Code of Terpsichore the art of dancing, comprising its theory and practice, and a history of its rise and progress, from the earliest times

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162 THE CODE OF TERPSICHORE. highest praise of a dramatic author. It is then that the exhibition of a beautiful theatrical production, " vi sentite commuovere tutta la macchina: v' adirate, o temete a vicenda; vi sentite raccapricciare i capelli, riascere il piacere, germogliar la speranza, &c. U n pezzo di pittura, o di scultura, il meglio fatto secondo le regole dell' arte, se non traspira azione, e un pezzo dimaraviglia, come l'opera della Sfera, e del Cilindro di Archimede, le Galleggianti di Galileo, i principj di Newton ; m a non gia bello. L a prima sorgente di quest' azione, eche il poeta, o il pittoren' abbia molta nel suo temperamento, e sia capace di riceverne molta dagli oggetti o reali, o fantastici. U n temperamento lento o freddo p'otra per avventura essere un gran geometra m a non un poeta, un pittore, uno scultore, che piaccia*." - G E N O V E S I . The passion of love, which is the soul of the stage and the source of so many other passions, whose variety and contrast produce numberless dramatic situations, is essen­tially necessary also to the Ballet. O n it depends a mul­titude of striking and pathetic effects, which appear to be naturally allied to Pantomime and dancing. Love is the principal spring of action in a Ballet, the object of which * It agitates the whole body, inspires us by turns with delight and gentle melancholy, then with lively sensations of pleasure, and sometimes with transports of admiration. In short the beautiful beheld in expressive action is capable of raising us to a state of rapture. That profound and discriminating philosopher, Genovesi observes, " that a painting or piece of sculpture, executed according to the nicest rules of the art, but wanting expression, may be admired, as w e do the sphere and cylinder of Archimedes, and other works of geometric proportions ; beauty, however, excites within us feelings of a far different description. The source of the beautiful must be placed in the breast of the poet or painter; he must be of a temperament susceptible of beautiful impres­sions, real or imaginary. A constitution cold and slow may, perhaps become a good geometrician, but never a poet, a painter, or a sculptor."