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  • Aug. 1, 1796
  • Page 24
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The Freemasons' Magazine, Aug. 1, 1796: Page 24

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    Article ESSAYS ON SUBJECTS CONNECTED WITH HISTORY AND CLASSICAL LEARNING. ← Page 2 of 6 →
Page 24

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Essays On Subjects Connected With History And Classical Learning.

privileged souls , in sight of irreproachable witnesses , the pantomimic art produced such great effects . At Rome , in the best days of this art , all the sentiments , whicli the dancers expressed , had each such a character of truth , so great a power , such pathetic energy , that the multitude was more than once , seen hurried away by the illusion , and mechanically taking part in the . different emotions presented to them by the animated picture with

. which they were struck . In the representation of Ajax in a frenzy the spectators took such violent impressions from the acting-dancer who represented him , that they' perfectly broke out into outcries ; stripped , as it were , to fight ; and actually came to blows among each . other , as if they had caught their rage from what was passing on the theatre . At another time they melted into tears at the tender

affliction of Hecuba . And upon whom were these lively impressions produced ? . Upon the cotemporaries of Mecaenas , of Luculius , Augustus , Virgil , and Pollio - , upon men of the most refined taste , whose criticism was as severe as their approbation honourable ; who never spared their censure , or their applause , where either was due . Plow , especially under the eyes of Horace , could any thing pass the approbation of the public , unless under the seal of excellence , in point of art and good taste ? Would Augustus have declared himself

the special patron of a kind of entertainment , that had been deficient as to probability and genius ? Ys ^ ould Mectenas , the protector of Virgil , and of all the fine arts , have been pleased with a sight that was not a striking imitation of beautiful nature ? Both . here * , and in France , there have been some of these dramatic pieces in action , by dance ,-attempted , which have been well received bthe publicSome the Duchess of Maine

y . years ago , ordered ' symphonies to be composed for the scene of the fourth act of the Horatii , in which the young Horatius kills Camilla . Two dancers , one of each sex , represented this action at Sceaux ; and their dance painted it with all the energy and pathos of which it was susceptible . In Italy , especially ^ many subjects of what may be called low comedy , are very naturall y expressed by dancing . In

short , there is hardly any comic action , but what they represent upon their theatres , if not with perfection , at least satisfactorily . And , certainly , the dance in action has'the same superiority over mere unmeaning dancing , that a fine history-piece has over cutting flowers in paper . In the last there is little more required than mechanical nicety ; and , at the best , it affords no great pretension to merit . But it is only for genius to order , distribute , and compose , in the other . . Among the . ancients , that Proteus , of whom fabulous history records such wonders , was only one of their dancers , who , by the ra-

“The Freemasons' Magazine: 1796-08-01, Page 24” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 29 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fmm/issues/fmm_01081796/page/24/.
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Title Category Page
Untitled Article 1
Untitled Article 2
LONDON: Article 2
TO READERS , CORRESPONDENTS , Sec. Article 3
THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE, AND CABINET 0F UNIVERSAL LITERATURE. Article 4
A DEFENCE OF MASONRY, Article 4
A CHARGE DELIVERED TO THE MEMBERS OF THE UNION LODGE, Article 8
HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE OF WILLIAM OF WYKEHAM. Article 10
ON THE CAUSES OF THE HIGH PRICE OF CORN. Article 17
DESCRIPTION OF THE KINGDOM OF MOROCCO. Article 19
ON FEMALE EDUCATION. Article 21
ESSAYS ON SUBJECTS CONNECTED WITH HISTORY AND CLASSICAL LEARNING. Article 23
LOUIS XII. KING OF FRANCE. Article 28
DEATH OF THE GREAT MARSHAL TURENNE. Article 29
CURIOUS PARTICULARS RELATIVE TO THE JEWS. Article 31
Untitled Article 34
DESCRIPTION OF A PORTABLE GYN, FOR MOUNTING OR DISMOUNTING ORDNANCE: Article 36
EXCERPTA ET COLLECTANEA. Article 38
THE POISONOUS QUALITY OF MUSCLES CONSIDERED. Article 42
To the EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE. Article 43
REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. Article 44
POETRY. Article 52
ODE TO FANCY. Article 53
A POETICAL REVERIE ON THE GOUT. Article 54
ON SEEING A VERY SENSIBLE WOMAN WEEPING, WITH A BEAUTIFUL CHILD AT HER SIDE, IN THE SAME SITUATION. Article 55
ON THE AUTHOR OF THE BALLAD CALLED THE CHILDREN IN THE WOOD. Article 56
A PIECE FROM A SERIOUS MUSICAL COMPOSITION. Article 57
MASONIC INTELLIGENCE. Article 58
MONTHLY CHRONICLE. Article 60
HOME NEWS. Article 62
OBITUARY. Article 66
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Page 24

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Essays On Subjects Connected With History And Classical Learning.

privileged souls , in sight of irreproachable witnesses , the pantomimic art produced such great effects . At Rome , in the best days of this art , all the sentiments , whicli the dancers expressed , had each such a character of truth , so great a power , such pathetic energy , that the multitude was more than once , seen hurried away by the illusion , and mechanically taking part in the . different emotions presented to them by the animated picture with

. which they were struck . In the representation of Ajax in a frenzy the spectators took such violent impressions from the acting-dancer who represented him , that they' perfectly broke out into outcries ; stripped , as it were , to fight ; and actually came to blows among each . other , as if they had caught their rage from what was passing on the theatre . At another time they melted into tears at the tender

affliction of Hecuba . And upon whom were these lively impressions produced ? . Upon the cotemporaries of Mecaenas , of Luculius , Augustus , Virgil , and Pollio - , upon men of the most refined taste , whose criticism was as severe as their approbation honourable ; who never spared their censure , or their applause , where either was due . Plow , especially under the eyes of Horace , could any thing pass the approbation of the public , unless under the seal of excellence , in point of art and good taste ? Would Augustus have declared himself

the special patron of a kind of entertainment , that had been deficient as to probability and genius ? Ys ^ ould Mectenas , the protector of Virgil , and of all the fine arts , have been pleased with a sight that was not a striking imitation of beautiful nature ? Both . here * , and in France , there have been some of these dramatic pieces in action , by dance ,-attempted , which have been well received bthe publicSome the Duchess of Maine

y . years ago , ordered ' symphonies to be composed for the scene of the fourth act of the Horatii , in which the young Horatius kills Camilla . Two dancers , one of each sex , represented this action at Sceaux ; and their dance painted it with all the energy and pathos of which it was susceptible . In Italy , especially ^ many subjects of what may be called low comedy , are very naturall y expressed by dancing . In

short , there is hardly any comic action , but what they represent upon their theatres , if not with perfection , at least satisfactorily . And , certainly , the dance in action has'the same superiority over mere unmeaning dancing , that a fine history-piece has over cutting flowers in paper . In the last there is little more required than mechanical nicety ; and , at the best , it affords no great pretension to merit . But it is only for genius to order , distribute , and compose , in the other . . Among the . ancients , that Proteus , of whom fabulous history records such wonders , was only one of their dancers , who , by the ra-

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