THE earliest edition of Hamlet' known to exist is that of the players. The book is now the companion of our of 1603. It bears the following title: The Tragicall lonely walks ;-its recollections hang about our most Historie of Hamlet Prince of Denmarke, by William cherished thoughts. We think less of the dramatic Shake-speare. As it hath beene diverse times acted by movement of the play, than of the glimpses which it his Highnesse servants in the Cittie of London: as also affords of the high and solemn things that belong to in the two Universities of Cambridge and Oxford, and our being. We see Hamlet habitually subjected to elsewhere. At London, printed for N. L. and John the spiritual part of his nature,-communing with Trundell, 1603.' The only known copy of this edition thoughts that are not of this world,-abstracted from is in the library of the Duke of Devonshire; and that the business of life,-but yet exhibiting a most vigorous copy is not quite perfect. It was reprinted in 1825. intellect, and an exquisite taste. But there is tha The second edition of Hamlet' was printed in about him which we cannot understand. Is he essen1604, under the following title: The Tragicall His- | tially “in madness,” or mad “only in craft?" Where torie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke. By William is the line to be drawn between his artificial and his Shakespeare. Newly imprinted and enlarged to almost real character? There is something altogether inde as much againe as it was, according to the true and finable and mysterious in the poet's delineation of this perfect coppie. Printed by J. R. for N. Landure, 1604, character;-something wild and irregular in the cir4to.' This edition was reprinted in 1605, in 1609, incumstances with which the character is associated,—we 1611, and there is also a quarto edition without a date. see that Hamlet is propelled, rather than propelling. In the folio of 1623 some passages which are found But why is this turn given to the delineation? We in the quarto of 1604 are omitted. In our text we have cannot exactly tell. Perhaps some of the very charm given these passages. In other respects our text, with of the play to the adult mind is its mysteriousness. It one or two minute exceptions, is wholly founded upon awakes not only thoughts of the grand and the beautithe folio of 1623. From this circumstance our edition ful, but of the incomprehensible. Its obscurity consti will be found considerably to differ from the text of tutes a portion of its sublimity. This is the stage in Johnson and Steevens, of Reed, of Malone, and of all which most minds are content to rest, and, perhaps, the current editions which are founded upon these. advantageously so, with regard to the comprehension of Hamlet.' In the reprint of the edition of 1603, it is stated to be "the only known copy of this tragedy, as originally written by Shakespeare, which he afterwards altered and enlarged." We believe that this description is correct; that this remarkable copy gives us the play as originally written by Shakspere. It may have been piratical, and we think it was so. The Hamlet of 1603 is a sketch of the perfect 'Hamlet,' and probably a corrupt copy of that sketch. The final appreciation of the Hamlet' of Shakspere belongs to the development of the critical faculty,—to the cultivation of it by reading and reflection. Without inuch acquaintance with the thoughts of others, many men, we have no doubt, being earnest and diligest students of Shakspere, have arrived at a tolerably ade quate comprehension of his idea in this wonderful play. In passing through the stage of admiration they have utterly rejected the trash which the commentators have heaped upon it, under the name of criticism,—the solemn commonplaces of Johnson, the flippant and insolent attacks of Steevens. When the one says, "the apparition left the regions of the dead to little purpose," and the other talks of the “absurdities” which deform the piece, and "the immoral character of Hamlet,”— the love for Shakspere tells them, that remarks such as these belong to the same class of prejudices as Voltaire's The comprehension of this tragedy is the history of a man's own mind. In some shape or other, Hamlet the Dane' very early becomes familiar to almost every youth of tolerable education. He is sometimes presented through the medium of the stage; more frequently in some one of the manifold editions of the acted play. The sublime scenes where the Ghost appears are known even to the youngest school-boy, in his Speakers' and Readers; and so is the soliloquy, "To be, or not to be." As we in early life become" monstruosités et fossoyeurs," But after they have acquainted with the complete acted play, we hate the King, we weep for Ophelia,-we think Hamlet is cruel to her, we are perhaps inclined with Dr. Johnson to laugh at Hamlet's madness-(" the pretended madness of Hamlet causes much mirth ")-we wonder that Hamlet does not kill the King earlier,—and we believe, as Garrick believed, that the catastrophe might have been greatly improved, seeing that the wicked and the virtuous ought not to fall together, as it were by accident. A few years onward, and we have become acquainted with the Hamlet' of Shakspere, not the Hamlet rejected all that belongs to criticism without love, the very depth of the reverence of another school of critics may tend to perplex them. The quantity alone that has been written in illustration of Hamlet' is embarrassing. We have only one word here to say to the anxious student of Hamlet: " Read, and again, and again." These are the words which the Editors of the folio of 1623 addressed "to the great variety of readers' as to Shakspere generally: "Read him, therefore; and again, and again: and if then you do not like him, surely you are in some manifest danger not to understand him." HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK. PERSONS REPRESENTED. CLAUDIUS, King of Denmark, Act II. sc. 2. