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  • Aug. 1, 1796
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The Freemasons' Magazine, Aug. 1, 1796: Page 25

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    Article ESSAYS ON SUBJECTS CONNECTED WITH HISTORY AND CLASSICAL LEARNING. ← Page 3 of 6 →
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Essays On Subjects Connected With History And Classical Learning.

pidity of his steps , by the strength of his expression , and by the . employment of the theatrical deceptions , seemed , at every instant , to change his form . The celebrated Empusa was a female dancer , whose agility was so prodigious , that she appeared and vanished like a spirit . But it was at Rome that the pantomime art received its highest improvement . Piladesborn iu Ciliciaand Bathillusof Alexandria

, , , , were the two most surprising geniuses , who , under the reign of Augustus Ca _ sar , displayed their talents in their utmost lustre . The first invented the solemn , grave , and pathetic dances . The compositions of Bathillus were in the livel y , gay , and sprigntly style . Bathillus had been the slave of Mecsenas , who hacl given him his freedom in favour of his talents . Having seen Pilades in Ciliciahe engaged

, him to come to Rome , where he had disposed Mecamas in his favour , who , becoming the declared protector of both , procured to them the encouragement of the emperor . A theatre was built for them ; the Romans Hocked to it , and saw , with surprise , a complete tragedy ; all the passions painted with the most vigorous strokes of representation ; the exposition , plot , catastrophe , expressed in the clearest and most '

pathetic manner , without any-other means , or assistance , but that of action , executed to symphonies the best adapted , and far superior to any that had been before heard in Rome . Their surprise was not to end here . To this a second entertainment succeeded ; in which an ingenious action , without needing the voice or speech , presented all the charactersall the pleasant strokesand humorous picturesof a

, , , good comedy . And , in both these kinds , the talents pf Pilades and Bathillus corresponded to the boldness and beauty of the kind of compositions they had ventured to bring on the stage . Pilades especially , who was at the head of this project , was the most singular man that had till then appeared on the theatre . Llis fertile imagination constantly supplied him with new means of perfecting his artand

, embellishing his entertainments . Athenams mentions his having written a book , much esteemed , on the depths and principles of his . art . Before him , some flutes composed the orchestra of the Romans . He reinforced it with all the known instruments . He added

choruses of dances to his representations , and took care that their steps and figures should ahvays have some relation or affinity to the principal action . He provided them with dresses in the highest taste of propriety , and omitted nothing towards producing , keeping up , and pushing to the highest pitch , the charm of theatrical illusion . The actions on the Roman theatres were tragic , comic , or satirical ; these last pretty near ! } ' answering to what we understand by

grotesque , or farcical . Esopus and Roscius had been , from their excellence in declamation , the delight and admiration of Rome . . . . But , on their leaving no successors to their degree of merit , the taste for dramatic poetry , which was no longer supported by actors equal to them , began to decline ; and the theatrical dances , under such great masters as Pilades and Bathillus , either by their novelty , or b y their merit , or b y both , i

“The Freemasons' Magazine: 1796-08-01, Page 25” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 28 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fmm/issues/fmm_01081796/page/25/.
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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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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Essays On Subjects Connected With History And Classical Learning.

pidity of his steps , by the strength of his expression , and by the . employment of the theatrical deceptions , seemed , at every instant , to change his form . The celebrated Empusa was a female dancer , whose agility was so prodigious , that she appeared and vanished like a spirit . But it was at Rome that the pantomime art received its highest improvement . Piladesborn iu Ciliciaand Bathillusof Alexandria

, , , , were the two most surprising geniuses , who , under the reign of Augustus Ca _ sar , displayed their talents in their utmost lustre . The first invented the solemn , grave , and pathetic dances . The compositions of Bathillus were in the livel y , gay , and sprigntly style . Bathillus had been the slave of Mecsenas , who hacl given him his freedom in favour of his talents . Having seen Pilades in Ciliciahe engaged

, him to come to Rome , where he had disposed Mecamas in his favour , who , becoming the declared protector of both , procured to them the encouragement of the emperor . A theatre was built for them ; the Romans Hocked to it , and saw , with surprise , a complete tragedy ; all the passions painted with the most vigorous strokes of representation ; the exposition , plot , catastrophe , expressed in the clearest and most '

pathetic manner , without any-other means , or assistance , but that of action , executed to symphonies the best adapted , and far superior to any that had been before heard in Rome . Their surprise was not to end here . To this a second entertainment succeeded ; in which an ingenious action , without needing the voice or speech , presented all the charactersall the pleasant strokesand humorous picturesof a

, , , good comedy . And , in both these kinds , the talents pf Pilades and Bathillus corresponded to the boldness and beauty of the kind of compositions they had ventured to bring on the stage . Pilades especially , who was at the head of this project , was the most singular man that had till then appeared on the theatre . Llis fertile imagination constantly supplied him with new means of perfecting his artand

, embellishing his entertainments . Athenams mentions his having written a book , much esteemed , on the depths and principles of his . art . Before him , some flutes composed the orchestra of the Romans . He reinforced it with all the known instruments . He added

choruses of dances to his representations , and took care that their steps and figures should ahvays have some relation or affinity to the principal action . He provided them with dresses in the highest taste of propriety , and omitted nothing towards producing , keeping up , and pushing to the highest pitch , the charm of theatrical illusion . The actions on the Roman theatres were tragic , comic , or satirical ; these last pretty near ! } ' answering to what we understand by

grotesque , or farcical . Esopus and Roscius had been , from their excellence in declamation , the delight and admiration of Rome . . . . But , on their leaving no successors to their degree of merit , the taste for dramatic poetry , which was no longer supported by actors equal to them , began to decline ; and the theatrical dances , under such great masters as Pilades and Bathillus , either by their novelty , or b y their merit , or b y both , i

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