The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-02
HAMLET OF EDWIN BOOTH.
ADDRESS TO woMEy's CENTURY
CLUB BY REV. w. ID. sIMoNDs.
where the Genius of shakespeare
Found a Fitting Exponent in the
Genius of the Great Ameri-

Rev. w. d. Simonds. OF the First rTni-
tartan Society delivered an interesting
address before the Women's Century Club
last Friday evening on THE Hamlet Of
Edwin Booth the great American ira
gedian, who had made life study OF
Shakespeare, and especially Of the charac-
ter OF Hamlet The following is an alb
stract of Rev. Mr.. simonds' address. which
was given TO a large and appreciative
audience:
Whenever we touch genius" said the
speaker, I'VE touch mystery. Talent can
be explained BY the laws OF cause and ef-
feet, but genius is a mystery as profound
as the universe Itself. Genius Is God Civ
ing Himself TO man, said Victor Hugo.
and with this definition we may as wei
be content In speaking of Hamlet We
enter at once the realm of mystery, for Ii
passes explanation that any mind should
have created the character of Hamlet
from the coarse material OF an ancient
legend OF lust and murder, unredeemed
by a single touch of art or fancy. Many
authors have attempted 10 make ugliness
beautiful ana crime attractive, but ever
with Indifferent success; yet from this un-
couth. savage and shocking legend of
coarse brutality Shakespeare fashioned
the rarest character In poetry or felton,
Hamlet. Prince of Denmark
Further. il may be said that all we
know or William Shakespeare iustifies us
In affirming that II is a mystery unex-
planned and unexplainabie that such a
Hamlet or either OF the greater Shakes
pearean plays. Born Of illiterate parents
reared In shabby English village, higher
education wholly beyond his reach nm
actor when actors were ranked with beg
CARS and thieves, a man, as the meagsr
record shows. OF sordid pursuits and nm
bitiens-it is almost beyond belief that a
man so conditioned conceived this trar
edy OF destiny. of dark. awful fate known
as 'Hamiet- IL has been well said that
other works Of the human mind equal
. n m cf ht,Sv tat
came such result from source so in
adequate? IL is the mystery OF genius.
again. II Is surely a mystery that
century, should have given the world the
ideal impersonator OF this most rare. gem
tie and noble prince.--Hamlet, at once
student, philosopher and poet. 1t might
nave oeen expected. perhaps, that Edwin
Booth, the one ideal Hamlet in the annals
OF the stage might have come to us as
the gift TO the world OF passionate Italy.
or artistic France, or dreamy Germany
or historic England. but from new and
rude America. without literature and
without dramatic attainments--never
farmhouse In the year 1888 A few years
of irregular attendance In the common
school comprised all az his educational
father. an actor Of great merit, on nu-
merous transforming expeditions Young
Booth was educated In the school OF
ro,n an h =; lie knew TIE discipline Of
q rude manners and rough speech. Men
given 10. drink and tobacco. TO swearing
and gambling, were his daily companlons
Trained In the theater from boyhood his
was the school of practical experience.
From this crude beginning, out OF peril
and temptation, Edwin Booth attained
the heights OF artistic and moral excel
lence. Sorrow laid Its heavy hand upon
him. Death, and crime worse than death,
and disappointment. heavy as a man may
bear. fell to the lot OF Edwin Booth And
50 II came 70 pass TINT Booth did not act
hamlet. He was Hamlet The lines
9 The Bard OF Avon had been written on
HIS soul and he uttered them as from the
depths Of experience. Booths Hamlet Was |
the embodiment OF spirit whose path
had been darkened and whose life mad |
been biighted by others crimes IL was
a picture, true 10 life, OF unmerlted stif- |
fering. OF vfcarfous sorrow And this h |
the secret OF that fascination which we |
all felt, and could never wholly explain |
MS we listened TO the Hamlet OF Edwin !
Booth.
For forty years Booth led the American |
stage In all that was admirable. and when |
he died the only fitting farewell seemed |
70 be the words written in the play he |
loved
Good night. sweet prince;
And nights or angels sing thee TO thy |
rest