New-York tribune., 1871-04-25
DRAMATIC EXPRESSION.

nc ExpressiOn" for the benefit or NJ DelSarte the great
French teacher Of dramatic expression, who suffered
severely by the late between France and Germany
fne HaI was about half full, the audience including
many men prominent in scientific literary and Journal
istfc circles After brief eulogy of Delsarte and
statement OF the object OF the lecture Mr. MacKaye sad
Tnnumerble volumes have been written upon art each
one differing from the other in its ideas and its conel
sons. No one OF them has formulated any prnc-
plies which could nfallibe guide either or
the development the criticism Of art The discovery
aud the perfection Of scientific system as hass TOT
stheucs in art has been achieved only by Desarte Ills
experience when young man at the consercd'o"eo Oh
Paris first taught him 10 realize the necessity for such
system. There each professor taught only by example
and there wide difference often in their various
ways OF rendering the part Delsarte became dls
gusted with method Of teaching which rendered u
the partisan and serye imitator OF
come particular man, TO fail utterly In pleasing any
About four years after most brilliant debut, Desarte
was Obliged to leave the stage because OF the loss of his
voice which had been overstrained by the merely en-
pyrica training of the eoHserUGtOfre This apparent
misfortune was the direct Of the Developments Oh
that great scientific system of teaching Art when i
TO briefly Illustrate tonight
Delsarte from the moment he left the stage uhtn W
day has led hermits fe In the midst, not OF oesei
sut Of that busy and populous world Of temptations
Paris He wrote over the door OF his study Peoui
bat significant motto viz: He who rtJec.s AIin'' -
rejects :" and he went into his den de"Fihnou "
there until he had given to the world SATISFACTORY Gnu
universally acceptable scientinc Dasis i'i '0
and criticism of Art He took, as IT were, Old father
Time into partnership and spent 40 years OF lhoeso au
sbe study for the perfection Of system which VIII
10 s immortal as the hoary old partner whom he never
neglected.
Fverv davfor I've years he disseced at the Ecoe dc
Medicine Every day for 25 years he wandered among
all sorts and classes Of people, making the most careful
notes ON the OF their voice. the movement OF their
,oints the conrac,ions Of their features inventing
vonderfu system of stenography to facilitate his OBJ
.ryations Thus by the most minute study Of Nature
and Science he discovered certain universal and living
principles Of being which for the last Is years he has
been applying to the various with the purpose OF
making each and all Of them but parts of one great COM
mon whole and he has rendered every element Of his
system automatic and given them all an anatomical OF
physiological Justification.
WHAT is ART
In the study OF Art the first question to be asked and
answered is What is Artf "Art is emotion passed
through thought, and fixed in FORM" Provided man
or woman has emotion, this system has been perfected
20 enable them the shortest possible time and in the
elearest manner to pass that emotion through the
deepest scrutiny of thought and to fix it in the most
correct and noble form. The knowledge Of the princi
pies Of his SYSTEM applied to the study of anyone Of
he Arts enables the student acquire any all Of the
JJters with incredible facility, because they are all
saise method Of development, and the same system Of
technology In the brief time before me have no
proper opportunity TO show TO you all the Applications
6f he great principles of Delsartes system can only
Pney and pass on TO the those elements Of
which they SO clearly explain and SO perfectly
justify. -
Desares science is founded upon three great princi
PIES the infallibiHy of which has been well tested
tor a. yet no one has been able to bring forward
rse Of the universe which has not served to con-
nra tlcn The first great principle of his science is that
OF the TriUfy-Or that immutable law which governs
tn Of al essence, all organism, ana an mani
fes 'ator am not speaking now Of any theological or
icI o. natnre glorious light that 10 drive away
all the darkness OF superstition, and TO reveal 70 us
everyW1c and IN all things the simplicity OF that divine
order waich the of all health, harmony,
aud power in nature and in spirit trinity may lie de-
fned unity of three distinct elementseo-exiscn
ssary and coeicent. The second great law is
third great law Is the principle OF progression or OF
growth and development do not propose 10 discuss or
them feeling certain that that Will be all sufficient to
prove their power and to justify their acceptance the
fundamental principles OF our science,
DRAMATIC EXPRESSION
Let MS glance then for moment at the practical ap-
pcation OF these principles to the science of Dramatic
Expression Dramatic expression is manifestation Of
human nature by diverse agents. and various forms of
movement and attitude To have any scientific knowl
edge of dramatic expression must first understand
human nature the agents it employs and the forms II
assumes The first question In order then is What cons
tutes human nature Tie most careful analysis proves
that IL Is form Of being that feels thinks, and loves
mat is 10 say ii is unity OF three distinct elements
which are cOeXisent, eOnecessary, and coefeent In
man we find a vital sensitive nature which feels,
mental nature which thinks and afectonal nature
which loves These three natures the seats center
Of three great functions of being VIZ: The vital or sensl
is the seat OF sensation ana the source OF
passion. The mental nature is the seat OF Induction
the of love reverence and the source of will
Life assumes the vital forn-nind assumes the mental
form-and soul assumes tue anecuohai FORM IN man
Bat tho, ree natures copepetrate and thus we ind
eac ,u ne other. For examples: We find In the vital
bsHre sensation or the most vital form OF Ieehng next
iIFllU Tue mind of the vital element OF IRE wltnm
as aad sympathy or the soul OF the vital nature OF
life. ln the mental natre we hnu ihIcoI Iu OF @ .ho
mind OF the acknowledgement or the vital element OF the
the afec0nal nature ind reverence or the soul of
the soul the highest element Of the aectional nature
Sentiment hevta element IN affection, the life OF the
soul and intuition or the mind OF tine soul. e
might examine the vital organs of the body, and
being OF man. Bat rs we are concerned with his out
ward expression rather than with his inner organization
means Of which man manifests himself In gesture and
expression.
ge vital nature in has three agents, peculiarly ap
proprated to its outward expression viz the mouth
the shoulder and the wrist The mouth shows whether
the vital sensitive nature is repeant contendiDg,
m state OF great eXcitabity, by the trembling of tie
ps The shoulder expresses the sentiment the vital
state. and is the thermometer OF passion. The move
OF my shoulder indicates the amount OF passion In
my love, my hatred, whatever passion 1t may
De- As l raise my shoulder, you at once
perceive the amount Of passion in my expression.
hhe wrist expresses the vital energy in expression.
There two movements of the wrist expressing vital
ity One demOnstratye defiance, the other resoute
defance Cle lecturer illustrated both movements with
bis own wrst Tue mental nature also has three agents
Of expression namely: The eyes, which express the state
Of the mind for instance thus whether my mind is In
state search byf contraction OF Of or of
supOr The hands express the sentiment OF the mind,
a. Tor instance, whether my mind is in state OF
peraton or of execration OF prosraon OF strug
ole The legs express the action OF the mind, showing
Ehat II Is In state OF vehemence, of prostration and
30 forth The afecona state, the seat Of the WILL has
thfce agents of expression, namely The head which
expresses tie state OF The will, whether there is
any great will or it be prOstrated or exalted
defiant or energetic the noise which expresses the
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