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Show 226 THE CODE OF TERPSICHORE and comedy in France. The extraordinary penetration of his mind has induced him to panegyrize the operas of Nina and Richard Cceur de Lion, passing over in silence productions of acknowledged excellence. This German critic has not spared even the writer of Vaudevilles, for he cites the miserable piece called Le D4sespoir de Jocrisse, as the only performance of that kind worthy of notice. Such criticisms as these are extremely injurious to rising talent, and very little attention should be bestowed on them. Zeno was one of the restorers of the modern Italian drama, and he served as a model to Metastasio. His manner is learned, free, and full of fire. H e treats on the passions like a master ; working on the affections, and keeping interest awake. It were to be wished that in some of his pieces there had been fewer incidents, for they are in some cases so abundant as to draw the attention of the spectator too much from the principal action. A pomp of style is every where observable in his works ; he is ever varied, and always dramatic; his language is always equal to his subject; in short, he maybe considered as the Julio Romano of the Italian theatre. It ought to be observed, also, that all his scenes are accompanied by a moral. Alfieri modelled himself at once upon the Greek, English, and French theatres. Of the first, he imitated their beautiful simplicity ; he followed the peculiar manner of the second in the vigorous pictures they have drawn of strong passion ; and conformed himself to the classic regularity of the third. Such a learned acquaintance with national style, joined to his own creative genius, rendered him equal to the greatest dramatists. According to my humble opinion, Alfieri is the most irreproachable and correct of all dramatic writers. |