elonging to the Duke of Devonshire. Exact re-ints of the two 'Devonshire Hamlets' were pubshed, in one volume, in 1860.

It is very probable that the vilely-printed quarto 1603 is a surreptitious version, by some ignorant pier or shorthand writer, of Shakspeare's first aft of his noble tragedy of Hamlet.' And we can sily suppose that draft to have been one of the rliest of his dramatic compositions. The second arto, as well as the first, was surreptitious; but oth are of great value in enabling us to rectify any mistakes and to supply several omissions in e folio of 1623, the first edition of the collected ays of Shakspeare.

In the present edition of the Hamlet,' we have deavoured, by carefully collating the early quartos. ith the first folio, to give the text in the best arrantable form; but in order to render the book aitable for schools and family reading, we have mitted one or two of the more grossly indelite sentences, the expurgation being of very slight

xtent.

It will be observed that we have departed from ne usual practice of substituting an apostrophe for e silent vowel in the verbal affix -ed. On this: bject we concur with Professor Craik, who, in the rolegomena to his English of Shakspeare' (p. 62), ys, 'It is true that the cases in which the -ed makes separate syllable are more numerous in Shakspeare

6

than in the poetry of the present day; but reader who cannot detect such a case on the inst

is disqualified by some natural deficiency for reading of verse. If any distinction were necessa the better plan would be to represent the one fo by loved, the other by lov-ed.'

With respect to the Notes, we hope they will be thought more numerous than necessary. Thomas Overbury says of one of his Charact 'Where the gate stands open, he is ever seekin stile, and where his learning ought to climb, creeps through.' This description, unfortunately to a great extent applicable to many of Shakspea commentators. They often overload and myst and sometimes even pervert with comment, senter or expressions of which the meaning is sufficien obvious, while in too many instances they fail mark the footsteps of the poet's less direct obvious transitions, and leave unexplained what the mind of the general reader is likely to be taken or very inadequately followed. But it is to regretted that the injury done to our great drama by injudicious comment should have excited in n few of his worshippers a prejudice against all attem to elucidate his meaning. It is true that refer to marginal comments during the perusal of a I must disturb the reader's enjoyment of it, even w the exposition is sound and the illustration pertin But it is also true that the kind of pleasure felt

ny readers of Shakspeare is one into which they beguiled by a magic tone that breathes in the y syllables of the mighty genius, and that is ompanied with too vague conceptions of the port of his language. Surely it were better, with pect to works of such immortal eminence in the rld's literature as those of Shakspeare, that we uld take some pains to ascertain their true sense 1 spirit, and thus qualify ourselves for a more inigent and refined enjoyment of the uninterrupted usal of them. In this edition of the Hamlet,' refore, we have endeavoured to avoid all superous comment, and to do real service to those who ire to study the play in its language, forms of ught, allusions, &c., as well as in its delineations character. Such notes and criticisms are introed as may excite the popular mind to take an erest in understanding the scope and details of noble drama, and at the same time enable senior didates for the Oxford Middle-Class Examinations 1865 to prepare themselves thoroughly in one of subjects of their programme.

EXTRACTS

FROM THE OLD TRANSLATED

'HISTORIE OF HAMBLET

CHAPTER I.-You must understand that long time before kingdom of Denmark received the faith of Jesus Christ, common people were barbarous and uncivil, and their prin cruel. There was sometimes a good prince or king am them, who, being adorned with the most perfect gifts of natu would addict himself to virtue, and use courtesy; but altho the people had him in admiration, yet the envy of his nei bours was so great, that they never ceased until that virtu man were despatched out of the world. King Roderick, then reigning in Denmark, divided the kingdom into div provinces, placing governors therein who bare the names dukes, marquises, and earls, giving the government of Ju (at this present called Ditmarse, lying upon the country of Cimbrians, in the narrow part of land that showeth lik point or cape of ground upon the sea, which neathw bordereth upon the country of Norway) to two valiant warlike lords, Horvendile * and Fengon.†

Now, the greatest honour that men of noble birth could that time win and obtain, was exercising the art of piracy u the seas, assailing their neighbours, &c.; wherein Horven obtained the highest place in his time, being the most nowned pirate that in those days scoured the seas and hav

* Comp. with Hamlet's father.

+ Comp. with Claudius.

the north parts; whose great fame so moved the heart of lere,* king of Norway, that he was much grieved to hear t Horvendile surmounted him in feats of arms, thereby obring the glory by him already obtained upon the seas. is valiant and hardy king having challenged Horvendile to it with him body to body, the combat was by him accepted, h conditions that he which should be vanquished should > all the riches he had in his ship, &c. And, to conclude, lere, although a valiant prince, was in the end vanquished I slain by Horvendile, who, having then overrun all the st of Norway and the northern islands, returned home laden h much treasure, sending the most part thereof to his ereign king Roderick, thereby to procure his good-liking. e king, allured by those presents, and esteeming himself opy to have so valiant a subject, sought by a great favour I courtesy to make him become bounden unto him perually, giving him Geruth † his daughter to his wife, of whom knew Horvendile to be already much enamoured. Of this rriage proceeded Hamblet.

Fengon, fretting in his heart at the great honour won by his ther, and provoked by a foolish jealousy to see him honoured Eh royal alliance, and fearing thereby to be deposed from his t of the government, or rather desiring to be only governor,‡ reby to obscure the memory of the victories of his brother rvendile, determined to kill him; which he effected in such t, that no man once so much as suspected him. Fengon, ing secretly assembled certain men, Horvendile his brother ng at a banquet with his friends, suddenly set upon him, ere he slew him as traitorously, as cunningly he purged self of so detestable a murder to his subjects; for that, ore he committed parricide upon his brother, he had intuously abused his wife. His sin found excuse among the mon people, and of the nobility was esteemed for justice; that, Geruth being as courteous a princess as any, this Comp. with old Fortinbras-Thereto pricked on by a most emulate pride." i. sc. 1.

Comp. with Gertrude.

Both Fengon and Horvendile are afterwards called kings, and Geruth is ed queen.