ut the right number of semibreves
in a strain, 'fewer then _eight_ I have not seen in any _Pavan_.'
'Also in this you must cast your musicke by _foure_: ... no matter how
manie _foures_ you put in your straine.' Bull's Pavan, 'St Thomas
Wake,' has two strains of _sixteen_ bars each--_i.e._, two 'eights.'
[Appendix.]

The last passage given here shows clearly that the Lavolta and Coranto
were considered exotic in England in Shakespeare's time.

The French ladies here recommend their runaway husbands and brothers
to cross the Channel and try to earn a living by teaching French
dances to the stately English. Probably the "English dancing-schools"
in those days would think the solemn walk of the Pavan quite as lively
an amusement as good society could allow. There are other passages too
which show that Shakespeare (or his characters) had a fine 'insular'
feeling against these 'newfangled' fashions from France.

_H. 5._ III, v, 32.

_Bourbon_ (Speaks of the mocking French ladies).
They bid us to the _English dancing-schools_,
And teach _lavoltas high_, and _swift corantos_;
Saying, our grace is only in our heels,
And that we are most lofty runaways.

NOTE ON ARBEAU'S 'ORCHESOGRAPHIE,' 1588.

This interesting book on the Art of Dancing was published at Macon
[Transcriber's Note: corrected from Macon] in 1588. [The date on the
title page is 1589.] The author was Jehan Tabourot, but his real name
does not appear in the work, being anagrammatised into Thoinot Arbeau;
and under the guise of Arbeau he is best known.

The treatise is written (like Morley's Introduction to Practical
Music) in the form of Dialogue between Master (Arbeau) and Pupil
(Capriol); and gives a most clear description of all the fashionable
dances of the time, as far as words can do it; dance tunes in music
type; and incidentally, many instructions as to the manners of good
society.

As much light is thrown upon the dances which are mentioned in
Shakespeare by this book, some of the principal descriptions will be
given here, with the proper music.

On p. 25, Capriol (the Pupil) asks his Master (Arbeau) to describe the
steps of the 'basse' dance. This was the 'danse par bas, ou sans
sauter,' which was of the 15th century, was in triple time, and
contained three parts, A, basse dance; B, Retour de la basse dance;
C, Tordion. This 3rd part, or tordion, 'n'est aultre chose qu'une
gaillarde _par terre_';