The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-02-19
v ERA
S II A X S
IN AMERICA r 7

SHAKS.
IN AMERICA RE
The Cheapest and most s..
ndfed and illustrated EditfS;dly Hl,lmi-
o. aeon ever published. The Bard
i EDITED RY THE
HON GuLlAN G. VERPLAN..
ROBT. w. WEIR, ESQ
VIII design, select and arrange the iIlus,r,,;oN
IN ,ha ..o.e WI, DC ABOUT 400, executed on woT
IN the very best STYLE of the modern scnooH VOC
art. "o' Oh that
m submitting The Prospectus of the Editor TO A.,
public, the publisher has only TO add thai no vs III,
spare neither expense nor pains to make this edition
'hc worlds foet superior to any that has hereto
fore appeared-in illustrations typogropy and no nsr
| Inc form will be royal oozavo aud will be issued in
weekly parts price ~ CENTS which places il within
lhe means Of persons of the most limited fortunes
WHIST on account OF its peculiar beauty il will gain
INTO the Libraries the rich, and there
prove to be one of the choices, ornaments
dhose who wish this work in most perfect STATE
VIII oniy De sure oil It by taking the parts as they an
pear which will contain the early proofs of the en-
cravings. '"0 Gil
The Tragedy of Hamlet is now in press The frs,
part will be issued in March.
PROSPECTUS.
The PIcToRIAL and ILLusrRArrp editions or
SHAKESPEARE, lately published in England are
"e'' wig must oeautiiui specimens of the recent
ana remarkable improvement of the art of wood on
CRAVING, which by combining great excellence of ey
1ou,oa WIN economy OF price, has given an unprece
denied diffusion to the useful as well as the mo
exquisite productions of the arts of Design
ihe designs OF kENSY MEADOW for the ilIustr,
liohs oil vas edition OF Shakespeare express the cha
racter OF The several personages and the sprt of The
scene, win wonderful truth and power; whilst the
wood engraving OF knights Pictorial edition comb;ne
WIN le highest merits Of art and taste such learn
QUO 'nnu'e accuracy as to scenery, costume ar
chec'ure and antiquity as TO make them perpe,ual
ana most instructive commentary upon the Poe,,s
text IL is now proposed to mbody in AN An.s,c.,
EDITION the admirable illustrations of both these 81
IONS engraved with equal excellence of mechanical
execution, to add to these, other ener,vings e. |
eminent artists, as Reynolds, Flu ell S New To-, Sc |
ana 10 accompany them with a beautifully printed
and correct text p'"'''o
But the publisher, anxious that his coun,,v sboll
pay some part OF the homage due from her 10 The |
greatest OF Poets, as to one VITO belongs No, so,.,
England but to all IVY "
- who speak The tongue
That Shakespeare spakc,
could not content himself with mere rehabilitation
OF compilation lie has therefore prevailed upon r.
W Weir, whose reputation as an artist /, already
idehthed with his countrys history to contribute
series oil original designs, together with such advice
ano ASSISTANCE an other details Of his taste NAV
suggest for the illustration and establishment of,bis
publication. From the same reason the pubJisher IN.
stead OF rePrnting the text and commentary of any
popular English impression, DESTROYS that his edi-
uoh should have the supervision of an American edi-
Wi, Inns ts.k bas been undertaken by GULIAN
c. NERPLANCk.
The plan proposed TO himself by the editor is 70
furnish the reader with carefully prepared and ac
cur1tely printed text unencumbered by any notes or
comments upon the page itself; however useful
hey may be elsewhere, they too apt 10 divert the
mind from the power of the Poets thought, ana 10
i'siaro the magic oil hls scene. Such notes as may
be thought useful for the explanation or criticism Of
he text, will be thrown into an Appendix TO each
play
The text Of Shakspeare's dramatic works. drawn
rom old printed copies in his age, ich had never
passed under the authors own eve was conseauenlv
lishgured by many errors and obscurtcs II passed
luring the last century through succession f vary
ng editions until the revision OF Stevens aud Malone
hose text, (or rather that OF Steyens) has become
he standard from which most Of the English and
american editions have been printed, with various ,
egrees Of accuracy. But within the last twenty
ears more minute and familiar quaintance with |
ia bfgiish idoims, abIts and moces Of thought |
uded by an intense and constantly increasing admi-
aon Tor Shakspesre's genius, has led the strong
convection That very many Of the numerous though
light deyiaons from the ancient text appearing in
modern editnns are useless erroneous inerpola-
ions, sometimes weakening the sense and often sub
u.u'ing an arbitrary monotonous mericsl regularity
o the Poets own native melody. Accordingly very
asst and bet English editors especially MIR Knight
I'd Mr. Collier and the readings of the old folos and
uartos have been restored unlers where some error
the press or manuscript was undenably manifest y
'et There are many such passages confessedly cor
upt, and requiring conjeotursl emend ton there "
re also differences Of reading between the several -
I'd Impressions afording grounds for some diversity ~
text and warm controversy between the more re. :.
ent editors. -
Upon these, the American editor thinks il due TO "
,c character of this edition TO decide for himself
boui implicitly following the text OF any one mod m
m edition As the industry and learning of prior IN
liors have furnished the collation. of various read
gs and the authorities upon which they may be sun IA
ored, the task is no longer that Of aborous nves az
stipn, but, as II were, OF Judicial decision cnlghten M
by contonding argument. or
As many of these variat ons are of nearly canal W
reliability, and some OF them doubtless the au- ~
ors own alterations at different periods, all the more
nportant readings will he presented the reader in ca
u notes for his selection Those notes will also ar
'ntain so much OF commentary may be useful to Sc
IpsIn snqused words aud phrases, obscurely OK. ne
essed passages and illusions TO obsolete opinions te
the habits history Of the times the whole in as ST.
ndensed form as practicable. But any common. | no
ry upon Shskspearc however brief would be i'm an
rfoct II it did not present view OF the higher &c
it'ci.m employed not on the Interpretation OF his
nguage, but upon his thoughts, his character his ma
e,ry, passions, philosophy. The only difficulty here
isos from The abundance, the magnificent variety Of
materials contributed during the last half century -
The most brilliant minds OF Europe. Still it IS be-
we'd that this duty can be satisfactorily performed
ihout swelling the edition to an inconvcnicnt bulk
VI. w HEWET, Publisher, ro'
2sl Broadway. P'
Any editor giving the above Prospectus 10 or IL ar,
sertsons and occasional notice OF the work du- ,r
Tia u hA " fh~l