An Introductory Course of Modern Gymnastic Exercises (extract)

GYMNASTICS. 11 exercises explained in this work was invented; and to their brief history wenow invite the reader's attention. Every one has heardof the widely-ramified confeder­ acy whichdiffused the spirit of disaffectionto theFrench dominion through Germany, and prepared its inhabitants to co-operate in shaking off theyoke. Its leaders knew from the first that their object could only be effected by an appeal to the sword, and one of the first objects of their attention was to prepare as many soldiers as pos­ sible for the approaching struggle. While Von Stein, by his admirable arrangements, was communicating to almost every individualin the Prussian territories, who was capable of bearing arms, a notion of discipline and its importance, Jahn and his followers were establishing gymnastic areas ( Turn-pldtze) through the whole of Germany. Young men of different ages were encour­ aged and incited to attend them. They were accus­ tomed to take pleasure in their exercises,—a spirit of emulation was sedulously cherished,—joke and merri­ ment, the overflowing spirits of robust and healthy youths, rung across each area,—songs were composed to be sung by the friendly antagonists in chorus, as they repaired to the Turn-plate or returned from it, or when they crowded in the evening around their stoves. Nothing, inshort, was omitted that could give popularity to these institutions. The object, however, of the Directors was not mere­ ly to improve the physical education of the country, but to prepare a large band of able-bodied young men to take part in a contest that might daily be looked for.A system of exercises that should develop the muscular