memorials ought to be made public. The deputies should be frequently changed, perhaps annually. Thus have I attempted to sketch a plan, which, if matured, and agreed to by all the powers of Europe, would keep the restless and ambitious world in awe, and give peace to mankind. How glorious and happy would the world be under fuch a regimen! We should hear no more of thoufands being fent to a premature grave by thofe butchers falfely called heroes. Countries would not be depopulated, famine and peftilence would be exterminated from the earth; and mankind would enjoy the fruits of their industry in peace. The traveller, in viewing foreign countries, would feel a happy fenfation at feeing a buft or ftatue of one of his friends, erected as a tribute of refpect to the memory of the man who had exerted his wifdom to prevent bloodshed. Then would the Arts and Sciences flourish in perfection, when undisturbed by the noife of arms. Then would mankind live as brothers, and then the earth would indeed be a terreftrial Paradife. PERTH, 30th March, 1801. SIR, I am, &c. PHILANTHROPOS. DESULTORY REMARKS SUGGESTED BY A PERUSAL OF HAMLET. "The fpeech of Horatio to the spectre," fays Dr Johnfon, "is very elegant and noble." -It certainly is, and much more natural and proper than that of Hamlet. If the exclamation Angels and minifters of grace defend us! -be expreffive of fo much astonishment and terror, as the most celebrated actors have always pourtrayed, would not the questions of a moment of feeling fo keenly exquifite, be fort and fimply energetic, rather than laboriously rounded into the diffufe elegance of poetry? -tell, Why thy cannonized bones, hearsed in death, K. Wherei Wherein we faw thee quietly in-urn'd tautology? -Is not this abfolute 1 Why what should be the fear? I do not fet my life at a pins fee; I do not at prefent recollect any paffage, in any poem, more expreffive of the genuine fublime. Mark the highly poetical, and truly Shakespearean speech of Horatio, which immediately follows, and which the fciffar-wielders of the theatre have fo cruelly delacerated in representation.-Mark alfo the strict attention of the author throughout the play, to fupport this character in the point of view to which Marcellus has given us the index. "Thou art a fcholar." THE extreme grief of Hamlet, "which paffeth fhew," and is fo powerful as to lead him previous to the interview with his father's ghost, to with, that "this too, too solid flesh would melt," would appear extravagant, were there no other caufe for it, than the death of his father. The subfequent incestuous marriage of his mother, but chiefly his uncle having "stepped in between the election and his hopes," made all the ufes of this world feem stale, flat, and unprofitable to him." The latter trait in his character, the poet might have spared, or, at least, rendered lefs prominent. If he had, I might perhaps have admired the character of "the moral Dane," more than I do. ACT I. 1. 356. "Sir, my good friend, I'll change that name with you."-) I'll be your fervant, you fhall be my friend. JOHNSON. I prefer this meaning,-" Say not fervant; you and I fir, muft exchange the name of good friend.-Vide, the works of Steevens, Hanmer, Warner, Reed, Pope, Warburton, Whalley, Farmer, Henley, Malone, Theobald, Musgrave, Collins, &c. &c. &c. &c. &c. for volumes of of comments on Shakespeare, of equal value and importance with this.-Sic itur ad aftra ! Ir is a strange inconfiftency (mentioned by Mr Steevens,) in Hamlet, to fay of the undiscovered country that "from its bourn no traveller returns," fince himself had fatisfacto. ry proof of the contrary, in his father's pofthumous vifit. "HAMLET plays the madman moft," fays Dr Johnfon, "where he treats Ophelia with fo much rudeness, which feems to be ufelefs and wanton cruelty." I think we ought to do away this charge of ufelefs and wanton, if poffible. Let us obferve the commencement of the fcene. In the midst of a train of very deep and interefting reafoning, Hamlet fuddenly obferves "The fair Ophelia ?" and immediately addreffes her -Nymph in thy orifons Be all my fins remembered. obfervation on giving her the book that with devotion's vifage, And pious action, we do fugar o'er From her father's we are informed that it is a prayer book on which the reads, and Hamlet's manner of requefting her to remember him in her petitions to Heaven, is highly expreffive of his admiration and respect. The answer to her enquiry after his health, "I humbly thank you, well- ought to be fpoken with the glistening eye and ardent feeling of one "whofe love that of forty thoufand brothers could not make up the quantity of." But when the fays My Lord, I have remembrances of yours -the premeditated defign of the meeting ftrikes him forcibly and inftantaneoufly. In the palace, which is not her refidence; most probably too in a public hall, fo uncommon a place to chufe for ftudy :-the arrangement is too