are, in a great measure, connected. First, with regard to his madness. We have already seen that in Hamlet's mental constitution there is an undue predominance of the imaginative and reasoning powers. This original fault of nature is aggravated by the circumstances in which he is placed. By the awful apparition of his father's ghost, and by the discovery of his mother's guilt, his belief in the stability of the moral world is unhinged; his mind has, so to speak, got a twist, and lost whatever healthiness it might before have had. This and the half earnestness in Hamlet's character in part account for his half assumed madness. Like many another man, Hamlet partially assumes that state to which he is nearest,* and pretends to act when he is very near being what he acts. In a spirit of bitter irony, he in some degree countenances the idea of his own madness, although when about to address himself to an earnest and difficult task, he offers to expose himself to a test, which modern physicians have affirmed to be correct: "Bring me to the test, And I the matter will reword, which madness The late Sir Henry Halford, † in an interesting essay on tests of insanity, gives some curious instances and illustrations of the correctness of the proposed test. Perhaps, on the whole, while among persons by whom he was so little understood, Hamlet's feeling may have been something like that of Brothers, the prophet, who, when visited in Bedlam by a friend, and asked how he came to be there, replied—“ the world and I had a slight difference of opinion; the world thought I was mad, and I thought the world was mad; the world outvoted me, and here I am." With regard to Hamlet's love for Ophelia, we may observe that, except her artlessness and innocence, there was little in Ophelia to make her the engrossing object of passion to so majestic a spirit as Hamlet's. His love is doubtless sincere, but it is not an absorbing passion; and thus the moment his soul is sickened by the awful glance which he has obtained * Insanity, i e. unhealthiness, is perhaps a better term to apply to Hamlet's mental derangement than madness. + See Sir Henry Halford's Essay on "Popular and Classical Illustrations of Insanity," "Essays and Orations," p. 55. I am aware that this view of the matter is combated in "The Characteristics of Women," by Mrs. Jameson, who maintains that Hamlet uniformily regards Ophelia with all that deep delight, with which a superior nature ever contemplates the goodness which is perfect in itself, yet unconscious of itself,-that Ophelia knew that Hamlet loved her, and Hamlet knew that Ophelia knew it, and when uttering his bitter words, was well aware that no behaviour of his could make Ophelia doubt his love. into the depths of female hollowness and iniquity, love falls into the back ground, and is at once ranked among those "trivial fond records" which he has sworn to erase from his heart and brain, and when he perceives that Ophelia is being used as a decoy, and is acting a part not her own, he can address her in that wild ironic bitterness of tone, which excites our wonder and astonishment. Much of what has been said may appear somewhat extravagant and far fetched, especially to those who have been taught to look upon Shakspere as a mere beautiful "lusus naturæ -a wild and extravagant genius, deficient in learning and culture, who neither meant nor understood a tithe of the deep and beautiful ideas which critics fancy that they can discover in his wondrous soul-creations. When studied as he ought to be studied, in a humble and loving spirit, Shakspere can only appear such to ordinary and infra-ordinary minds. And as for his not meaning all the beautiful things that are to be found in his words, it is one of the surest marks of a true poet that the outpourings of his genius contain many hidden beauties, variously unfolding themselves to different orders of character; the greater the poet, the more living and expansive are his words, and the more truths they contain for the larger number of men of every variety of age, and every mould of mind,-truths always rising up like the waters of a spring, ever fresh and ever inexhaustible. Thus the words of a true poet, like Shakspere, will rarely, if ever, be comprehended in their full significance, by any one single individual. But apart from this, somewhat of the mystery in the play of Hamlet may arise from the circumstance, that in common with the highest painters and sculptors, even Shakspeare has not wholly expressed his idea. Like the Gothic architecture, his works must remain in a great measure ideal, pointing even higher than they reach, since any one of his dramas, taken in its oneness and entirety, conveys to the mind far more than lies on the surface of the mere words themselves. Compare Thorwaldsen's remark: "My genius is decaying. Till now my idea has always been far beyond what I could execute. But it is no longer so. I shall never have a great idea again." Quoted by Hare, "Guesses at Truth," first series, p. 83. WEAVING SHED, IN WHICH THE WORKMEN FOUND REMAINS OF ROAD F WALTON-LE- DALE. S ARE FROM ROBERT PORTER'S MAP. LINES INDICATE SUCH MODERN ADDITIONS AS ARE NECESSARY NT INQUIRY. ,INES INDICATE THE ROMAN REMAINS. ON THE ROMAN REMAINS RECENTLY DISCOVERED AT WALTON-LE-DALE, NEAR PRESTON. By Charles Hardwick, Esq. (READ 3RD APRIL, 1856.) Notwithstanding the destructive influence of time, of agricultural improvement, and of wars engendered by personal cupidity, "domestic treason or foreign malice," remains of several Roman roads and stations may yet be traced in various parts of Britain. As may be anticipated, however, from the imperfect character of the few ancient records which have descended to us, considerable difference of opinion has been expressed by antiquaries respecting the identity of existing localities with those of the Roman topography. In this respect Lancashire appears to be rather more unfortunate than many other portions of the island of Britain. The venerable Camden expresses a fear that he would "give little satisfaction either to himself or his readers" when he enters upon the consideration of the archæological remains relating to this county. Although much has been discovered and written since his time, the subject still remains enveloped in considerable obscurity; the most eminent modern antiquaries by no means agreeing even in the general outline. Every new disclosure of remains indicating Roman occupation must therefore be regarded as an event of considerable interest. I take the present opportunity of acknowledging my obligations to this Society during my recent investigation of the site of the Roman station at Walton-le-dale; not merely for the valuable information contained in the published volumes, but also for the confidence and enthusiasm which the example of several of its members induced, and without which, perhaps, the first indications might have been passed over as relatively unimportant. The Roman remains at Walton were brought to light, like many others, by fortuitous circumstances. During the past year I have been occupied in collecting materials for a "History of Preston and the neighbourhood." |