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count be loft to the stage. Polonius's observations to Ophelia are prudent and descriptive of paternal affection.

The remarks of Hamlet and his friends, when enfered upon the platform, are very politically thrown by the author upon a far different subject from what has brought them there, and with the intervention of a flourish of martial music usher in the Ghost with as much or more effect, than at his first appearance.

The prince's address begins with becoming awe, yet I apprehend rises too fuddenly into expreffions, ill applied to the venerable, well-known, beloved figure then before him; terror does indeed confound reason, but seldom gives birth to a paffionate, prefumptive effufion; wherefore I must be hardy enough to offer an objection against the following lines, as to their import;

Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damn'd,
Be thy intents wicked, or charitable.

Nor can I by any means acquiefce in opinion, that a heart so fluttered and affected as Hamlet's is, could possibly dictate multiplied images; most cer+ tainly we discover much more of the poet and fancy than fuitable feeling in

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Why thy bones hearsed in canonized earth,

Have burst their searments? Why the fepulchre

Wherein we saw thee quietly interr'd,

Hath op'd its ponderous and marble jaws,

To caft thee up again?

VOL. I.

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Befides,

Besides, in the strictness of observation, it is worthy notice, that Hamlet in one line calls the appearance in view, a spirit, and immediately materializes him, by mentioning the corporeal appurtenance of bones; the copclusion of this scene is admirably composed of broken sentences; terror, paffion and affumed resolution.

In the succeeding scene, a narration of a very affecting nature is delivered by the Ghost, in language worthy that inimitable author, who created charaçters from the force of imagination, and, from the sanie inexhaustible source, furnished a peculiar mode of expression for each.

The Roman catholic opinion of purgatory is inculcated through the whole of this interview; and funeral rites, or preparatives thereto, particularly mentioned in this line,

Unhousel'd, unanointed, unaneal'd.

But whether Shakespeare may thence be deemed a favourer of popish principles, remains a matter of much doubt; and the determination, could we come at it, would be of no consequence to our present purpose; however, let the religious bent be what it may, we must admit the Ghost's stimulation to revenge, furnishes a very gross idea of immortality, which should be freed from the passions and remembrances of clay; nor does the palliative diftinction which forbids any violence against the Queen, take off the imputation of mortal frailty, hang ng about an existence merely fpiritual; an abrupt departure, and those beautiful lines with which the Ghost disappears, are a very happy conclusion to

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the scene, which spun out to a greater length would have loft much of its force and beauty.

Hamlet's ensuing soliloquy is very natural, and highly expreffive of the impressions left upon him; his conversation with Horatio and Marcellus is judiciously evafive: for the circumstance just learned of his father's death, does not admit in policy of communication ; and if it did, a repetition would pall the audience: however, tho' this scene altogether has the merit of pleasing propriety, I can by no means, unless Hamlet here assumes his frenzy, commend the light expreffions to his father's shade -Truepenny-working in the cellarage-old moleworthy pioneer-especially as he is calling upon his friends, in a most solemn, sensible, manner, for a promise of secrecy.

Thus ends the first act; which is so full of bufiness, and that of so important a nature, that perhaps no author but Shakespeare could have produced any thing after, relative to the same story, worthy of attention; yet what follows shews us the possibility and executive power.

Polonius commences the second act with Ophelia, who, in a very picturesque manner, makes her father and the audience acquainted withe the prince's distraction; which the fly old statesman, imputing to Hamlet's paffion for his daughter, determines to avail himself of with the King; as appears by his reading a letter and commenting upon it in the next scene; which, with the Queen's admitting love as a probable cause of her fon's phrenzy, determines them to feel his inclination upon that point: Polonius,

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nius, like a busy, useful courtier, undertakes this, and encounters Hamlet, whose pretence of not knowing him, occasions much pointed fatire, and several agreeable repartees; from whence, Polonius, not being able to deduce any thing useful, retires, and makes way for two other court-spies, who, under a veil of friendship, endeavour to worm out the secret; but he evades their design in a different and more masterly manner; there could not be a more pregnant, rich and philosophical differtation upon the mode of his own mind, and the excellence of human nature, than the following elegant piece of poetical profe delivered by Hamlet.

"I have of late, but wherefore I know not lost all "mirth; foregone all custom of exercise, and indeed "it goes so heavily with my disposition; that this "goodly frame the earth, seems to me a fteril pro" montary; this most excellent canopy the air, this " majestical roof fretted with golden fire; why it ap-. " pears to me nothing but a foul and peftilental con "gregation of vapours: What a piece of work is " man? how noble in reason! how infinite in "faculties! in form and moving how express and "admirable! in action how like an angel! in ap" prehenfion how like a God! the beauty of the " world! the Paragon of animals!!:

In the foregoing passage we have as concise and beautiful a delineation of human nature as thought can conceive or words express; and the immediate tranfition to mention of the players, who, though feemingly intruders are material agents for the plot, is excellently contrived by the author ; fince Hamlet,

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as we may justly suppose from his proceedings, immediately suggests that use for the Actors in their profession, which soon after he makes of them.

When Polonius enters to tell him of the comedians, the Prince again assumes his stile of equivocal repartee, and indeed is pleasingly witty with the verbose old statesman; his welcome to the Players is well adapted to themode of behaviour he has put on: but his hint to the lady of her voice " like a piece of uncurrent gold being cracked in the ring;" is not commendably delicate: requiring a taste of their quality, and making a mistake in the first line of that passage he points out respecting Pyrrhus, are pleafing and natural circumstances, though of the minute kind.

From the imagery of those speeches which the Player repeats, it appears plainly that they, and the scene in the third act are not only intended as preparatory means to convict the King of guilt, but are alfo meant to realize the characters of the main action; therefore the matter, manner, and action are evidently proposed as a contrast of fiction, to what it is neceffary the audience should think truth.

There is no sentiment in the whole character of Hamlet, nor indeed any other more worthy a good heart and great mind, than his reply to Polonius; who says, he " will use the Players as they deserve." "Much better-use every man according to his " deserts, and who shall 'scape whipping? Use them " after your own honour and dignity; the less they " deserve, the more merit is in your bounty."

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