must be sought1 elsewhere than in nature, who disclaims all such.2 Hence the witty and intellectual ladies of our comedies and novels are all in the fashion of some particular time; 5 they are like some old portraits which can still amuse and please by the beauty of the workmanship, in spite of the graceless costume or grotesque accompaniments, but from which we turn to worship, with ever new delight, the Floras and goddesses of Titian—the saints and virgins of Raffaelle and Domenichino. So the Millimants and Belindas, the Lady Townleys and Lady Teazles, are out of date," while Portia and Rosalind, in 10 whom nature and the feminine character are paramount,11 remain bright and fresh to the fancy as when first created.12 MRS. JAMESON. THE CHARACTER OF HAMLET. It is one of Shakspeare's plays 13 that we think of 14 the oftenest, because it abounds most in striking reflections on human life, and because the distresses of Hamlet are transferred, by the turn of his mind, to the general account of humanity. Whatever happens to him we apply to ourselves,15 because he applies it to himself 16 1 The cause must be sought, il faut en chercher la cause-2 all such, de tels caractères-3 hence, c'est ce qui fait que-4 are all in the fashion, sont toutes représentées suivant la mode-5". of such or such particular epoch "-" from which we turn, d'où nous nous détournons- Titian, le Titien (see note, p. 60)-8 so, c'est ainsi que out of date, vieillies-10 in, chez-11 are paramount, règnent suprêmes-12 when first created, lorsqu'elles ont été crées. 13 Plays, pièces-14 that we think of, auxquelles nous pensons15 we apply to ourselves, nous nous l'appliquons-16 he applies it to himself, il se l'applique à lui-même. * Domenichino, the celebrated painter, was born at Bologna in 1581, and died at Naples in 1641. 4. 6 THE CHARACTER OF HAMLET. 135 He is a great as a means of general reasoning. He is 1 moraliser; and what makes him worth attending to is,2 that he moralises on his own feelings and experience. He is not a common-place pedant.3 If Lear is distinguished by the greatest depth of passion, Hamlet is the most remarkable for the ingenuity, originality, and unstudied development of character. Shakspeare had more magnanimity than any other poet, and he has shown more of it in this play than in any other. There is no attempt to force an interest; everything is left for time and circumstances to unfold.7 The attention is excited without effort; the incidents succeed each other 8 as matter of course; the characters think, and speak, and act just 10 as they might do if left 11 entirely to themselves. There is no set purpose, no straining at a point.12 The observations are suggested by the passing 13_the gusts 14 of passion come and go 15 like sounds of music borne on the wind. The whole play is an exact transcript 16 of what might be supposed to have taken place 17 at the court of Denmark at the remote period of time fixed upon,18 before the refinements 19 in morals and manners were heard of.20 It would have scene 1 He is, c'est-2 what makes him worth attending to is, ce qui fait qu'il vaut la peine qu'on l'écoute, c'est-3 he is not a common-place pedant, ce n'est pas un pédant vulgaire-4 is distinguished, se distingue-5 is the most remarkable for, est surtout remarquable parunstudied, naturel-7 there is, etc.......to unfold, aucune tentative n'est faite pour forcer l'intérêt; le temps et les circonstances sont chargés de tout développer-8 succeed each other, se succèdent-9 as matter of course, logiquement-10 just, absolument-11 "if they were left”—12 there is, etc.......at a point, pas de but fixé d'avance, pas de point de mire-13 by the passing scene, par ce qui se passe au moment-14 gusts, explosions-15 come and go, arrivent et s'en vont 16 transcript, reproduction-17 what might be supposed to have taken place, ce que l'on pourrait (see note ", p. 50) supposer avoir eu lieu-18 at the remote period of time fixed upon, à l'époque reculée qui a été choisie-19 sing.-20 before......were heard of, avant qu'il fût question de....... 3 been interesting enough to have been1 admitted as a bystander in such a scene, at such a time, to have heard and witnessed something of what was going on. But here we are more than spectators. We have not only "the outward pageants and the signs of grief," but "we have that within us which passes show."5 We read the thoughts of the heart, we catch the passions living as they rise. Other dramatic writers give us very fine versions and paraphrases of nature; but Shakspeare, together with his own comments, gives us the original text, that we may judge for ourselves. This is a very great advantage. 