The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1844-06-27
a NEW ERA OF
SHAKSPEARE
IN AMEKICAI
The sAespssi Gad M0R spIsndidly lSmaaisd aai aTs.
81. : uassd sdstiON IF lhs Bard sv~ PuDishSd.
EDlTED BE TaE

The sAasp0I sad mOH spIsnddls ISmiaa;sd aa3 IISs.
~ I, rassd edition. IF ls Bard evW puIiisASd.
.asel.1 EDlrEO BF TaE
NON. G. G. VERPLANK, r. w, WIER, ESQ.
WILL design select and arrange the illustrations Of
w which there will be about f400, executed on
wood IN the very best style OF the modern school oIhat
Art .l
10 Subniuing the Prospectus ofaLe Editor to the
Pubn the Publisher has only 10 add that he will spare
nelhef expense nor panS TO make tins edition Of the
WoEd0 Pdol superior to any thar has sPpeaTsd-ln Il.
ssheIIonO; typography and paPar. The form Will oe
Soyal octave and will bs issued 10 weekly paris price
l2t eenIs which places il within the meanS OF persons OF
the mos limited fortunes, whilst on account OF It1 Pc
cellar beauty will gan SolfadmI'son into lhs libra
iss Of The Ech and Ihere prove bs one Of tho most
ehoies oEnsmsnts. ....
ThoDa who wish THE work in the most perfect state
will only Be sure Of Ii BY taking the parts a. they ap-
pSsr, which will contain the carly proofs Of the engra.
v.G.l,u,.,., v.G.l r..s...
part will be IIGuSd in March.
PROSPECTUS.
The PicioEal and illustrated edlliOnO OF SHAKES.
PERE, lstsy published in England are amongst the
meet beautiful specimens Of the recent rsmarkabs im
pTovement Of the art Of wood engraving, which by
combining great excellence Of execution with economy
Of pnss has given an unpreeedsd diffusion to the most
exquisite productions Of the arts Of Design.
Auo oobtkuB VI nenuy h0uoOWu IuI uIuOUatbOus
ofTyas edition Of Shakespeare express the character OF
the several personagss and the SpIh Of the scene,
with wonderful truth aud power; whilst the wood en-
craving Of Knights Pictorial edition combine with the
highest merits CT St Aad taste such learned and minute
AceuFaoY a. to scenery costume architecture to make
them perpetual and most instructive commentary upon
the FOetS text. II 10 now proposed 10 enbody in On
American editiOR hs a6anrSble Illustrations Of both
these eLitioHS engraved with equal excellence Of
chsniea execution to add to these other eugraVngs
GOm emnsn, artists, Reynolds Fusoli, 8. Newton.
&c, and to accompany them with bsautfy printed
and correct tent.
But the publisher, anxious tia, HE country shonld
pay soms part Of the hrmags due from her greatest
yVsiS. as 10 one who bsVngS not solely to England
but 10 ell
WHO speak tho tongue
.. Thal Shakespeare spake4
ecSid not content himself with mere republication NJ
compilation. He has therefore prevailed upon K. B.
Weir, whose reputation % 40 Artist 10 already identified
withhis counsrys history, 10 conlrbus series oforig
hal designs together with such advice and assistance
mother dsiAs oArt his taste may suggest for the H.
lusiFa,iCn and embsshmeDt Of the publications.
From the same reason the publnhsr instead Of rsprn
haR the tVEi and eummsniary Of popular English
mprssslon wss dssrous that bic edition should have
the supervision of an American editor. This iSak has
been undertaken bo GULfAN c. VERPLANKK.
Ths plan proposed for himself by the editor furnish the
unneubssd BY any notes comments upon the page Itself
ashevsr useful they may be elsewhere they TOO apt to
dive the mind from the power Of the poets thought and 10
disturb magic Of his Such may be though.
ussa for the explanation criticism the text will be thrown
isso an nppsndix 70 each play.
The Of Bhahspeares dramatic works drawn from old
printed copies In his age which had passed under the
authors owa eye consequently dsfguTed by and
obseurss passsd during The las. century through
cooson Of varying editions until the revision Of Stevens and
Maoun whose text Tor rather that Of Sevsn has become the
standard from which most Of the English and American ed
items have been printed with various degrees Of accuracy But
within the last twenty years more minute and familiar
quanancs with old English domS habits and modes Of hot
Eaed By intense and constantly increasing admiration for
0skspesrsA genius has led tohs strong conviction that very
many Of the though slight devlaonS from the
Giant tex appearing In modern editions, useless
Gus nOpostonS Somsmes weakening the sense and often
Substituting arbitrary monOtenOus mecal regularity to
The poets own native melody. Accordingly vary many Of
hese have been rejected by shst and best Eng
lsh sdor especially Mt. Knight and Mr, Collier, aud the
readings Of the old os and quaos have been restored
es where Of the peSso manuscript wgs uIdena
bly, manifest Ye there are many such passages eonesSedy
sofrup and requiring conecutal cmsndaon there are also
snceS Of reading bstwesn the several old Impressions a.
Nordna arounda for sons diversity Of and wirm
vsrsy between the more recent sdtoFS
Upon these the American editor thnks dheto the charao
,si Of this edition. to decide for himself without implicitly fol-
losing the ta Of any modern edition. As the industry
snd learning Of prior edors have furnished the collation. Of
various readings and authorities upon which they may be
bu, wers Of judicial heightened BY eon,endns
arguments
Az many othesa variations of nearly equal probability
and as soL Of doubtless tbs Ruhos alterations
st different periods all the important readings will be
presented 10 the reader In the notes for bis selection
Theos notes will contain much Of commentary mny
be usoui explain anquaed words and phrases, obeuey
expressed passages and auSons 10 obsoute opinions the
habits hioTy ofthe ns the whole In condensed form
~ psceahs But any upon Shakespeare however
hrsf would imperfect II did notprssent view Of the
higher criticism employed, the Interpretation Of his an
guags but upon his thoughts his character, his poetry pas
sions phioSophy The only difference here arises from the
bnadsnee tho magnificent variety of the materials eontibu
Ted drTng the last half century BY the most brilliant minds In
Europe Still iSbsieved that this duty be satisfactorily
performed without Swspg the edition to an in convehient
buR II, W HsWET, Publisher.
BOsen, 28l Broadway.
Any E1or giving te above prospectus 10 or II nsSrtonS
end an occasional Of the work during tho progress will
BE- regularly served with the numbers they appear. in
ahanesfar their paperG
May z3-no28,
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