credit from utter prostration to the highest point, gained for him the reputation of a great financier. In 1795 he resigned his office, but later was active in politics as a leader of the Federal party. In 1804, through a political difference, he was involved in a duel with Aaron Burr, in which he was mortally wounded, July 11, and died the next day. See Lives by Morse and by Lodge.
Hamilton, Gail. See Dodge, Mary Abigail.
Hamilton, O., the county-seat of Butler County, is built on both sides of the Miami River. The city owns and operates its own gas and water works. It has thriving factories, which are operated by a system of hydraulics fed by the river, which is turned from its channel into an immense reservoir, while waterpower is also obtained from the canal. Many of these factories have been established in the past few years, and they produce paper, flour, woolen goods, agricultural implements, machinery, tools and iron. Four railroads connect the city with all parts of the country. The public schools occupy fine buildings and take high rank. Population 35,279.
Hamilton, a city of Ontario, Canada, at the western end of Lake Ontario. It is handsomely situated, the residences extending up the slope of “The Mountain,” at the foot of which the business portion lies. The streets are wide and shaded with trees, many of the houses and public buildings being among the finest in Canada. It is an important railroad-center, stands at the head of lake-navigation, and in manufacturing industries almost excels any other city in Canada. Population about 73,542.
Hamilton, Sir William, a metaphysician, the most acute logician and most learned philosopher of the Scottish school, was born in 1788 at Glasgow, where his father and grandfather in succession held the chairs of anatomy and botany. Having studied with distinction at Glasgow, in 1809 he entered Balliol College, Oxford, where he gained first-class honors. In 1813 he was admitted to the Scottish bar, but never acquired a practice in his profession, his taste lying much more toward the study of philosophy, in which he had already made extensive researches. In 1829 the publication in the Edinburgh Review of his celebrated critique of Cousin's system of philosophy gave him a first place among the philosophical writers of the time. This was followed in 1830 by his criticism of the philosophic writings of Dr. Thomas Brown, the colleague of Dugald Stewart. In 1836 he was appointed to the chair of logic and metaphysics in Edinburgh University. Here he gathered about him a number of ardent students, and re-established the fame of the Scottish school of metaphysicians, which had begun to wane. In 1846 he published an annotated edition of the works of Thomas Reid and, in 1854, the first volume of a similar edition of the works of Dugald Stewart. He died suddenly at Edinburgh on May 6, 1856.
Ham′let, the greatest of the tragedies of Shakespeare, generally ranked first among dramas, deals with the ancient Danish story of a mythical or semimythical Prince of Jutland, named Amleth or Hamlet. But Shakespeare has dealt with this story in such a way that the tale is true for all time. “It is we who are Hamlet,” said Hazlitt. The story, as told by Shakespeare, opens with Hamlit's vision of the ghost of his father. The ghost reveals to Hamlet what his prophetic soul had already suspected, that his uncle and mother were guilty of the murder of the late king, his father, who now demands vengeance. The tragedy hangs upon the strife within Hamlet's breast between the duty of vengeance thus laid upon him and his natural shrinking from violent action. After an interval of real or feigned madness, probably the latter, Hamlet takes the vengeance which has been forced upon him by the plots against his own life, and himself perishes in the act. The drama is marked by great situations, noble speeches and an unequaled mastery of the workings of the inmost souls of men. The text of the play is chiefly based upon the first folio edition of Shakespeare's collected works (1623) and the quarto edition of 1604. There are evidences that Shakespeare worked upon this drama at intervals during the greater part of his active literary career. Among the most famous passages in Hamlet may be mentioned the advice of Polonius to his son and the soliloquy beginning: “To be or not to be, that is the question.”
Ham′lin, Hannibal, an American statesman, was born at Paris, Me., Aug. 27, 1809. He was a lawyer of prominence, was speaker of the state legislature in 1837-40, member of congress in 1842-44 and United States senator during 1848-57. Though previously a Democrat, he left his party because he was opposed to the extension of slavery, and was elected governor of Maine by the Republicans in 1857. The same year he resigned, and returned to the senate. In 1860 he was elected vice-president of the United States, serving under Lincoln from 1861 to 1865. He was again a member of the senate during 1869-81, and was minister to Spain in 1881-82. He died at Bangor, Maine, July 4, 1891.
Ham′merfest, a town in the province of Finmark, Norway. On account of its high latitude (70°, 40′, 10″) the sun remains above the horizon from the middle of May till the end of July. It has a considerable amount of trade with Norwegian, Danish, Russian, English and German
