Part 15

'Hence is her pratling daughter _Eccho_ borne, 'That daunces to all voyces she can heare; 'There is no sound so harsh that shee doth scorne, 'Nor any time wherein shee will forbeare 'The ayrie pauement with her feet to weare; 'And yet her hearing sence is nothing quick, 'For after time she endeth euery trick.

46.

'And thou sweet _Musicke_, Dauncing's onely life, 'The eare's sole happinesse, the ayre's best speach; 'Loadstone of fellowship, charming-rod of strife, 'The soft mind's Paradice, the sicke mind's leach; 'With thine own tong, thou[209] trees and stons canst teach, 'That when the Aire doth dance her finest measure, 'Then art thou borne, the gods and mens sweet pleasure.

[Footnote 209: In first edition 'y^{e}' = the, and so elsewhere. G.]

47.

'Lastly, where keepe the _Winds_ their reuelry, 'Their violent turnings, and wild whirling hayes,[210] 'But in the Ayre's tralucent[211] gallery? 'Where shee herselfe is turnd a hundreth wayes, 'While with those Maskers wantonly she playes; 'Yet in this misrule, they such rule embrace, 'As two at once encomber not the place.

[Footnote 210: A round country dance. G.]

[Footnote 211: Translucent. Cf. Milton, Samson Agonistes 548, and Comus, 861. G.]

48.

'If then fire,[212] ayre, wandring and fixed lights 'In euery prouince of the imperiall skie, 'Yeeld perfect formes of dauncing to your sights, 'In vaine I teach the eare, that which the eye 'With certaine view already doth descrie. 'But for your eyes perceiue not all they see, 'In this I will your Senses master bee.

[Footnote 212: In first edition spelled 'fier.' G.]

49.

'For loe the _Sea_[213] that fleets about the Land, 'And like a girdle clips her solide waist, 'Musicke and measure both doth vnderstand; 'For his great chrystall eye is alwayes cast 'Vp to the Moone, and on her fixèd fast; 'And as she daunceth in her pallid spheere, 'So daunceth he about his Center heere.

[Footnote 213: Margin-Note here 'Of the sea.' G.]

50.

'Sometimes his proud greene waues in order set, 'One after other flow vnto the shore; 'Which, when they haue with many kisses wet, 'They ebbe away in order as before; 'And to make knowne his courtly loue the more, 'He oft doth lay aside his three-forkt mace, 'And with his armes the timorous Earth embrace.

51.

'Onely the Earth doth stand for euer still: 'Her rocks remoue not, nor her mountaines meet: '(Although some wits enricht with Learning's skill 'Say heau'n stands firme, and that the Earth doth fleet, 'And swiftly turneth vnderneath their feet) 'Yet though the Earth is euer stedfast seene, 'On her broad breast hath Dauncing euer beene.

52.

'For those blew vaines that through her body spred, 'Those saphire streames which from great hils do spring.[214] '(The Earth's great duggs; for euery wight is fed 'With sweet fresh moisture from them issuing): 'Obserue a daunce in their wilde wandering; 'And still their daunce begets a murmur sweet, 'And still the murmur with the daunce doth meet.

[Footnote 214: Margin-Note here 'Of the riuers.' G.]

53.

'Of all their wayes I love _Mæander's_ path, 'Which to the tunes of dying swans doth daunce;[215] 'Such winding sleights, such turns and tricks he hath, 'Such creeks, such wrenches, and such daliaunce; 'That whether it be hap or heedlesse chaunce, 'In this indented course and wriggling play 'He seemes to daunce a perfect cunning _hay_.[216]

[Footnote 215: Ovid (Heroides VII. 1, 2)

'Sic ubi fata vocant, udis abjectus in herbis, Ad vada Maeandri concinit albus olor.'

Cf. Sir Thomas Browne 'Enquiries into Vulgar and Common Errors' Book III.c.xxvii: Works by Wilkin, Vol. II. pp. 517, 518 (edition Pickering 1835.) G.]

