The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-01-11 00:00:00

ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE,

The Olympic Games, as instituted by the Greeks, ori-
ginating in their fine perception of all that was beautiful
in poetry, painting, sculpture, and music, together with
their love of beautiful form, became a principle of their
religion, and the result was their being enabled to,produce
such extraordinary efforts in the various branches of the
Their fine climate also tended to the encou-
ragement of these pursuits, and gave them the means to
enjoy out-door pastimes. Whilst the more savage and
bloody amusements of the Romans outrage and shock our
feelings of humanity, we find the Greeks occupying them-
selves by the innocent and delightful objects sought after
in their Olympic Games. They contended for glory by
the peaceful arts, and chariot-racing, running, wrestling,
throwing the discus, gymnastics, acts of strength and
feats of agility, and other amusements of the kind, were
among the recreations of the people; and if they were
compelled, by less peacefully disposed neighbours, to war
in defence, their peace was celebrated by these games,
which contributed to domestic happiness and joy. Their
philosophers and other distinguished men, too, did not
think it beneath their dignity and elevation of mind to
enter into these enjoyments, knowing that they had for
their object the attenuation of the human form, producing
health and elasticity of the mind. The human figure, by
these opportunities, attained its highest point of beauty—.
each individual muscle was brought into action ; the
limbs were by this means fully developed, producing per-
fect symmetry of the ports; jtelgea wee. mar-.-" 0-1
prizes given for the most perfect forms, both male and

fine arts

truly excellent French company female.
of equestrians These reflections have been elicited by witnessing the
e m here,ain now at out
Amphitheatre, and we hope to show to our readers that
escape the casual or general observer,'
they behold in them the spirit of the Olympic Games of
gratification of those who witness the
Greece revived to us in these our modern days, and trust
that we shall be able to point out those points of excel-
_he fine forms produced by the nature of.
andpleenref
oes whichrom a nincreasece ws . would utplhde
their exercises from their early youth, (both male and:
female equestrians,) and the amazing feats performed by
them are truly wonderful, and the result must, we con-
ceive, be satisfactory to M. Dejean, who brought thiS
As we were one of the early visitors to
witnessF
couldr e nc
l In
Oh: i ms
longeffortsPan Yr. feltou tconvinced
meeting
withthat i suchta mt al l erne t.
ward ; and we find that our views of its superior excel-
wwietli
lence meet with overflowing houses nightly. We hope
that this, his first visit across our channel, is °al/
one of a series to this town. For ourselves, we tender to
him our best thanks for his enterprise and the great
treat afforded in witnessing the performances. It is also
not the least gratifying part of our task to record of this
gentleman, that the perfect air of respectability that per-
vades his entire establishment and troop in dress anti
manner, leaves nothing to be desired for the most fastidi-
ous taste. All is elegant and unique in its way. The
entire costumes and paraphernalia are given strict to the
truth, and with rigid exactness which is so strongly cha-
racteristic of our neighbours the French. And to crow's
the charm, a total absence of all vulgarity which is con,
nected with our early associations of circus performances,
The interior has been converted, with much skill and
taste, into a perfect Amphitheatre, and the stage done
away with, the entire performance takes place in the arena,
which was the character' of the ancient places of amiusv
ment from which the theatre takes its name.
We have a vivid recollection of Ducrow's performance
within these same walls, and the dramatic power of feeling
which he threw into all his parts must be in the remeni'
brance of many of our readers. There was genius in aP
he did, and it is no more than a common act of justice t 0
his memory to state, without any feelinc, of disparage'
ment, that although there is no one member of this cora'
pany who can be said to be his superior, or equal ; yet, e 4
a whole, the troop of M. Dejean stands unrivalled ill
power, excellence, variety, and the indescribable elegancu
. of the entire 4111lngentent•-11. M.