of his birth right; besides Laertes's attack upon, and language, to a monarch, without knowing a fyllable: of the matter he contends about, makes him an abfolute drawcanfir equally the foe of justice, reason, and decorum; indeed the author seems to have been sensible of this, making the king say Will you, in revenge of your dear father's death Ophelia's second introduction relieves and gives some sparks of life to a conversation full of false fire and impotence; wherein one party appears a blustering fool, and the other a dastard villain: as to the conspiracy against Hamlet's life, it seems the ne plus ultra of a forced catastrophe; a plan, which by approving it, shews Laertes to be as much an intentional murderer as the King. There is a degree of detestation mingled with contempt, and that disagreeable feeling both these characters raise; the Queen's account of Ophelia's mournful end is justly admired; and tho' the lady while in her senses, faid very little to affect us, yet here the poet teaches us to feel for the event which has deprived her of life. Notwithstanding Mr. Voltaire's objections to the first scene of the fifth act, as being inconfiftent with the dignity and decorum of tragedy, are in a great measure true; yet the characters are so finely drawn; such pointed fatire and such instructive moral fentiments arise, as give it great eftimation and raise it far above infipid proprety; fome expreflions of the grave digger in answer to Hamlet's question E2 question, how long a corse will be in the ground be fore it rots; however true, are offensively indelicate. The funeral of Ophelia is indeed a maimed and to me, an irreconcileable piece of work.---She is we find allowed Chriftian burial, is attended by the king queen and whole court yet the clergyman refuses funeral service; fuppofing her death doubtfull, tho' the queen in the foregoing act imputes it without reservation to an accident; and I venture to prefume there is no medium between admiffion to confecrated ground with all usual ceremonies; and a total exclufion from the whole; but the author feems to have been in a state of difficulty; he would have a grave, and made the best apology for it he could. The encounter of Hamlet and Laertes is supported with an excess of spirit on both fides and, if we confider the real state of things, rather blameably on the part of the former; he has killed the father and in consequence deprived the sister of her senses; yet when a grieving, injured brother and son vents an explanation, very excusable in his situation; the prince, even at the interment of a Woman he pretends love for; indulges a most outrageous degree of paffion; interrupts a facred ceremony and offers his lesson in stile of a challenge to Laertes; nay after most insulting behaviour, when separated -he retorts accufation upon the challenged person in the following irritative taunt, Hear you Sir, What is the reason you abuse me thus? There There is indeed a palliative excuse made by Hamlet to Laertes for this inconsistent behaviour at the beginning of the last scene-where he says; This presence knows, And you must needs have heard, how I am punish'd Now if it be confidered, that his madness has been but affumed, this appears a mean prevarication, to a man whom he has most deeply injured, and who, to his knowledge, never meant him wrong; to say that this passion was put on to deceive the court, weighs but little, as we find in the action, dishevelled hair, ungartered Stockings, &c. are laid afide for a composed appearance; and immediately after the blufter we find him not only regular in converfsation with a coxcomb messenger of the King's, but punctual in the terms of the challenge; and coolly sensible in fulfilling it before the court, without any design, more than the credit of victory in view. Another faint apology is made in a scene with Horatio, where the prince seems to be forry that the bravery of Laertes's grief should fo far provoke him; but all this scene, except a very few lines, is left out in the representation; and indeed, tho meant to account for Hamlet's coming back, it draws such a strange picture of his getting at the King's dispatches, and forging others, to turn the design of his death upon Rosencraus and Guildenstern, i denstern, that we lament such low chicanery in a character of dignity; one who had no occafion, but much to the contrary, to appear a volunteer in his uncle's proposition of fending him to England ; however, as the transaction of his speedy return should be accounted for, I wish fomewhat more like a narrative was preferved in action. Ostrick is a whimsical mushroom of fancy, and tho' Shakespeare presents his audience with a Danish beau, he took the constituent parts from English court-butterflies of his days, and even furnithes him with the equivocal punning stile, which took its rise and fashion from that second Solomon, James the first, whose pedantry and hatred of witches were equally confpicuous. The last scene, if there are two good fencers, (which by the bye seldom happens) muft please the eye confiderably; yet fuch a flaughter of characters must cloy the most sanguine critic that ever thirsted for theatrical blood-shed, and pity must extend very far indeed, to attend even the expiring hero of this piece with any degree of patience. Having thus progreffively delineated the plan, it becomes neceffary to make some general strictures upon the whole, to justify those occafional remarks which have been made. At the opening of the play, we find that a very remarkable apparition has been seen by the palaceguard two nights together; yet so resolute and fecret have these soldiers been, that no mention is made of it, except to Horatio, who disbelieves the story; but on his watch the third night, is convinced vinced by ocular demonstration; upon which, he very naturally determines to mention it to Hamlet in particular, as feemingly most interested in the appearance; this, in conjunction with Bernardo and Marcellus, he does the next morning; here it seems a little irreconcileable, that Horatio, the particular and intimate friend of the prince, should be in Elfinoor two days, or more, as we must suppose from circumstances, before he paid respects to his royal patron; these, I confess, are minutiæ, yet claim notice in the strictness of criticifm. Hamlet's affumed madness might undoubtedly have been made the instrument of fome important fecret purpose relative to his father's murder, and his own just resentment; yet, as it now appears, answers no other end, than merely cajoling the the King, distressing the Queen and Ophelia, bamming Polonius and the courtiers, and giving great scope for capital acting; which last article seems much more the author's intention through this piece than decorum and consistence. The King not being able, either by his spies, or even condescending to be a liftener himself, to find out the bottom of this frenzy, which, through confcious guilt to him looks terrible, forms a refofolution of fending him to England, under pretence of receiving tribute; but, as appears afterwards, that the complaisant English monarch should put to death the heir of the Danish crown upon mere request. Strange! that he who found means to destroy his his own brother, in the plenitude of power and popular, |