[Footnote 216: A round country dance, as before.]

54.

'But wherefore doe these streames for euer runne? 'To keepe themselues for euer sweet and cleere: 'For let their euerlasting course be donne, 'They straight corrupt and foule with mud appeare. 'O yee sweet Nymphs that beautie's losse do feare, 'Contemne the drugs that Physicke doth deuise, 'And learne of Loue this dainty exercise.

55.

'See how those flowres that have sweet beauty too, '(The onely iewels that the Earth doth weare,[217] 'When the young Sunne in brauery her doth woo): 'As oft as they the whistling wind doe heare, 'Doe waue their tender bodies here and there; 'And though their daunce no perfect measure is, 'Yet oftentimes their musicke makes them kis.

[Footnote 217: Margin-Note here 'Of other things upon the earth.' G.]

56.

'What makes the vine about the elme to daunce, 'With turnings, windings, and embracements round? 'What makes the loadstone to the North aduance 'His subtile point, as if from thence he found 'His chiefe attractiue vertue to redound? 'Kind Nature first doth cause all things to loue, 'Loue makes them daunce and in iust order moue.

57.

'Harke how the birds doe sing, and marke then how 'Iumpe[218] with the modulation of their layes, 'They lightly leape, and skip from bow to bow: 'Yet doe the cranes deserue a greater prayse 'Which keepe such measure in their ayrie wayes, 'As when they all in order rankèd are, 'They make a perfect forme triangular.

[Footnote 218: 'Exact': this illustrates Hamlet i., I, and Othello ii., 3. G.]

58.

'In the chiefe angle flyes the watchfull guid, 'And all the followers their heads doe lay 'On their foregoers backs, on eyther side; 'But for the captaine hath no rest to stay, 'His head forewearied with the windy way, 'He back retires, and then the next behind, 'As his lieuetenaunt leads them through the wind.

59.

'But why relate I euery singular? 'Since all the World's great fortunes and affaires 'Forward and backward rapt and whirled are, 'According to the musicke of the spheares: 'And Chaunge[219] herselfe her nimble feete vpbeares 'On a round slippery wheele that rowleth ay, 'And turnes all States with her imperuous[220] sway.

[Footnote 219: In first edition a probable misprint is, 'Chaunce.' G.]

[Footnote 220: In first edition 'impetuous.' G.]

60.

'Learne then to daunce, you that are Princes borne, 'And lawfull lords of earthly creatures all; 'Imitate them, and thereof take no scorne, 'For this new art to them is naturall-- 'And imitate the starres cælestiall: 'For when pale Death your vital twist shall seuer, 'Your better parts must daunce, with them for euer.

61.

'Thus Loue perswades, and all the crowd[221] of men 'That stands around, doth make a murmuring; 'As when the wind loosd from his hollow den, 'Among the trees a gentle base[222] doth sing, 'Or as a brooke through peebles wandering; 'But in their looks they vttered this plain speach, 'That they would learn to daunce, if Loue would teach.[223]

[Footnote 221: In first and 1622 editions there is a probable misprint of 'crowne' here. G.]

[Footnote 222: Bass. G.]

[Footnote 223: Margin-Note here: 'How Loue taught men to dance.' G.]

62.

'Then first of all he doth demonstrate plaine 'The motions seauen that ar in Nature found, '_Upward_ and _downeward_, _forth_ and _backe againe_, '_To this side_ and _to that_, and _turning round_;[224] 'Whereof a thousand brawles he doth compound, 'Which he doth teach vnto the multitude, 'And euer with a turne they must conclude.

[Footnote 224: Margin-Note here 'Rounds or Country Dances.' G.]

63.

'As when a Nimph[225] arysing from the land, 'Leadeth a daunce with her long watery traine 'Down to the Sea; she wries to euery hand, 'And euery way doth crosse the fertile plaine; 'But when at last shee falls into the maine, 'Then all her trauerses concluded are, 'And with the Sea her course is circulare.

