dge I bear him"

--the meaning being, "to have at an entire advantage."[822] The
expression occurs again in "Othello" (ii. 1), where Iago says:

"I'll have our Michael Cassio on the hip."

[822] Dyce's "Glossary," p. 208.

Nares,[823] however, considers the phrase was derived from hunting;
because, "when the animal pursued is seized upon the hip, it is finally
disabled from flight."

[823] "Glossary," vol. i. p. 421.

In "As You Like It" (ii. 3), where Adam speaks of the "bonny priser of
the humorous duke," Singer considers that a _priser_ was the phrase for
a wrestler, a _prise_ being a term in that sport for a grappling or hold
taken.

CHAPTER XVII.

DANCES.

We are indebted to Shakespeare for having bequeathed to us many
interesting allusions to some of the old dances in use in his day, but
which have long ago passed into oblivion. As will be seen, these were of
a very diverse character, but, as has been remarked, were well suited to
the merry doings of our forefathers; and although in some cases they
justly merited censure for their extravagant nature, yet the greater
part of these sources of diversion were harmless. Indeed, no more
pleasing picture can be imagined than that of a rustic sheep-shearing
gathering in the olden times, when, the work over, the peasantry joined
together in some simple dance, each one vieing with his neighbor to
perform his part with as much grace as possible.

_Antic._ This was a grotesque dance. In "Macbeth" (iv. 1), the witch,
perceiving how Macbeth is affected by the horrible apparitions which he
has seen, says to her sisters:

"Come, sisters, cheer we up his sprites,
And show the best of our delights.
I'll charm the air to give a sound,
While you perform your antic round."

To quote another instance, Armado, in "Love's Labour's Lost" (v. 1),
says:

"We will have, if this fadge not, an antique."

_Bergomask Dance._ According to Sir Thomas Hanmer, this was a dance
after the manner of the peasants of Bergomasco, a county in Italy
belonging to the Venetians. All the buffoons in Italy affected to
imitate the ridiculous jargon of that people, and from thence it became
customary to mimic also their manner of dancing. In "A Midsummer-Night's
Dream" (v. 1), Bottom asks Theseus whether he would like "to hear a
Bergomask dance," between two of their company.

_Brawl._ This was a kind of dance. It appears that several persons
united ha