PLATES.

HAMLET.

THE chief beauties of this celebrated tragedy being the soliloquies and dialogues, it cannot be expected to furnish so many subjects for the pencil as others perhaps inferior in poetical merit; nor can it be expected that so much of the spirit of the original should be kept up. Many of the most striking scenes are so dependent upon the reasoning and philosophy of HAMLET, and are so totally without action, that it is not possible to represent them; nor would they be of any interest if attempted. Such scenes, therefore, have been taken as are necessary to the conduct of the story, and are adapted to the art of the painter. The sea adventure has been omitted for the above-mentioned reasons, the subject in itself being totally inexplicable without the words of the KING'S message to England, and affording no scope for the pencil. The GRAVE-DIGGERS have been omitted for the same reason.

I.

CLAUDIUS poisoning the KING in the garden.-The QUEEN anxiously watching the event.

"GHOST. Sleeping within mine orchard,

My custom always of the afternoon,

Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole,
With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial,
And in the porches of mine ears did pour
The leperous distilment.

Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand,
Of life, of crown, of queen, at once despatch'd."

You told us of some suit: what is 't, Laertes?

LAERT.

My dread lord,

Your leave and favour to return to France;

From whence, though willingly, I came to Denmark,
To show my duty in your coronation;

Yet now, I must confess, that duty done,

My thoughts and wishes bend again toward France,

And bow them to your gracious leave and pardon.

KING. Have you your father's leave? What says

Polonius?

POL. He hath, my lord."

ACT I. S. 2.