evident. Conviction flathes upon him; his eye darts fufpiciously around; and evexy future word is intended for the ears of thofe who have " beftowed K 2 "bestowed themselves where they might fee, unfeen, the iffue of the encounter." His emphatic affurance, that "those that are married already, all but one fhall live," is undoubtedly addreffed particularly to the king, whofe "quick determination," to fend him to England, confirms this idea of the paffage. IT is remarkable that Shakefpeare's advice to the players, contains not only the principles, but alfo the particular modes, of the rational ftyle of acting, which was introduced by Garrick and which now holds on the ftage; and that while Quin and the other heroes of the old fchool were ridiculing "the Boys Innovations," they had the fcene in their hands, and were in the frequent practice of delivering this fpeech, thus beftowing on it the fanction of their approbation. Dr JOHNSON fays, "The pretended madness of Hamlet caufes much mirth."-I cannot fay it affords me much merriment. He continues" there appears no adequate caufe for it, for he does nothing which he might not have done with the reputation of fanity." This latter remark appears to have much more weight than the other. Steevens makes the following quotation from the old quarto Hiftorie of Hamblet. "It was not without caufe, and jufte occafion, that my geftures, countenances and wordes feem to proceed from a madman, and that I defire to have all men esteeme mee wholly depriued of fence and reasonable understanding, by cause I am well affured, that he that hath made no comfcience to kill his owne brother, will not fpare to fave himfelf in the like crueltie, in the blood and fiefh of the loyns of his brother, by him maffacred," &c. &c. If the motive of Shakespeare's Hamlet for feigning madness, was to enfure his own fafety, he certainly acts his part but fcurvily,for he let's flip no opportunity to fhew the king, that "there is fomething in his foul, the disclosure of which would be fome danger." If he had other reasons for putting “ an an、 tic difpofition on," what were they? KEMBLE.. THE arts of painting and acting are nearly allied. The greateft efforts of both, confift in the delineation of the ef fects ects of paffion on the exterior of man. But while the former, with the fire of genius traces the speaking eye of love, or the distorted features of rage, on his canvafs, the latter is employed more nobly, in exhibiting the expreffion of languor, or of fury, in "the living temple" of his own perfon. The gratification of the painter, proceeds from felf-love. His delight is that of felf approbation; the rapture attending the conviction of having excelled. This remuneration belongs to the actor alfo, but in the moment of performance, his perceptions are not fufficiently at liberty to partake of fatisfaction, comparatively fo trifling. He is not then himself; he is the hero whom he perfonates, and his heart beats with the happiness of confcious virtue, or twells with the fublimity of heroic grandeur.. I need not fay I speak of artists fuch as Rofcius and Apelles. If these premises are juft, thereafons naturally'prefent themfelves, why much greater extent of knowledge, much more vigor of judgment is required to form a competent critic o. acting, than of painting. Yet although feven out of ten people, will admit that they are not judges of painting, there is not one out of an hundred, who doubts, of his being quali fied to determine moft decifively on the merits of an actor. Perfectly fenfible how ill Iam qualified to discuss the subject, and aware alfo, that the critics confider Mr Kemble's Hamlet, to be as excellent as ever was attempted, I will yet hazard one remark on his performance of this arduous character. His eminence in the part has no doubt arifen from his critical attention to what are apparently, the minutiæ, of the character.' Indeed, Kemble is perhaps never greater, than in the expreffive prominence he beftows on those finer tints, which escape the obfervation, or exceed the powers, of performers lefs claffically qualified than himself. Yet this excellency he fometimes carries beyond the limits of propriety, by conferring dignity or weight on paffages which appear to be entitled to neither. One example will fuffice. Ja difmiffing the players, he defires Polonius they may be well used"My lord I will use them according to their defert." "Much better," replies Kemble emphatically, and continues"ufe every man according to his desert,”—in a manner fo folemn, that every auditor must think of eternal damnation, and therefore experiences that difagreeable fenfation, which always accompanies too abrupt a fall from the fublime when he adds-" and who fhall 'fcape WHIPPING?"! The prefix'd "od's bodikins man," will not warrant Mr Kemble's mode of delivering the paffage. How does it happen that Hamlet fhould have a miniature of his uncle in his pocket, K 3 -he |