[Footnote 225: This interprets 'Nosce Teipsum,' Reason II, st. 1, page 86 _ante_.]

64.

'Thus when at first Loue had them marshallèd, 'As earst he did the shapeless masse of things, 'He taught them _rounds_ and _winding heyes_ to tread, 'And about trees to cast themselues in rings: 'As the two Beares, whom the First Mouer flings 'With a short turn about heauen's axeltree, 'In a round daunce for ever wheeling bee.

65.

'But after these, as men more ciuell grew, 'He did more graue and solemn measures frame,[226] 'With such faire order and proportion true,[227] 'And correspondence euery way the same, 'That no fault-finding eye did euer blame; 'For euery eye was mouèd at the sight 'With sober wondring, and with sweet delight.

[Footnote 226: Margin-Note here 'Measures.' G.]

[Footnote 227: In 1st edition spelled 'trew,' G.]

66.

'Not those yong[228] students of the heauenly booke, '_Atlas_ the great, _Promethius_ the wise, 'Which on the starres did all their life-time looke, 'Could euer finde such measures in the skies, 'So full of change and rare varieties; 'Yet all the feete whereon these measures goe, 'Are only spondeis, solemne, graue and sloe.

[Footnote 228: In 1st edition 'old': 'young' in 1622 must be a misprint, unless used in the grand meaning of SIR THOMAS BROWNE. In 1622 it is mis-spelled 'youg.' G.]

67.

'But for more diuers and more pleasing show, 'A swift and wandring daunce she did inuent, 'With passages vncertaine to and fro, 'Yet with a certaine answer and consent 'To the quicke musicke of the instrument.[229] 'Fiue was the number of the Musick's feet, 'Which still the daunce did with fiue paces meet.

[Footnote 229: Margin-Note here 'Galliards.' G.]

68.

'A gallant daunce, that lively doth bewray 'A spirit and a vertue masculine; 'Impatient that her house on earth should stay 'Since she her selfe is fiery and diuine; 'Oft doth she make her body vpward fline[230], 'With lofty turnes and capriols[231] in the ayre, 'Which with the lusty tunes accordeth faire.

[Footnote 230: In 1st edition spelled 'flyne': A.S. 'to fly.' G.]

[Footnote 231: A 'capriole' is a 'lady's head-dress' (Wright): but here seems to mean 'springings and turnings': degenerated into 'capers' at this later day. G.]

69.

'What shall I name those currant trauases,[232] 'That on a triple _dactile_ foot doe runne 'Close by the ground with sliding passages, 'Wherein that Dauncer greatest praise hath wonne 'Which with best order can all orders shunne; 'For euery where he wantonly must range, 'And turne, and wind, with vnexpected change.

[Footnote 232: Margin-Note here, 'Courantoes.' G.]

70.

'Yet is there one, the most delightfull kind, 'A loftie iumping, or a leaping round;[233] 'Where arme in arme two dauncers are entwind 'And whirle themselues with strict embracements bound, 'And still their feet an _anapest_ do sound; 'An _anapest_ is all their musick's song, 'Whose first two feet are short, and third is long.

[Footnote 233: Margin-Note here, 'Lavoltaes.' G.]

71.

'As the victorious _twinnes_ of _Læda_ and _Ioue_ 'That taught the Spartans dauncing on the sands 'Of swift _Eurotas_, daunce in heaun aboue, 'Knit and vnited with eternall hands; 'Among the starres their double image stands, 'Where both are carried with an equall pace, 'Together iumping in their turning race.

72.

'This is the net wherein the Sunn's bright eye '_Venus_ and _Mars_ entangled did behold; 'For in this daunce, their armes they so imply[234] 'As each doth seeme the other to enfold; 'What if lewd wits another tale haue told 'Of iealous _Vulcan_, and of yron chaynes? 'Yet this true sence that forgèd lye containes.

