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Show 6 THE CODE OF TERPSICHORE. gard to the fine arts, are but mere barbarians or children, notwithstanding their antiquity, and all that nature has done for them. I have, in these preliminary remarks, perhaps, departed from my subject ; but let the motive plead my excuse. The arts are linked together in one and the same chain ; poetry, music, painting and dancing bear a strong affinity to each other, and the enjoyments we derive from them merit an equal gratitude and homage ; and most enviable are they whose souls are susceptible of the pleasures which they inspire. " Le veritable esprit sait se plier a tout; On ne vit qu' a demi quand on n'a qu'un seul gout." VOLTAIRE. Singing, no less delightful than natural to man, must, in its progress have inspired him with certain gestures relative to the various sounds which he uttered. His breast became agitated ; his arms opened or approached each other; his feet began to form certain steps, more or less rapid ; his features participated in these movements ; in short, his whole body was soon responsive to the sounds that vibrated in his ears. And thus singing, which was the expression of one pleasure, gave rise to another. innate, but till then unknown ; to which we have given the name of dancing. Such were unquestionably, the primitive causes of the origin of this art. Music and dancing have a very strong ascendancy over our intellectual faculties. " La musique," says d'Alem-bert, " tantot douce et insinuante, tantot folatre et gaie, tant6t simple et naive, tantot enfin sublime et pathetique, tour a tour nous charme, nous eleve et nous dechire." The powers of this enchanting art are well known to every one. The learned Saverio Mattei relates, that the republic of R o m e had expressly established a college of |