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Show 120 THE CODE OF TERPSICHORE. and hence arises the interest taken by him in the performance of Ballets. It may be observed here that the Ballet has been more essentially assisted by the art of painting in Italy than in France; nor has the art itself lost any thing by it, but, on the contrary, gained infinitely. In France, however, lately, several of m y friends have distinguished themselves as mimes, and have attained the same perfection in expressing the passions as I have witnessed in Italy. This need not appear extraordinary, if it be considered that man is every where nearly the same. The only defect in these performers was a want of sufficient gesture to express perfectly every circumstance ; but this was less their fault than that of their art. Notwithstanding this, their description of sentiment was true ; their features spoke, and their attitudes were gracefully conceived. I remarked that the best of these pantomimic performers were from provincial theatres ; they are more industrious, and their stock of pieces is greater than at the capital. In Paris, about a dozen pieces form their round of representation; at Bordeaux, Marseilles, Lyons, & c , every Ballet that has succeeded is performed; at Paris, on the contrary, those only are performed that have been introduced by private interest and favour. I remember at Bordeaux, upon one of m y benefit nights, it occurred to me, in order to raise public curiosity, that m y Ballet companions should represent a comedy. The attempt appeared very extraordinary, and was deemed impossible of execution. The performers, however, being all endowed with some talent, and very expert in Pantomime, boldly undertook the performance, and succeeded in giving a perfect representation of that delightful comedy, called Folies Amoureuses. A severe but just journalist, giving an account of this performance, thus expresses |