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Show 122 THE CODE OF TERPSICHORE. science whatsoever; but, at the same time, though endued with every requisite, were we to neglect the sage precepts of art, we should equally fail of our end. Those lessons of advice, formed into established laws by ages of experience, are essential, nay almost indispensable, to the attainment of perfection. The great Longinus says, " that nature is mainly instrumental in conducting us to the grand and the sublime ; but unless art takes her by the hand, guiding her steps, she is as one blind-folded, knowing not whither her steps are leading her." It was by such a direction of art that the chisels which created the Apollo and the Venus surpassed the hand of nature in the formation of beauty. Ars naturam perficit. W h a t is said of sculpture, painting, and all the fine arts, can be said with the same truth of Pantomime. A mime requires considerable assistance from art to be much valued ; his imitations should be faithful, but at the same time finer than their original. This is the end he must try to attain. Experience, good taste, diligence, and study, will conduct him towards it. Art embellishes, while she corrects nature ; the former assists the latter, and receives an ample reward for her aid'. The first study of the pantomimic actor ought to be dancing ; to acquire which, he must devote a few years of steady application, that he may know it well, and be thus enabled to profit by its advantages. Some notion of drawing would be also very useful to him. Here let us observe, with the celebrated Hogarth, " that all those actions which are continually employed in our ordinary and daily occupation, are performed nearly in right lines, or as nearly so as possible ; but all graceful movements, which display cultivated manners, are performed in undulated lines."- Analysis of Beauty. This judicious remark is worthy of the attention of |