Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-01-20

Pectcdly dies. Ambition and the love to
reign are not the passions that govern him /;
he had been contcntcd to be the son Of a
king, hut now he is forced to view with great
er attention the difference that divides the
king, from the subject. The right TO the
crown was not hereditary, but a prolonged
life of his father would have strengthened the
pretensons Of his only son, and secured to
him the hope of its possession.
But now he sees himself, Notwithstanding
the apparent promises of his uncle, perhaps
forever excluded; now he feels himself poor
in favor,in lands, and stranger IN tia, which
he could, from his carly youth up, look upon
as his own Inheritance. Here his soul first
inclircs to sadness. lie feels himself no
more, yea not even as much as any other
nobcman; he offers himself as "A servant to
every one; he is not courteous, not condc-
seending, bu, sunk low and poor. His for
mer cor.i,ion he views like vanished ,ican,
I;ls in vain that his uncle tries to cxhilaralc
him, and 10 show him his situation in another
point Of view; the sense Of his no'linguess
never deserts him.
"Thc second shock lie received wounded
dccper-dcprcsscd him more. 1t is the
marriage Of his mother. A true and tender
son had mother lief, him, when the father
died; and he thought to honor, in company
Of his surviving noble mother, the heroic
form of the dead, hut he loses even his moth
er, and it is worse than if death had bcrcfl
him of her. The truthful image that well
brought up child loves to form of his paren,
vanishes by the dead is no help, on the iv-
ing no hold. She also is Il woman, and, by
the general term, "frail,y," given to her sex
understood. Now he feels in realty, deeply,
deeply deprcssed-now he feels that he Is
an orphan, and no fortune in the world can
substitute what he has lost. Not sad, no,
contempanve by na,nrc-sadness and re-
Election become a burden to him. Thus we
see him enter on tho stage.
Picture to yourself tins youth, this son of a
prince, right wildly; present his situation
to your view, and then observe him, when
he learns that the ghost of his father had
been seen to stand by him on that horrible
night, when the venerable Ghost himsclfap
pears before him. a tremendous sludder
possesses him-he speaks 10 the mysterious
form-sees it bcckon-hc follows and hears
The horrible accusation against his ancl.
sounds in his car-lle call TO revenge, and
the imploring repeated prayer-Rcmembcl
nc.
. "And when the Ghost is vanished, whom
do we sec before us?-A young hero, who
pants for revenge. A prince by birth, who
feels himself happy to be called upon to re-
venge himself on the usurpcr of his crown
No: .Asonishment and melancholy tax,
u hold of the lone onc-hc grows bitter agains
the smiling villains--swears not to forget tn
departed, and concludes with the sgnifcan
exclamation
1.-THE time is out Of joint-oh cursed spirits
That ever was born, &c"
In these words, methinks, lies the key t.
Hamlel's whole demeanor ard to me j,
plain, that Shakspcar wished to .'ain' grea
deed laid ON soul that is not strong enoug
10 perform it. And in this sense find til
piece managed throughout. Here is an oak
tree planted in a costly vase, that should hav
sfeccivcd in its bosom nothing but lovely flow
srs; the roots expand, and the vase isbursl
q! A beautiful, noble, pure, in the highe'
3egree moral being, without the physici
xreng,h that constitutes the hero. sinks nndt
! burden, that it can neither bear, nor tlro'
od-evcry duty is holy to him, but this is to
hard. An in,possibiily is demanded of hin
not that which is impossible in itself, b,
nat which for him is AN impossbiliiy. Ho'
Re turns, twists and freis himself; how h
advances aud relrogrades; how he ever
rmembercd, or even remembers, and I
iooses sight Of his aim, without ever oil
Jog his peace Of mind again."