New-York tribune., 1876-04-25
COUNT HAMLET JOANNES.

1t is the privilege Of great minds to reverse
the established convictions of mankind Last night, at
the Academy Of Music the Count tJoannesfayOring him
self with complimentary benefit, by way Of securing
consideration for the anniversary OF the Birth Of Shake
speare-turned his great mind loose upon Hamlet
and totally reversed so to speak, the engines Of hunn
thought as to this subject. Those who have
deemed Hamlet a man for whom all things make
misery and who il a source OF anguish to himself are
wrong He seen last night, TO be the perfect well
spring OF bliss T0Ods made people merrier than
the Count Joannes, Hamlet made about 800 persons
in the Academy on this occasion and that immOrtazed
300 learned n-what they will never forgct-that
Hamlet comic character and that the true way TO
play HIM Is the unbeaten way OF Jones.
IL was $50 when the Count on wearing black
cotton gloves and little cOronet and began TINS nstruc
tive disclosure and 1t 1135 when he wound up inc
momentous process By that time the studious observer
had found out that Hamlet should be represented as
ricketty laDternjawed old person, ornamened WIN
big dyed mustache gifted with the smile OF rejoicing
tom-cat. jerky to gait thin and aciduious as 70
vocal tones, as metallic alike in Temperament
and manifestation as japanned coa-scuttle and much
abducted TO square-cut gesture and general prosness
such al any rate the Hamlet OF the Count Joannes
and surely so erude scholar and 80 giited an art'
could have done nothing that he dld not In
tend to do. 1t new ideal that the
noble 800 saw, and they now know that Hd"ld
should
French WAITER the suavity of lecturer on biology aud
the general effect OF travelling chiropodst In mere
ncldentas too they know that he should be very differ
ent from anything they ever saw before. lie should
often osculate his fathers picture He houdbe ATTENDED
by a special Page, to whom he may deliver his eorohsh
before he expresses the wish TO mel-for coronetsar
costly and must not be sent to the crucibe lie
must be shaky in the right leg and Sunny
on the loft. He must frequently draw bis
f;ttTo He sword
arms" anu trot off, when he kills Poonius; and having
embelished the text OF Shakespeare with number Of
lines and phrases never before Spoken 10
must omit many important passages, Do
cause ho cannot remember them, and boteh
by bad reading the most OF those that
ne may happen to call to mind. And, finally, he must
cut ont whole scenes here and there from the tragedy
fight Laeytes with dagger as well as rapier and got
through all OF this with about the notion and emotion.
NJ an old barn door that creaks its broken hngsm
the wind OF a day in March.
Reforms are slow in making their way, and we 90 no'
expect to witness precpitate adoption OF the ngsnae
and obviously correct method OF the Count Joannes
in Hamlet. Those similarly gifted benss
vino, in the ustrious future. may follow
out the plan thus indicated will doubtless like the Cour
be rewarded-and in the same way They will conjars
up Just such surroundings and be greeted with just such
an uproar They will have baldheaded and inaudiOs
Polonius in spectacles who will whisper bis part
and look as II he had called In to couea
the gas bill They will have Ghost who wears tai
aud seems II clothed In dirty cobweh and they WIN
frfghtcn him when they see him, just as the Count
frightened his Ciaudius last night Hair Will grow
upon tho nose OF their Rosenerant;-ln green
stockings cr0ssgartered with white - and thei
King will away at the last moment
and have to be for to come back and be killed Ana
at last they will recciveso rs the Count did upon taa
occasion-a tribute of old carpet footstoos in pace0
the tender nosegay Of more rarihed admrr
tion. We congratulate them on the prospect
and chcerfully extend our congratulations to theh
learned and modest exemplar. He displayed himself
his BEST and more endearcd himself to the pub
lie whom he edifes At 11:i5 the Count was speaking
before the curtain and had begun 20 recte sketch
the Life Of Shakespeare while the words OF his Quce'
Mother still echoed in memory, No more, sweet heay