The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1844-03-08
A NEW ERA

NEW ERA
SHAKS FARE
IN AMERICA:
| The Cheapest and most Splendidly Hunt
mated and Illustrated Edition of The Bard
Of ron euer Published
| EDITED RY THE
HON. GULIAN G. VERPLANCK.
ROBT. w. WEIR, ESQ.,,
will design, select and arrange the illustrations, of
which there will be about 400, 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 hereto
fore Appeared-in Illustrations, typograpy and paper
The form will be royal octave and win be issued in
weekly parts, price l2 cents which places it within
the means OF persons of the most limited fortunes
whilst on account of its peculiar beauty it will gain
itself admssioninto the libraries of the rch and there
| prove to be one of the choicest ornaments
! Those who wish this work in most perfect state
will only be of it by taking the parts as they ap
pear, which will contain the early proofs Of the
cravings.
The Tragedy of Hamlet is now in press The first
| part will be issued in March.
PROSPECTUS.
The PlcroRlAL 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 en-
craving, which by combining great excellence of ex.
eculion with economy of price, has given unprece-
denied diffusion to the most usefuas well as the most
| exquisite productions of the arts of Design.
The designs Of KENNY MEADOWS for the illustra-
tons of Tyas' edition of Shakespeare express the cha
racter OF the several personages, and the spirit of the
scene, with wonderful truth and power; whilst the
wood engraving of Knights Pictorial edition combine
with the highest merits of art and taste such learn
| ed and minute accuracy as to scenery, costume ar
chitecture and antiquity, as TO make them perpetual
and most instructive commentary upon the Poets
text. Ii is proposed to imbody in an AMERICAN
EDITION the admirable &strations of both these ed
lions, engraved with equal excellence of mechanical
execution to add to these, other engravines from
eminent artists as Reynolds, Flu ell S. Newton, &c.,
and to accompany them with beautifully printed
| and correct text.
| But the publisher anxious that his country should
I pay some part of the homage due from her to the
greatest OF Poets as to who belongs not solely to
ngland, but to all
WHO speak the tongue
| That Shakespeare spake,
could not content himself with mere republication
or compilation. He has therefore prevailed upon r.
| w. Weir. whose reputation as artist is already
| identified with his country's history, to contribute
series of original designs, together with such advice
and assistance in other details of art his taste may
suggest for the Illustration and establishment OF this
| publication. From the the publisher, in
stead Of reprlntng the text and commentary Of any
popular English impression DESTROYS that his edi
ton should have the supervision Of an American edi-
! tor. This tax has been undertaken by GULIAN
c. VERPLANCk.
! The plan proposed to himself by the editor is to
furnish the reader with a carefully prepared and
cur1tey printed text, unencumbered by any notes or
| as eyer ful
they may be here, they too apt TO divert the
mind from the power Of the Poets thought ano TO
disturb the magic of his scene. Such notes as may
be thought useful for the explanation criticism of
| the text, will be thrown into Appendix to each
play
| The text of Shakspeares dramatic works, drawn
from old printed copies in his age, Which had never
passed under the authors eye was consequently
dishgured by many errors and obscurties Ii passed
during the last century through succession Of vary
ing editions until the revision Of Stevens and Malone
whose text Tor rather that Of Stevens 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 a more minute and familiar acquaintance with
| old English idoms, b abits and MODES Of thought
guided by intense and constantly increasing adm-
ration for Sbakspeares e MUS, has led to the strong
conviction that very many Of the numerous though
slight devatoDs from the ancient text appearing in
modern editions are useless erroneous nterpola-
| tons sometimes weakening the sense and often SUBJ
shutting arbitrary mouotonous merical regularity
to the Poets own native melody. Accordingly very
many Of these emendstions have been rejected by the
last and best English EDITORS especially Mr.. knight
and Mr. Collier and the readings of the old folos and
quartos have been restored unless where some
Of the press or manuscript was undeniably manifest
Yet there many such passages confessedly cor
rupt, and requiring conjectural emendaton there
are also differences Of reading between the several
old impressions, afording grounds for some diversity
Of text and warm controversy between the more re-
| cent editors.
Upon these the American editor thinks il due TO
the character Of this edition, to decide for himself
without implicitly following the text of any mod
crn edition As the industry and learning of prior
editors have furnished the collation. Of various read
ings and the authorities upon which they may be sup
ported the task longer that of aborious nvesti
CATION but IT were, of judicial decision enlighep-
ed by contending argument.
As many of these variations are of nearly equal
probability, and some of them doubtless the
thors alterations at different periods all the more
important readings will be presented to the reader in
the notes for his own seec ion Those notes will also
contain much of commentary as may be useful to
explain sntquaed words and phrases, obscurely ex-
pressed passages, and illusions TO obsolete opinions
the habits history of the times; the whole In as
condensed a form as practicable. But any common
tary upon Sbsks pcare however brief, would be i'm
perfect if it did not present view Of the higher
criticism employed, not on the Interpretation OF his
language, but upon ms thoughts ms character, MS
poetry, passions, philosophy. The only difficulty here
arises from be abundance, the magnificent variety OF
the materials contributed during the last half century
by the most brilliant minds of Europe Still be-
eved tina, this duty can be satisfactorily performed
without swelling the edition to an nconvenient bulk
II. w. HEWET, Publisher,
!, 2Sl Broadway.
Any editor giving the above Prospectus 10 or IL
Insertions aud an occasional notice of the work du
ring its progress will be regularly served with the
numbers they appear, in exchange for their papers
| Feb l3-h