The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-10-25
A NEW ERA OF
SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICA!
The Cheapest and most spiendidly Illuminated
and Illustrated Edifioaof the Bard
Of .auon, euer published

OF .dU0n, eDeT pu6HSheQ.
Edited By the
HOW GULL4.r c. VERPLANCR.
ROBERT w. WEIR, Esq. will design, select,
and arrange the illustrations which there will be
about 140J, executed on wood, in the very best
style of the modern school Of that art
In submitting the Prospectus of the Editor to the
public, the Publisher has only to add that he will
spare neither expense nor pains to make this edition
of the Worlds Poet, superior to any that has here
tofore appeared-in illustrations, Typography and
paper. The form will be royal octave, and will be
issued in weekly parts, price IL and half cents,
which places it within the means Of persons OF the
most limited fortunes whilst on account oits pecu'
liar beauty it will gain itself admission into the Ii
braries Of the rich, and there prove to be one OF the
choicest ornaments.
Those who wish this work in the most perfect
sate will only be sure OF il by taking the parts
they appear which will contain the early proofs of
the Engravings.
The Tragedy of Hamlet is now in press.-The
first part will be issued in March.
PROSPECTUS.
The PICTORIAL and ILLUSTRATED Editions OF
SHAKESPEARE, lately published in England, are
amongst the most beautiful specimens OF the recent
and remarkable Improvement of the art of Wood
Engraving, which by combining great excellence
of execution with economy ofprce, has given an
unprecedented diffusion to the most useful as well
as the most exquisite productions of the Arts of
Design.
The designs of KENNY MEADOWS for the Illus
trations of Tyas' edition of Shakespeare; express the
character of the several personages, and the spirit
of the scene, with wonderful truth and power;
whilst the wood engraving of Knights Pictorial e.
dition, combine with the highest merits of art and
taste, such learned and mnuteaccuracy as to see
merry, costume, architecture and antiquity, SC as
make them perpetual and most instructive COM
mentary upon the Poets text. 1t is now proposed
to embody in an AMERICAN EDITION, the admi-
rable illustrations ofboth these editions, engraved
with equal excellence of mechanical execution, to
add to these, other engravngs from eminent artists,
as Reynolds, Fuseli, S. Newton, &C., and to ac-
company them with beautifully printed and cor
rect text.
But the publisher, anxious that his country should
pay some part of the homage due from her to the
greatest of Poets, as to one who belongs not solely
TO England but to all
WHO speak the tongue
That Shakespeare spake,
Could not content himself with mere republica-
ton or compilation. He has therefore prevailed
upon RoBERr W. Weir, whose reputation as an
Artist is already identified with his counry's histo
ry, TO contribute series of Oriental Designs, to-
geher with such advice and assistance in other de-
tails ofart, as his taste may suggest, for the lusra
lion and establishment of this publication. From
the same reason, the publisher instead ofreprnting
the text and commentary Of any popular english
impression, was desrous that his Edition should
have the Supervision of an American Editor. This
task has been undertaken by GULIAN C. YER
PLANCK
The plan proposed to himself by the Editor is to
furnish the reader with carefully prepared and ac
curatey printed tex, ,unencumbered by anynotes or
,,-,lT
they may be elsewhere, they too apt to divert
the mind fiom tie power of the Poets thought, and
to disturb the magic of his scene. Such notes as
may be thought useful for the explanation or crit-
cism of the text. will be put into an Appendix to
each play.
The text of Shakspeare's dramatic works, drawn
from old printed copies in his age, which had never
passed under the authors own eye, was conse-
quenty disfigured by many errors and absurdites
1t passed during the last century through success
sion OF varying editions, until the revision of Ste
vens and Malone, whose text, (or rather that OF
Stcvens) has become the standard from which most
OF the English and American editions have been
printed, with various degrees Of accuracy.-But
within the last twenty years, more minute and fa-
miar acquaintance with old English idioms, hab-
its and modes of thought, guided by an intense and
constantly increasing admiration for Shakspeare's
genus, has led to the strong conviction that very
many of the numerous though slight deviations
from the ancenttext, appearing in modern editions,
are useless or erroneous interpretations, sometimes
weakening the sense, and often substituting an ar
bitrary monotonous, metrical regularity, to the Po
cts own native melody. Accordingly, very many
of these emendatons have been rejected by the last
and best English editors, especially Mr.. Knight and
Mr. Collier and the readings of the old folios and
quartos have been restored, unless where some er.
ror of the press or manuscript was undcniaby man-
ifest Yet there are many such passages confcs.
sedly corrupt, requiring conjectural emendations;
there are also difference of reading between the
several old impressions ahordng grounds for some
diversity OF text and warm controversy, between
the more recent editors.
Upon these, the American editor thinks il due to |
the character of this edition, to decide himself,
without implicitly following the text of any one
modern edition. AS the industry and learning OF
prior editors have furnished the collation. ofvarous
readings, and the authorities upon which they may
be supported, the task is no longer that ofaborous
Investigation, but, as it were, of judicial decision,
by contending argument.
AS smany of these variations are of nearly equal
and as some ofthem are doubtless the
authors own alterations at different periods, all the
more important readings will be presented to the
reader in the notes, for his selection. Those notes
will also contain so much OF commentary as may be |
Useful to explain antlquated words and phrases, OBJ
'curey expressed passages and illusions to obsolete
opinions or the habits or history of the times; the
whole in as condensed form as practicable. But
my commentary upon Shakespeare, however brief.
would be imperfect il it did not present some view
If the higher criticism employed, not on the inter
,retation of his language, but upon his thoughts,
lis character, his poetry, passions philosophy. The
'nly difficulty here arises from the abundance, the
he magnificent variety of the materials contributed
Turing the last half century, by the most brilliant
minds Of Europe. Still tits believed that this duty
an be satisfactorily performed, without swelling
he edition to an nconvenient bulk.
II. w. HEWETT, Publisher,
2Sl Broadway, New York.
ADMINISTRATORS SALE.
ON Monday the 4th day OF November, 1874,