The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-07-05
ap A NEW ERA OF 7.sz .
SHAKESPEARE IN AMERICA!
The Cheapest and most splaadidly Illuminated
and Illustrated Edition of the Bard
Of .dvon, euer published. a....

The Cheapest and most spleadidly illuminate
and Illustrated Edition of the Bard 80
Of .avon, euer published. se..
Edited by The
i HON. GULLdJV C. P.ERPL.AyVCK.
ROBERT w. WEIR, Esq. will design, select
and arrange the illustrations, of which there will b.
about 400, executed on wood, in the very bes
style of the modern school of that art.
In submitting the Prospectus of the Editor to th
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 ant
paper. The form will be royal octave, and will b.
issued in weekly parts, price IL and half cents
which places it within the means of persons of ths
most limited fortunes, whilst on account ofits pecu
liar beauty it will gain itself admission into the Ii
braes Of the rich, and there prove to be of thu
choicest ornaments.
| Those who wish this work in the most perfect
state will only be Of it by taking the parts
they appear, which will contain the early proofs o
the Engravings.
The Tragedy of Hamlet is now in press-The
first part will be issued in March.
PROSPECTUS.
The PIoToRIAL and ILLUSTRATED Editions oi
SHAKESPEARE, lately published in England, arc
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 of price, 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 O.
dion, combine with the highest merits of art and
taste, such learned and minute accuracy as TO see
merry, costume, architecture and antiquity, as to
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, ,anxiousI that his country should
pay some part of the homage due from her to the
greatest of Poets, 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 ROBERT w. WEIR, whose reputation as an
Artist is already identified with his country's histo-
ry, to contribute series of Oriental Designs, to-
tails ofart, as his taste may suggest for the ilustra
ton and establishment of this publication. From
the same reaSon the publisher, instead ofreprinting
the text and commentary of any popular English
impression, was desirous 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-
curately printed text, by anynotes or
comments upon the page itself; as however useful
they may be elsewhere, they too apt to divert
the mind from the power of the Poets thought, and
to disturb the magic of his scene. Such notes as
may be thought useful for the explanation criti-
cism of the text, will be put into an Appendix to
each play.
The text of fShakspeare's dramatic works, drawn
from old printed copies in his age, which hadnever
passed under the authors own eye, was conse-
quently disfgured by many errors and absurdities.
1tpassed during the last century through success
sion of varying editions until the revision of Ste
vens and Malone, whose text, (or 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, more minute and fa-
miliar acquaintance with old English idioms hab-
its and modes of thought, guided by an intense and
constantly increasing admiration for Shakspeare's
genius, has led to the strong conviction that very
many of the numerous though slight devations
from the ancient text, appearing in modern editions,
are useless or erroneous interpretations, sometimes
weakening the sense, and often substituting an ar
bitrary monotonous, merical regularity, to the Po-
cts own native melody. Accordingly, very many
OF these enendatons have been rejected by the last
and best English editors, especially Mr. Knight and
Mr. Collier, and the readings of the old foos and
quartos have been restored, unless where some er-
ror Of the press or manuscript was undenably man
lfest. Yet there are many such passages confess |
sedly corrupt, requiring conjectural emendations;
there are also difference of reading between the |
several old impressions afording 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
orer editors have furnished the collation. of various
'sadings, and the authorities upon which they may
supported, the task is no longer that ofIaborous
nyestigation, but, as it were, of judicial decision,
enlightened by contending argument.
AS many ofthese variations are of nearly equal
probability, and as some ofthem are doubtless the
uhors own alterations at different periods, all the
more important readings will be presented to the
eader in the notes, for his selection. Those notes
will also contain SO much OF commentary as NAV be
seful to explain antquated words and phrases, OBJ
curey expressed passages and illusions to obsolete
pinions, or the habits history of the times; the
Whole in as condensed form as practicable. But
ny commentary upon Shakespeare, however brief.
gould be imperfect il it did not present some view
the higher criticism employed, not on the inter-
rotation of his language, but upon his thoughts,
is character poetry, passions, philosophy The
My difficulty here arises from the abundance, the
ne magnificent variety of the materials contributed
uring the last half century, by the most brilliant
linds of Europe. Still it is believed that this duty
anbe satisfactorily performed, without swelling
le edition to an inconvenient bulk.
H. w. HEWETT, Publisher,
2Sl Broadway, New York.