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Show 184 THE CODE OF TERPSICHORE. or fear, and his presence must be always impatiently expected ; whenever, also, he re-appears, he should bring with him some subject for renewing the interest, and en-creasing the animation of the piece. Homer, Virgil, Ariosto and Tasso present a treasury of characters ; in delineating which, these pictorial bards have excelled; they exhibit the finest and faithfulest description of mankind. Perhaps the great Torquato, in this respect, outrivals the rest. His characters are drawn with a philosophic hand, they are ever true and consistent. Gofredo, Rinaldo, Argante, Tancredi, Saladino, Armida, Clorindm, Erminia, & c , are perfect and finished portraits, and cannot be too much studied. The secondary personages of this poem are also drawn in an admirable style, and they are worthy of imitation. Soliloquy; this word designates that reflection and reasoning a m a n holds with himself. Monologue is a sort of dialogue, in which a character performs at once his own part arid that of some confidential person. If soliloquy may be frequently found in nature, it is not wrong to introduce it into the drama. There are certain interesting situations in ordinary life where a person finds, that it is in himself alone he can confide, and he accordingly enters into a monologue. It is, however, difficult to admit these sort of addresses into the Ballet ; if they are attempted, the subject of them must be easily imagined, and they must contain only such ideas as can be expressed by pantomimic gesture. The action employed must be of a simple nature, calculated to convey the thought with clearness, ease and precision. Soliloquies which suppose but one person are, therefore, not so difficult of execution as monologues. They require an exalted and imposing style. They produce a good effect when properly introduced, and when they appear a |
