&I0 



THEATRE AT PAHlS. 



he is ordered to wreak his vengeance on Clodius, But f 

 alas, Hamlet is enamoured of the daughter of this 

 courtier, the charming Ophelia. What is to be done i 

 Hamlet is really fo much in love with Ophelia, that he 

 ardently wifhes to make her his wife ; he does not ban^ 

 ter her, as Shakefpeare's does his Ophelia." 



Again a characleriftic feature of the genius of the 

 nation. The French reckon it highly indecent to make 

 game of even the moft defpicable fille. Allurements 

 thrown out to whet the paffions, in which the germans 

 and englifli indulge themfelves, are held mocking by 

 them. Their delicacy on this head feems almoft pe- 

 dantic, and their veneration for the female fex nearly- 

 bordering on fervility : but to me this feature is one of 

 the fineft in the french character. It is proximately 

 derived from the regard which confideration has for 

 weaknefs, and is founded in true greatnefs of foul. If 

 this feature is fometimes made ridiculous by fops, yet 

 it will certainly ever find refpect with fedate and well- 

 educated men in France. Again, from this trait arifes 

 the culture of the female fex in France, which is in no 

 nation carried farther than here. 



" Both the mother and the miftrefs prefs Hamlet to 

 difclofe to them the caufe of his declining health, and 

 the dejection of his fpiri'ts. He declares it to his mo- 

 ther, but not with the mirror in his hand ; as fuch a 

 method no fon dare uie to a mother on the french the- 

 atre, even though fhe mould order him to be boiled 

 alive in oil." 



The decorum of the ftage here once more compels 

 the french poet to facrifice a fcene, which generally 

 paffes for one of the fineft in the whole play of Shakel- 

 6 peare. 



