Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, BROWN, AND GREEN,

PATERNOSTER-ROW.

1824.

James Orchard Halliwell

March 31?! 1842
692

8 (2)

A

HAMLET.

1600.

THE French novelist, Belleforest, extracted from Saxo Grammaticus' History of Denmark the history of Amleth, and inserted it in the collection of novels published by him in the latter half of the sixteenth century; whence it was transfused into English, under the title of "The Hystorie of Hamblett," a small quarto volume printed in black-letter.

The history of Hamlet also formed the subject of a play which was acted previous to 1589; and arguing from the general course of Shakspeare's mind, that play influenced him during the composition of his own Hamlet. But unfortunately the old play is lost, and the only remaining subject for illustration is the black-letter quarto.

We learn from that authority, that the happiness of Horvendille, king of Denmark, excited

[blocks in formation]

the envy of his brother Fengon; who was, moreover, enflamed by love for Geruth, the queen. The villain paused not to commit a fratricide which placed him on the throne, and facilitated his union with the object of his guilty passion.

Hamblet, the son of Horvendille and Geruth, was quick in his perception of the danger to be apprehended from the murderer of his father, and sought safety in assuming the appearance of mental imbecility. The execution, however, of his project was imperfect: suspicion was excited; and "they counselled to try and know, if possible, how to discover the intent and meaning of the young prince; and they could find no better nor more fit invention to entrap him, than to set some fair and beautiful woman in a secret place, that with flattering speeches, and all the craftiest means she could, should purposely seek to allure his mind. To this end certain courtiers were appointed to lead Hamblet to a solitary place within the woods, where they brought the woman. And surely the poor prince at this assault had been in great danger, if a gentleman that in Horvendille's time had been nourished with him, had not shown himself more affectioned to the bringing up he had received with Hamblet, than desirous to please the tyrant. This gentleman bore the courtiers company, making full ac

« AnteriorContinua »