follow. In thofe we fee the Beauties and Faults of that great Poet weigh'd in the most exact and impartial Scales.

Those excellent Papers firft gave me an Idea of publishing the following Sheets. Happy! if I can but any ways follow fuch a Guide, though at ever fo great a Distance; fince I am well perfuaded, that by this Means I can never be totally in Error, tho' I may fometimes deviate for want of proper Abilities!

Criticism in general, is what few of our Countrymen have fucceeded in: In that refpect, our Neighbours have got the better of us; altho' we can justly boast of the compleateft •Effay on that Subject that has been

pub

publifh'd in any Language, in which almost every Line, and every Word, convey fuch Images, and fuch Beauties, as were never before found in fo fmall a Compass, and of whofe Author it may properly be faid, in that respect,

He is himself that great Sublime he draws.

I would not have the Reader imagine, that I believe I have pointed out all the Excellencies in this Tragedy; I am not fo vain as to think fo. Befides, thefe Papers are too few to contain them; and I have fo little of Prefumption in me, that I did not think it reasonable to put my Readers to a greater Expence, by enlarging on the Subject, until I find that they themselves are not averse to it.

This

This is all I have to fay at prefent ; whatever elfe is necessary to premise, will be found in the Introduction to the Remarks, to which I refer.

The Reader is defired to correct the following Errata, viz. Page 1. line 7, for Writers read Writer. Page 9, line last, for it read they; and for fhews, read fhew. Page 53, line 13, dele a; and for Impofition, read Impofitions.

SOME

REMARKS

ON THE.

TRAGEDY

O F

Hamlet Prince of Denmark.

AM going to do what to fome may appear extravagant, but by thofe of a true Taste in Works of Genius will be approv'd of. I intend to examine one of the Pieces of the greatest Tragick Writers that ever liv'd, (except Sophocles and Euripides,) according to the Rules of Reafon and Nature, without having any regard to

B

those

those Rules established by Arbitrary Dogmatifing Criticks, only as they can be brought to bear that Test.

AMONG the many Parts of this great Poet's Character, fo often given by fome of our best Writers, I fhall particularly dwell upon those which they have the least insisted on, which will, however, put every Thing he has produc'd in its true and proper Light.

He had (beyond Difpute) a inoft unbounded Genius, very little regulated by Art.

His particular Excellency confifts in the Variety and Singularity of his Characters, and in the conftant Conformity of each Character to it self from its very first setting out in the Play, quite to the End. And still further, no Poet ever came up to him, in the Nobleness and Sublimity of Thought, fo frequent in his Tragedies, and all exprefs'd with the most Energick Comprehenfiveness of Diction,

AND it muft moreover be observed, as to his Characters, that although there are fome entirely of his own Invention, and fuch as none but fo great a Genius could invent; yet he is fo remarkably happy in following of Nature, that (if I may fo express it) he does it even in Characters which are not in Nature. To clear up this Paradox, my Meaning is, that if we can but once fuppofe fuch Characters to exift, then we must allow they must think and act exactly as he has defcribed them.

THIS