8 The character of Hamlet stands quite by itself." It is not a character marked by strength of will or even of passion, but by refinement of thought and sentiment. Hamlet is as little of the hero as a man can well be; 10 but he is a young and princely novice, full of 11 high enthusiasm and quick sensibility-the sport of circumstances, questioning with fortune, 12 and refining on 13 his own feelings, and forced from the natural bias 14 of his disposition by the strangeness of his situation. He seems incapable of deliberate action, and is only hurried into extremities on the spur of the occasion, when he has no time to reflect 15—as in the scene where he kills Polonius; and again 16 where he alters the letters which 1 To have been, d'être—2 as a bystander, comme spectateur_3 to have heard and witnessed, et d'entendre et de voir-what was going on, ce qui se passait-5 that, etc.......show, ce quelque chose d'intime qui surpasse toute pompe- as they rise, au moment même où elles se soulèvent-7 for, par-8 this is, c'est là (see note 3, p. 13) - stands quite by itself, est tout-à-fait à part-10 Hamlet is, etc.... ...can well be, il y a chez Hamlet aussi peu du héros qu'il est humainement possible-11 see note, p. 44—12 questioning with fortune, prenant la fortune à partie-13 and refining on, subtilisant14 forced from the natural bias, violemment détourné de la pente naturelle-15 and is only, etc.......to reflect, c'est l'occasion qui seule le précipite dans les voies extrêmes sans lui laisser le temps de ré15 and again, et dans celle. GOLDSMITH'S STYLE. 137 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are taking with them to1 England, purporting his death. At other times, when he is most bound to act, he remains puzzled, undecided, and sceptical; dallies with his purposes till the occasion is lost, and 5 finds out some pretence to relapse into indolence and thoughtfulness again. For this reason he refuses to kill the king when he is at his prayers; and, by a refinement in malice, which is in truth only an excuse for his own want of resolution, defers his revenge to a more fatal opportunity. 8 HAZLITT, “Characters of Shakspeare's Plays.” GOLDSMITH'S STYLE. Goldsmith has had few competitors in that style of writing.10 His prologues and epilogues are the perfection of the vers de société. Formality and ill humour are exorcised by their cordial wit, which transforms the theatre into a drawing-room, and the audience into friendly guests. There is a There is a playful touch, an easy, airy elegance, 12 which, when 13 joined to terseness of expression, sets it off 14 with a finished 15 beauty and incomparable grace; but few of our English poets have written this style 16 successfully. The French, who invented the name for it,17 have been almost its only prac 1 See note ", p. 73-2 purporting his death, et dont sa mort est l'objet 3 bound, tenu-1 dallies with his purposes till the occasion is lost, il perd son temps en projets et laisse échapper l'occasion— 5 and, puis il-6 thoughtfulness, rêverie-7 for this reason, c'est ainsi que-8 when he is at his prayers, pendant qu'il est en prière-9 in, de. 10 Style of writing, genre de composition- the audience into friendly guests, les auditeurs en convives amis—12 there is a playful touch, an easy, airy elegance, il y a un cachet d'enjouement, un air de distinction aisé, dégagé-13 when, lorsqu'il est-14 sets it off, la fait ressortir-15 finished, parfaite-16 this style, dans ce genre17 who invented the name for it, qui lui ont donné son nom. tised cultivators.1 Goldsmith's genius for it 2 will, nevertheless, bear comparison with even theirs. He could be playful without childishness, humorous without coarseness, and sharply satirical without a particle of anger. Enough remains, for proof, in his collected verse; 5 5 but in private letters that have perished, many most charming specimens have undoubtedly been lost. For with such enchanting facility it flowed from him,7 that with hardly any of his friends in the higher social circles which he now began to enter did it fail to help him to 8 a more gracious acceptation, to warmer 10 and more cordial intimacy. It takes but 11 the touch of nature to please highest 12 and lowest alike; and whether he thanked Lord Clare or the manager of Ranelagh, answered 13 an invitation to 14 the charming Miss Hornecks, or 15 supplied author or actor with 16 an epilogue, -the same exquisite tact, the same natural art, the same finished beauty of humour and refinement,17 recommended themselves to all. FORSTER," Oliver Goldsmith's Life and Times." -7 SIR ROGER DE COVERLEY AND THE SIGN. In our return home 18 19 odd acci 1 Have been, etc......cultivators, sont presque les seuls qui aient réussi à le cultiver 2 G.'s genius for it, le génie qu'y a déployé G.— 3 could, savait enough remains for proof, il en reste assez pour le prouver-5 in his collected verse, dans celles de ses poésies qui ont été recueillies 6" with a facility so enchanting" (see note, p, 51) -7 for...... it flowed from him, car ce style coulait de sa plume...... 8 that with, etc......to help him to, qu'il manqua rarement de lui valoir, auprès de ses amis dans la haute société qu'il commençait à fréquenter acceptation, accueil-10 warmer, plus étroite-i it takes but, il suffit de 12" to the highest"-13 answered, soit qu'il répondît à-14 to, chez-15 or, ou qu'il-16 see note ", p. 7—17 refinement, finesse. 9 19 18 In our return home, en revenant chez nous- we met with, il nous arriva. |