CHARACTER of HAMLET. 253 



juftly put to death by her fon. It is true indeed, the king had 

 intended to poifon, not the-queen, but Hamlet ; but neither 

 the court, nor Hamlet himfelf, knew this ; none but Laer- 

 tes was privy to it; and as he immediately expired without 

 faying more, the fecret was to laft for ever. 



Hamlet, therefore, could have but little caufe to fear that 

 he fhould leave a wounded name behind him for thus revenging 

 his mother's death. What troubled him, was the thought that 

 pofterity would condemn him for not having, before that time, 

 revenged the murder of his father. This was the reproach 

 with which he had often charged himfelf ', for at the beginning 

 he had refolved to act quite otherwife, and had exprefsly pro- 

 mifed to his father's ghoft, with the utmoft fpeed to avenge the 

 murder. 



Hafte me to know it (faid he in the firft act) that I with 



wings as fwift 

 As meditation or the thoughts of love, 

 May fweep to my revenge. 



His fervent defire now therefore, was, that Horatio, who 

 knew all, might furvive him, not merely to reveal the murder 

 of his father, but to make known to all men the infinite indig- 

 nation which this excited in him, and the plan of vengeance 

 which he had laid. Horatio, for this purpofe, would de- 

 fcribe the two great and leading features in the character of 

 Hamlet, pointed out by the finger of Shakespeare himfelf, 

 that " noble heart," and that " fweetnefs," with which at once 

 he was diflinguifhed. Upon the latter of thefe two, Horatio 

 would particularly explain the fcheme of counterfeiting mad- 

 nefs, which that fweetnefs had fuggefted ; and which, at the 

 fame time, would fave Hamlet from paffing for a real mad- 

 man in the opinion of pofterity. 



As 