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3 Act V. sc. 1; sc. 2. HAMLET, Son to the former, and nephew to the present Appears, Act I. sc. 2; sc. 4; sc. 5. Act II. sc. 2. Act III. sc. 1; POLONIUS, Lord Chamberlain. Appears, Act I. sc. 2; sc. 3. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 4. HORATIO, friend to Hamlet. Appears, Act I. se. 1; sc. 2; sc. 4; sc. 5. Act III. sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 5; sc. 6. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 2. LAERTES, Son to Polonius. Appears, Act I. sc. 2; sc. 3. Act IV. sc. 5; sc. 6. Act V. sc. 1; SC. 2. A Courtier. A Priest. Appears, Act V. sc. 1. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 4; sc. 5 REYNALDO, servant to Polonius. A Captain. An Ambassador. Ghost of Hamlet's Father. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 4; sc. 5. Act III. sc. 4. FORTINBRAS, Prince of Norway. GERTRUDE, Queen of Denmark, and mother of Hamlet Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 4. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act IV. Appears, Act 1. sc. 3. Act II. sc. 1. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act Lords, Ladies, Officers, Soldiers, Players, Grave. If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus, Enter HORATIO and MARCELLUS. Fran. I think I hear them.-Stand! who is there? With us to watch the minutes of this night; Ber. to Sit down awhile; And let us once again assail your ears, And liegemen to the Dane. That are so fortified against our story, What we two nights have seen. Fran. Give you good night. Answer me. I, the sentinel, challenge you. Bernardo then ices the answer to the challenge, or watch-word-" Long live king!" Reals-partners, companions. may God 1100 ablireviated. Well, sit we down, When yon same star, that 's westward from the pose. Where now it burns, Marcellus, and myself, The bell then beating one, Mar. Peace, break thee off; look, where it comes again! Enter GHOST. Ber. In the same figure, like the king that 's dead. Ber. It would be spoke to. Mar. Question it, Horatio. Hor. What art thou, that usurp'st this time of night, Is not this something more than fantasy? Hor. Before my God, I might not this believe, Mar. Thus, twice before, and just at this dead hour, With martial stalk hath he gone by our watch. Hor. In what particular thought to work, I know not; But, in the gross and scope of my opinion, Of unimproved mettle hot and full, Ber. I think it be no other, but even so: Well may it sort, that this portentous figure Hor. A moth it is to trouble the mind's eye. Re-enter GHOST. But, soft; behold! lo, where it comes again! If there be any good thing to be done, If thou art privy to thy country's fate, Mar. Good now, sit down, and tell me, he that Or, if thou hast uphoarded in thy life knows, Why this same strict and most observant watch Hor. That can I; Our last king, At least, the whisper goes so. Did forfeit, with his life, all those his lands, Had he been vanquisher; as, by the same cov'nant His fell to Hamlet: Now, sir, young Fortinbras, Exorcisms were usually performed in Latin-the language of the church-service. b Polacks-Poles. What might be in preparation. To-weard, to-ward, is the Anglo-Saxon participle, equivalent to coming, about to come. We do it wrong, being so majestical, Ber. It was about to speak, when the cock crew. Mar. It faded on the crowing of the cock. Some say, that ever 'gainst that season comes Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated, The bird of dawning singeth all night long : a Unimproved. Improve was originally used for reprove. b Romage. The stowing of a ship is the reamage, the surr is the romager. The moist star is the moon. d Omen is here put for "portentous event." And then, they say, no spirit can walk abroad; Hor. So have I heard, and do in part believe it. Mar. Let's do 't, I pray and I this morning know Where we shall find him most conveniently. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-The same. A Room of State in the same. Enter the KING, QUEEN, HAMLET, POLONIUS, LAERTES, VOLTIMAND, CORNELIUS, and Lords Attend ant. King. Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death To our most valiant brother.-So much for him. Farewell; and let your haste commend your duty. King. We doubt it nothing; heartily farewell. [Exeunt VoL. and Cor. And now, Laertes, what's the news with you? You told us of some suit? What is 't, Laertes? You cannot speak of reason to the Dane, And lose your voice: What wouldst thou beg, Laertes, That shall not be my offer, not thy asking? The bead is not more native to the heart, • Takes-seizes with disease. b Gait-progress, the act of going. Out of his subject-out of those subject to him. The hand more instrumental to the mouth, Than is the throne of Denmark to thy father. What wouldst thou have, Laertes? Laer. Dread my lord, Your leave and favour to return to France; King. Have you your father's leave? What says Pol. He hath, my lord, wrung from me my slow leave, [Aside. King. How is it that the clouds still hang on you? Ham. Not so, my lord, I am too much i' the sun. Queen. Good Hamlet, cast thy nightly colour off, And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. Do not, for ever, with thy vailed lids Seek for thy noble father in the dust: Thou know'st, 't is common; all that lives must die, Ham. Ay, madam, it is common. If it be, Why seems it so particular with thee? Ham. Seems, madam! nay, it is; I know not seems. Nor the dejected haviour of the visage, To give these mourning duties to your father: To do obsequious sorrow: But to persever Of impious stubbornness; 't is unmanly grief: A heart unfortified, a mind impatient, The King has called him "my cousin Hamlet." He says, in a suppressed tone, "A little more than kin"-a little more than cousin. The King adds, "and my son." Hamlet says, "less than kind;"-I am little of the same nature with you. Kind is constantly used in the sense of nature by Ben Jonson and other contemporaries of Shakspere. b Obsequious sorrow-funereal sorrow,-from obsequies. |