was he not born of woman? The spirits that know
All mortal consequents, pronounc'd me thus:
Fear not, Macbeth; no man that's born of woman,
Shall e'er have power on thee.[1]—Then fly, false Thanes,
- ↑ Mr. Steevens's edition has, for an obvious cause, been used in the quotations from Shakspeare through this Essay : It is time, however, to protest, in the strongest terms, against the unwarrantable liberties he continually takes with his author. If Heminge and Condell were, in fairness, chargeable with all the faults which Mr. Steevens, their unsparing censor, industriously lays to their account; still they have not done Shakspeare half the injury he would receive, if the interpolations, omissions, and transpositions of the edition of 1803 should ever be permitted to form the text of his works. This gentleman, certainly, had many of the talents and acquirements expected ina good editor of our poet; but still he wanted more