[Footnote 234: There is a misprint of 'employ' in Thomas Davies' edition, as before. G.]

73.

'These various formes of dauncing, Loue did frame 'And beside these, a hundred millions moe; 'And as he did inuent, he taught the same, 'With goodly iesture, and with comly show, 'Now keeping state, now humbly honoring low: 'And euer for the persons and the place 'He taught most fit and best according grace.[235]

[Footnote 235: Margin-Note here 'Grace in dauncing.' G.]

74.

'For Loue, within his fertile working braine 'Did[236] then conceiue those gracious Virgins three; 'Whose ciuell moderation does maintaine 'All decent order and conueniencie, 'And faire respect, and seemlie modestie; 'And then he thought it fit they should be borne, 'That their sweet presence dauncing might adorne.

[Footnote 236: In the errata of 1622 edition 'doo' is substituted for 'did,' itself a misprint, perhaps, for 'does.' G.]

75.

'Hence is it that these _Graces_ painted are 'With hand in hand dauncing an endlesse round; 'And with regarding eyes, that still beware 'That there be no disgrace amongst them found; 'With equall foote they beate the flowry ground, 'Laughing, or singing, as their passions will: 'Yet nothing that they doe becomes them ill.

76.

'Thus Loue taught men, and men thus learnd of Loue 'Sweet Musick's sound with feet to counterfaite; 'Which was long time before high thundering _Ioue_ 'Was lifted vp to Heauen's imperiall seat; 'For though by birth he were the Prince of _Creete_, 'Nor _Creet_, nor Heau'n should the yong Prince haue seen, 'If dancers with their timbrels had not been.

77.

'Since when all ceremonious misteries, 'All sacred orgies and religious rights,[237] 'All pomps, and triumphs, and solemnities, 'All funerals, nuptials, and like publike sights, 'All Parliaments of peace, and warlike fights, 'All learnèd arts, and euery great affaire 'A liuely shape of dauncing seemes to beare.[238]

[Footnote 237: 'Rites.' G.]

[Footnote 238: Margin-Note here, 'The use and formes of dauncing in sundry affaires of man's life.' G.]

78.

'For what did he who with his ten-tong'd lute 'Gaue beasts and blocks an vnderstanding eare? 'Or rather into bestiall minds and brute 'Shed and infus'd the beames of reason cleare? 'Doubtlesse for men that rude and sauage were 'A ciuill forme of dauncing he deuis'd, 'Wherewith vnto their gods they sacrifiz'd.

79.

'So did _Musæus_, so _Amphion_ did, 'And _Linus_ with his sweet enchanting song; 'And he whose hand the Earth of monsters rid, 'And had men's eares fast chaynèd to his tongue 'And _Theseus_ to his wood-borne slaues among, 'Vs'd dauncing as the finest policie 'To plant religion and societie.

80.

'And therefore now the Thracian _Orpheus_ lire 'And _Hercules_ him selfe are stellified;[239] 'And in high heau'n amidst the starry quire, 'Dauncing their parts continually doe slide; 'So on the Zodiake _Ganimed_ doth ride, 'And so is _Hebe_ with the Muses nine 'For pleasing _Ioue_ with dauncing, made diuine.

[Footnote 239: Made stellæ=stars or constellations. G.]

81.

'Wherefore was _Proteus_ sayd himselfe to change 'Into a streame, a lyon, and a tree; 'And many other formes fantastique, strange, 'As in his fickle thought he wisht to be? 'But that he daunc'd with such facilitie, 'As like a lyon he could pace with pride, 'Ply like a plant, and like a riuer slide.

82.

'And how was _Cæneus_[240] made at first a man, 'And then a woman, then a man againe, 'But in a daunce? which when he first began 'Hee the man's part in measure did sustaine: 'But when he chang'd into a second straine, 'He daunc'd the woman's part another space, 'And then return'd into his former place.

