er ranks of society, and those
who gained their livelihood by attending festive meetings.

"Fearing lest it should corrupt the manners of a people naturally
lively and fond of gaiety, and deeming it neither a necessary part of
education nor becoming a person of sober habits, the Egyptians forbade
those of the higher classes to learn it as an amusement.

"Many of these postures resembled those of the modern ballet, and the
pirouette delighted an Egyptian party 3,500 years ago.

"The dresses of the females were light and of the finest texture, a
loose flowing robe reaching to the ankles, sometimes with a girdle.

"In later times, it appears more transparent and folded in narrow
pleats.[Footnote: There is a picture of an Egyptian gauffering machine
in Wilkinson, vol. i., p. 185.] Some danced in pairs, holding each
other's hand; others went through a succession of steps alone, both
men and women; sometimes a man performed a solo to the sound of music
or the clapping of hands.

"A favourite figure dance was universally adopted throughout the
country, in which two partners, who were usually men, advanced toward
each other, or stood face to face upon one leg, and having performed a
series of movements, retired again in opposite directions, continuing
to hold by one hand and concluding by turning each other round (see
fig. 3). That the attitude was very common is proved by its having
been adopted by the hieroglyphic (fig. 4) as the mode of describing
'dance.'"

[Illustration: Fig. 3.--The hieroglyphics describe the dance.]

[Illustration: Fig. 4.--Egyptian hieroglyphic for "dance."]

Many of the positions of the dance illustrated in Gardner Wilkinson
are used at the present day.

The ASSYRIANS probably danced as much as the other nations, but
amongst the many monuments that have been discovered there is little
dancing shown, and they were evidently more proud of their campaigns
and their hunting than of their dancing. A stern and strong people,
although they undoubtedly had this amusement, we know little about it.
Of the Phoenicians, their neighbours, we have some illustrations of
their dance, which was apparently of a serious nature, judging by the
examples which we possess, such as that (fig. 5) from Cyprus
representing three figures in hooded cowls dancing around a piper. It
is a dance around a centre, as is also (fig. 6) that from Idalium in
Cyprus. The latter is engraved around a bronze bowl and is evidently a
p