264 An ESSAY on the 



Sensibility, for example, making a linking figure in this 

 character, has been thought to be the fole bafis of it, without 

 considering that mere fenfibility cannot excite a tragic intereft ; 

 cannot attach ; cannot overwhelm ; and indeed feems unable to 

 make any other impreffion but that of pain, when viewed apart 

 from the caufe in which it acts, and from the other qualities with 

 which it is conjoined. Neither can a sense of virtue be ad- 

 mitted as the only ruling principle ; for even this does not fuf- 

 ficiently account for the intereft ; and both fyftems fail in ex- 

 plaining the inefficiency of the character, which refults from the 

 foft and amiable, and hence, in a great degree, the interefting parts 

 of it. For in both, the gentlenefs of Hamlet, the great impedi- 

 ment to the action, has been overlooked ; although, to fupply its 

 place, a weaknefs and irrefolution, fometimes deduced from 

 exceflive fenfibility, fometimes from melancholy, are recurred 

 to in the former, but which are certainly of a tranfient dura- 

 tion, 'while gentlenefs was a permanent quality; and, in the lat- 

 ter, while the fame office is allotted to irrefolution, the irrefo- 

 lution itfelf is deduced from the moral faculty, fufpending and 

 abating refentment ; but which furely would fuppofe, what 

 cannot be admitted, that the pious and noble revenge of Ham- 

 let had fomething morally blameable in its nature. Two elegant 

 and ingenious publications are here alluded to* j but in both of 

 them, the ground taken is, I humbly think, too narrow; and 

 this feems to have been the caufe, why recourfe has been had to 

 refinements, in order to ftretch it out. Facts certainly fupply 

 us here with two principles at leaft, fenfibility and gentlenefs ; 

 and there hence feems no neceffity for refolving the whole 

 conduct of Hamlet imo the former, as is done in one of 

 thefe publications. Neither are we to recur, fometimes to 



the 



* The one anonymous, in No. 99. and ICO. of the Minor ; the other, the Anolyfis of 

 Hamlet, by Mr Richardson. 