[Footnote 240: Virgil, Æneid VI., 448, calls him Cænis:

.... 'et juvenis quondam, nunc femina, Cænis, Rursus et in veterem fato revoluta figuram.'

He is mentioned again in Homer, Iliad I. 264. G.]

83.

'Hence sprang the fable of _Tiresias_, 'That he the pleasure of both sexes tryde; 'For in a daunce he man and woman was 'By often chaunge of place from side to side; 'But for the woman easily did slide 'And smoothly swim with cunning hidden art, 'He tooke more pleasure in a woman's part.

84.

'So to a fish _Venus_ herselfe did change,[241] 'And swimming through the soft and yeelding waue, 'With gentle motions did so smoothly range, 'As none might see where she the water draue; 'But this plaine truth that falsèd fable gaue, 'That she did daunce with slyding easines, 'Plyant and quick in wandring passages.

[Footnote 241: _Met._ III., 320, &c., &c. G.]

85.

'And merry _Bacchus_ practis'd dauncing to[o], 'And to the Lydian numbers,[242] rounds did make: 'The like he did in th' Easterne India doo, 'And taught them all when _Ph[oe]bus_ did awake, 'And when at night he did his coach[243] forsake: 'To honor heaun, and heau'ns great roling eye 'With turning daunces, and with melodie.

[Footnote 242: Cf. L'Allegro 'Lap me in soft Lydian airs.' (l 136.) G.]

[Footnote 243: Qu: couch? G.]

86.

'Thus they who first did found a Common-weale, 'And they who first Religion did ordaine, 'By dauncing, first the peoples hearts did steale: 'Of whom we now a thousand tales doe faine; 'Yet doe we now their perfect rules retaine 'And vse them stil in such deuises new, 'As in the World, long since their withering, grew.

87.

'For after townes and kingdomes founded were, 'Betweene greate States arose well-ordered War; 'Wherein most perfect measure doth appeare, 'Whether their well-set rankes respected are 'In quadrant forme or semicircular: 'Or else the march, when all the troups aduance, 'And to the drum, in gallant order daunce.

88.

'And after Warrs, when white-wing'd Victory 'Is with a glorious tryumph beautified, 'And euery one doth _Io Io_ cry, 'Whiles all in gold the conquerour doth ride; 'The solemne pompe that fils the Citty wide 'Obserues such ranke and measure euerywhere, 'As if they altogether dauncing were.

89.

'The like iust order mourners doe obserue, '(But with vnlike affection and atire) 'When some great man that nobly did deserue, 'And whom his friends impatiently desire, 'Is brought with honour to his latest fire:[244] 'The dead corps too in that sad daunce is mou'd 'As if both dead and liuing, dauncing lou'd.

[Footnote 244: Incremation. G.]

90.

'A diuers cause, but like solemnitie 'Vnto the Temple leads the bashfull bride: 'Which blusheth like the Indian iuory 'Which is with dip of Tyrian purple died; 'A golden troope doth passe on euery side, 'Of flourishing young men and virgins gay, 'Which keepe faire measure all the flowry way.

91.

'And not alone the generall multitude, 'But those choise _Nestors_ which in councell graue 'Of citties, and of kingdomes doe conclude, 'Most comly order in their sessions haue; 'Wherefore the wise Thessalians euer gaue 'The name of leader of their Countrie's daunce 'To him that had their Countrie's gouernance.

92.

'And those great masters of their liberall arts, 'In all their seurall Schooles doe Dauncing teach: 'For humble Grammer first doth set the parts 'Of congruent and well-according speach; 'Which Rethorike, whose state the clouds doth reach, 'And heau'nly Poetry, doe forward lead, 'And diuers measures diuersly doe tread.

93.

'For Rhetorick, clothing speech in rich aray 'In looser numbers teacheth her to range, 'With twenty tropes, and turnings euery way, 'And various figures and licencious change; 'But Poetry with rule and order strange, 'So curiously doth moue each single pace, 'As all is mard if she one foot misplace.

