rendered as it were vifible by allufions and circumftances fo ftriking, as to have in themfelves a powerful tendency to ftimulate and augment his anguifh. Or ere thofe fhoes were old, With which the follow'd my poor father's body, &0, And again: Within a month Ere yet the falt of moft unrighteous tears The crifis of his agitation heightened to its extremity, is ftrongly marked in the following exclamation: Oh, most wicked speed, to poft The obfervation following immediately after, is that of a mind reflecting with fome compofure, on effects and confequences. It is not, nor it cannot come to good. Hamlet Hamlet in his retirement expreffes his agony without reserve, and by giving it utterance he receives relief. In public he restrains it, and welcomes his friends with that ease and affability which are the result of polished manners, good sense, and humanity. His converfation, though familiar, is graceful: Yet, in his demeanour we discover a certain air of pensiveness and folemnity, arifing naturally from his internal trouble. Hor. Hail to your Lordship! Ham. I am glad to see you well; Horatio, -or I do forget my felf? Hor. The fame, my Lord, and your poor fervant ever. Ham. Sir, my good friend, F'll change that name with you. And what make you from Wittenberg, Horatio? Mar. My good Lord Ham. I am very glad to see you; good Even, Sir, -But what, in faith, make you from Wittenberg? Hor. A truant difpofition, good my Lord. Ham. I would not hear your enemy say so ; Nor all you do mine ear that violence, 3 To make it trufter of your own report We'll teach you to drink deep, ere you depart. Hor. My Lord, I came to see your father's funeral. On a fubject so interefting as his father's funeral, he cannot eafily command himself: And, repofing confidence in the loyalty of his friend, he does not entirely difguifé his emotion. He corrects it, however; and avoiding any appearance of violence or of extravagance, he expreffes himself with humour. I pray thee, do not mock me, fellow student; Ham. Thrift, thrift, Horatio! the funeral bak'd meats Yet he is too violently agitated to preferve, uniformly, the character of a cheerful fatirift. He becomes ferious. Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven, Or ever I had feen that day, Horatio. Having Having expreffed himself ftrongly, and poffeffing a delicate fenfe of propriety, he thinks it neceffary to explain the cause. About to preface it with an account of his father, he mentions him: My father The idea ftrikes his mind with a fudden and powerful impulfe: He pauses: Forgets his intention of explaining himself to Horatio: The image of his father possesfes him And, by the moft folemn and ftriking apoftrophe that ever poet invented, he impresses it on his audience. Methinks, I fee my father! Hor. O where, my Lord? Ham. In my mind's eye, Horatio. Returning from his reveree, he mentions his character to Horatio, not by a particular detail, but in a fummary manner, as if it were the refult of a prece ding enumeration. Horatio, aftonished at his abstracted aspect and demeanour, and having G 4 having imagined that he faw the appari tion which he had himself beheld, by a natural and eafy tranfition, makes mention of the ghoft. Hor. I faw him once, he was a goodly king. Ham. He was a man, take him for all in all, I fhall not look upon his like again. Hor. My Lord, I think, I saw him yefternight, &c. The whole of this fcene between Hamlet and his friends is mafterly and affecting. Hamlet, exceedingly moved, expreffes amazement: Yet he utters nothing ver bofe and extravagant, nor any violent exclamation of wonder. The narration is fimple and the dialogue eafy. Though the prince can entertain no doubt of the veracity of his friends, he is not credulous: And he queftions them very minutely concerning the circumstances of the prodigy. His inquiries indicate extreme uneafinefs, and even suspicion concerning his father's death: Yet he moderates his apprehenfions, and will not in dulge |