"--Decker's _Lanthorne and Candle-light, or the
Bellman's Second Nights-Walke_, 1609, a tract which was reprinted under
more than one different title.
Mr. Collier, in his _Farther Particulars_, 1839, cites a very curious
passage--"a trout, Hamlet, with four legs"--which is given as a
proverbial line in Clarke's _Paroemiologia Anglo-Latina_ (or _Proverbs
English and Latin_), 1639. It is unnecessary to be too curious in
searching for the exact meaning of the phrase, but, as Dr. Ingleby
suggested to me, it is in all probability taken from the older play of
_Hamlet_, which does not appear to have been entirely superseded at once
by the new, or at least was long remembered by play-goers.
The preceding notices may fairly authorize us to infer that the ancient
play of _Hamlet_--1. Was written by either an attorney or an attorney's
clerk, who had not received a university education; 2. Was full of
tragical, high-sounding speeches; 3. Contained the passage "There are
things called whips in store," spoken by Hamlet; 4. Included a very
telling brief speech by the Ghost in the two words "Hamlet, revenge!" 5.
Was acted at the theatre in Shoreditch and at the playhouse at Newington
Butts; 6. Had for its principal character a hero exhibiting more general
violence than can be attributed to Shakespeare's creation of Hamlet.
Pages:
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501