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"HAMLYT.—The European corresponuent of the Springfield Republican, writing from Elsinou, Denmark, says:

Here is shown Hamlet's grave, evidently of rather modern date. Cf this a German writer says: "A more striking homage has probably never been paid to the genius of a poet than when particular burial places are assigned even to the creations of his im agination," while an English writer, who regards the matter in a more historical point of view, says: "Any heap of stones with Runic inscriptions upon them, and said to denote Hamlet's grave, will be in vain searched for here, even if they ever existed. In fact, Hamlet's identification with this enchanting spot, is, at best, but a Shakspercan fiction. Hamlet's country was not Zeeland, bat Jutland. Here the name was pronounced Amlet, signifying madman.According to the Danish history of old Saxo-Grammaticus, (he wrote about the commencement of the 13th century,) Hamlet was not the son of a Danish king, but of a famous pirate chief, who was Governor of Jatland in conjunction with his brother.Hamlet's father married the dasghter of the Danish king, and the issue of that marriage was Hamlet.

Hamlet's fa her was subsequently murdered by bis brother, who married the widow and succeeded to the government of the whole of Jutland. As a a Pagan, it was Hamlet's first da'y to avenge his father. The better to conceal his purpose he feigned madness. His uncle suspecting is to be feigned, sent him to England, with a request to the king that he would put Hamlet to death. He was accompanied by two creatures of his uncle, whose letter to the Mnglish King was carved upon wood, according to the custom of that period. his. Hamlet, during the voyage, con rived to get possession of, and so altered the charactere as to make it a request that his two companions should be slain, which was accordingly done on their artival in England.

He afterwards married the daughter of the English king, but subsequently returned to Jutland, and still foigning madness, contrived to surprise and slay his uncle, after upbraiding him with his various crimes. Hamlet then became Governor of Jutland, was married a second time to a Queen of Scotland, and was eventually killed in battle. The whole history of Hamlet is carefully and minutely detailed: but those are the leading historical features upon which Shakspeare founded his beautiful tragedy; and rude and disgusting as many of the incidents of Hamlet's life were, the mode in which Shakspeare has treated them is one of the greatest proofs of his splendid genius. According to Saxo, Hamlet lived about four centuries before Christ."

SHAKSPEARE.-A document has been recently discovered at Stratford-on-Avon, relative to John Shakspeare, the father of the poet. In rummaging a file of old declarations of the court of record, a parchment came to light, which proved to be a writ concerning the sale of some property by John Shakspeare in 1579. In this document William Shakspeare, the son, is mentioned as the purchaser of a prayer-book. The fact as to the poverty of Shakspeare's father is confirmed by this discovery.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LENOX

TILDEN FOUNDATIONS

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DRAMATIC WORKS

07

WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE;

WITH

GLOSSARIAL NOTES,

A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE, AND AN ESTIMATE OF HIS WRITINGS;

Newly Arranged and Edited.

BY CHARLES HENRY WHEELER.

QUIDQUID AGUNT HOMINES, VOTUM, TIMOR, IRA, VOLUPTAS,
GAUDIA, DISCURSUS-NOSTRI EST FARRAGO LIBELLI.

JUVENAL

LONDON:

FISHER, SON, & CO. 38, NEWGATE-STREET.

1832.

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