In the Polonaises of Lipinski we hear the music of the pleasure-loving heart once more beating joyously, giddily, happily, as it had done before the days of disaster and defeat.

The melodies breathe more and more the perfume of happy youth; love, young love, sighs around.

Expanding into expressive songs of vague and dreamy character, they speak but to youthful hearts, cradling them in poetic fictions, in soft illusions.

No longer destined to cadence the steps of the high and grave personages who ceased to bear their part in these dances, [Footnote: Bishops and Primates formerly assisted in these dances; at a later date the Church dignitaries took no part in them.] they are addressed to romantic imaginations, dreaming rather of rapture than of renown.

Meyseder advanced upon this descending path; his dances, full of lively coquetry, reflect only the magic charms of youth and beauty.
His numerous imitations have inundated us with pieces of music, called Polonaises, out which have no characteristics to justify the name.
The pristine and vigorous brilliancy of the Polonaise was again suddenly given to it by a composer of true genius.