Page:The Golden verses of Pythagoras (IA cu31924026681076).pdf/71

 art and distinguishing it by two kinds, tragedy and comedy: that is, the lofty and austere chant, and the joyous and lascivious chant.

In the meantime, the governments, until then quite indifferent to these rustic amusements, warned that certain liberties permitted by Thespis were becoming too flagrant, began to see the profanations which had resulted, and of which the Eumolpidæ had no doubt pointed out the consequences. They tried to prevent them, and Solon even made a law regarding this subject ; but it was too late: the people attracted in crowds to these representations, all informal as they were, rendered useless the foresight of the legislator. It was necessary to yield to the torrent and, being unable to arrest it, to strive at least to restrain it within just limits. A clear field was left open for the good that it was able to do, in fertilizing the new ideas, and severe rules were opposed to check whatever dangers its invasions might have for religion and for customs. The dramatic writers were permitted to draw the subject of their pieces from the source of the mysteries, but it was forbidden them, under penalty of death, to divulge the sense. Æschylus, first of the dramatic poets, having involuntarily violated this law, ran the risk of losing his life. Discriminating judges were established to pronounce upon, comes from the words [Greek: trachis], austere, severe, lofty, and [Greek: ôdê] chant.

Comedy, in Greek [Greek: kômodia], is derived from the words [Greek: kômos], joyful, lascivious, and [Greek: ôdê], chant.

It is unnecessary for me to say that the etymologists who have seen in tragedy a song of the goat, because [Greek: tragos] signifies a goat in Greek, have misunderstood the simplest laws of etymology. [Greek: Tragos] signifies a goat only by metaphor, because of the roughness and heights which this animal loves to climb; as caper, in Latin, holds to the same root as caput; and chèvre, in French, to the same root as chef, for a similar reason.]