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Show THE COMPOSITION OF BALLETS. 215 Each of these, according to his own position, draws the following inferences :-the first say, all the wanderings and extravagances of fancy constitute the beauty of the romantic style; the others admit of these, but always on condition that they be not contrary to reason. Hence, it is evident that the romantic system is the direct road to absurdity, and that the classic system leads to liberal and enlightened reason, still leaving to the imagination sufficient opportunity for the most lofty flights ; then is fancy a fiery steed guided by reason, who does not impede his course, but prevents him from stumbling." " A n d further, let fact decide the question. W h e n those of the romantic school shall produce a man equal to Homer or Ariosto, we will yield to their opinion; but Homer has united deep reasoning to exalted imagination, while the very simplicity of Ariosto is concealed wisdom. W h en we come to reflect upon the circumstances attending the appearance of the phantom of romance, for I cannot bring myself to call it style, we shall be something surprised at the result: it has no less a tendency than that of leading back to barbarism. In a word, all the horrors of feudal times, all the superstitions of the thirteenth century, together with the legends of the Autos Sacramentales of Calderon29, form the material and the essential elements of these depraved compositions, which are a part of that dark conspiracy, whose end is again to impose fetters on the human mind, even after reason has burst them asunder." " In short, to develop the imagination according to the system of some, is to place implicit faith in the most ridiculous absurdities, of which error and degradation are the consequences. Rather30 let reason be followed; it is the basis of a good education, and hence will arise a race of powerful, enlightened, and virtuous writers. The poets of antiquity were no trifling and unmeaning seducers into U * |
