macbeth had the better claim
Preserved but no longer current.
As a king Macbeth proved a very just and equitable prince, but the partisans of Malcolm got head, and succeeded in de- posing Macbeth, who was slain in 1056, at Lumphan- an. He was thane of Cromarty [Glamis] and after- wards of Moray [Cawdorj. — LARDNER: Cabinet Cyclopaedia.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “macbeth had the better claim” mean?
As a king Macbeth proved a very just and equitable prince, but the partisans of Malcolm got head, and succeeded in de- posing Macbeth, who was slain in 1056, at Lumphan- an. He was thane of Cromarty [Glamis] and after- wards of Moray [Cawdorj. — LARDNER: Cabinet Cyclopaedia.
Is “macbeth had the better claim” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.