94.

'These Arts of speach, the guids and marshals are; 'But Logick leadeth Reason in a daunce: '(Reason the cynosure and bright load-star, 'In this World's sea t' auoid the rock of Chaunce.) 'For with close following and continuance 'One reason doth another so ensue,[245] 'As in conclusion still the daunce is true.

[Footnote 245: Pursue or succeed. G.]

95.

'So Musicke to her owne sweet tunes doth trip 'With tricks of 3, 5, 8, 15, and more; 'So doth the Art of Numbering seeme to skip 'From eu'n to odd in her proportion'd score; 'So doe those skils, whose quick eyes doe explore 'The iust dimension both of Earth and Heau'n, 'In all their rules obserue a measure eu'n.

96.

'Loe this is Dauncing's true nobilitie, 'Dauncing, the child of Musicke and of Loue; 'Dauncing it selfe, both loue and harmony, 'Where all agree, and all in order moue; 'Dauncing, the Art that all Arts doe approue; 'The faire caracter of the World's consent, 'The Heau'ns true figure and th' Earth's ornament.

97.

The Queene, whose dainty eares had borne too long, The tedious praise of that she did despise; Adding once more the musicke of the tongue To the sweet speech of her alluring eyes, Began to answer in such winning wise, As that forthwith _Antinous'_ tongu[e] was tyde, His eyes fast fixt, his eares were open wide.

98.

'Forsooth (quoth she) great glory you haue won, 'To your trim minion, Dauncing, all this while, 'By blazing him Loue's first begotten sonne; 'Of euery ill the hateful father vile 'That doth the world with sorceries beguile; 'Cunningly mad, religiously prophane, 'Wit's monster, Reason's canker, Sence's bane.

99.

'Loue taught the mother that vnkinde desire 'To wash her hands in her owne infant's blood; 'Loue taught the daughter to betray her sire 'Into most base vnworthy seruitude; 'Loue taught the brother to prepare such foode 'To feast his brothers that the all-seeing sun 'Wrapt in a clowd, that wicked sight did shun.[246]

[Footnote 246: The Cenci of Shelley has 'married' this tragical crime to 'immortal verse.' G.]

100.

'And euen this self same Loue hath dauncing taught, 'An Art that showes th' Idea of his minde 'With vainesse, frenzie, and misorder fraught; 'Sometimes with blood and cruelties vnkinde: 'For in a daunce, _Tereus'_ mad wife did finde 'Fit time and place by murther[247] of her sonne, 'T' auenge the wrong his trayterous sire had done.

[Footnote 247: In first edition, 'murthering.' G.]

101.

'What meane the mermayds when they daunce and sing 'But certaine death vnto the marriner? 'What tydings doe the dauncing dilphins[248] bring, 'But that some dangerous storme approcheth nere? 'Then sith both Loue and Dauncing lyueries beare 'Of such ill hap, vnhappy may I[249] proue, 'If sitting free I either daunce or loue.'

[Footnote 248: In first edition also spelled 'dilphins' = dolphins. G.]

[Footnote 249: In first edition, 'they.' G.]

102.

Yet once again _Antinous_ did reply; 'Great Queen, condemne not Loue[250] the innocent, 'For this mischeuous lust, which traterously 'Vsurps his name, and steales his ornament: 'For that true Loue which Dauncing did inuent, 'Is he that tun'd the World's whole harmony, 'And linkt all men in sweet societie.

[Footnote 250: Note here, 'True Loue inventor of dauncing.' G]

103.

'He first extracted from th' earth-mingled mind 'That heau'nly fire, or quintessence diuine, 'Which doth such simpathy in beauty find, 'As is betweene the elme and fruitful vine, 'And so to beauty euer doth encline; 'Life's[251] life it is, and cordiall to the heart, 'And of our better part, the better part.

[Footnote 251: Spelled 'Liues.' G.]

104.