Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-03-18
Dances Of OIden Times.

There were dances of the court and
dances of the people. The Morris dance,
which seems to have been an invention
Of the Moors, had firmly established it.
self in England in the sixteenth century.
The country dance was even Of earlier
date. The old Roundel or Roundelay,
has been described by ancient authorities
as an air appropriate to dancing, and
would indicate little more than circular
dance with the hands Joined. Among
the nobler and statelier dances in vogue
at the court of the Tudors were the
Pavan (irom psvo, peaeook,) with the
Galliard, a lighter measure, which was
probably TO the Pavan what in later years
the Gavotte was to the Minuet the Passa-
mezzo the Courant, and the Saraband
Sir John Elyot, who published in 1881
his book called the Governor, wherein he
AYERS that dancing by persons Of both
sexes is a mystical representation Of
matrimony, mentions other dances, such
as Bargenettes and Turgyons, concern
ing which no explanation can be offered,
except perhaps that the former may be
derived from Berger, and be something
Of shepherds dance There was also
an esteemed dance called the Braule, in
which several persons joining hands
danced together in ring, which was no
doubt identical with the Branle, or Bran
tie, mentioned by Mr.. Pepys in his des-
cription of a grand ball at Whitehall: f:
by and by comes the King aud Queen,
the Duke and the Duchess, and all the
great enes; and after seating themselves
the King takes out the Duchess of York,
and the Duke the Duchess of BuckiRg-
ham; the Duke OF Monmouth my Lady
Castlemaine; and 80 other lords other
ladies'; and they danced the Brantle.
After that, the King led lady single
Coranto; and then the rest of the lords,
one after another, other ladies' Very
noble it was and great to see Then to
country dances, the King leading the
first, which he called for. ' = The
manner was, when the King dances, ell
the ladies in the room, and the Queen
herself, stand rp; aud, indeed, he dances
rarely and much better than the Duke Of
York"
Dancing, however, had degenerated in
King Charles time. In his Table Talk,
Selden writes OF the matter in very quaint
terms: "The court Of England is much
altered. AT a solemn dancing, first you
had the grave measures, then the Coran-
toes and the Galliards, and this kept up
with ceremony; and at length to Trench
more and the cushion dance; then all
the company dances, lord and groom,
lady and kitchenmaid, 10 distinction.
So in our court in Queen Ehzabeth's
time gravity and state were kept mp. In
King James time there has been nothing
but Trenchmore and the cushion dance,
onlniunl gatherum folly polly, hottie cum
toite. The Trenchmore was lively
dance, mention Of which may be found
in the Pilgrim and Island Princess of
Beaumont and Fletcher, and in the Re-
hearsal of the Duke of Buckingham.
The last editor of Selden, it may be
noted, by altering the word to French
more" has considerably obscured the
authors meaning.
In former times men of the gravest
profession did not disdain to dance
Even the judges, in compliance with
ancient custom, long continued to dance
annually on Candlemas day in the hall
Sergeants inn, Chancery Lane. Lin
coins Inn, too, had its revels-four in
each year-with master duly elected of
the society to direct the pastimes. Nor
we're these exercises of dancing" as
Dugdale calls them, merely tolerated;
they we're held to be very necessary,
and much conducting TO the making OF
gentlemen more ft for their books at
other times" Indeed, it appears that,
by an order made in James l. 8 time, the
junior bar was severely dealt with for
declining to dance; the under barristers
were by defamation put out OF commons
for examples sake, because the whole
bar offended by no. dancing on Candle
mas day preceding, according to the an
cient order of this society, when the
judges were present; with this, that If
the like fault were committed afterward,
they should be fined or disbarred