--
The following are dance references from The
Autobiography of Edward, Lord Herbert of Cherbury,
c1643. The
sections on dance are quoted from the edition edited
by Sidney Lee initially written in 1886 and republished
by George Routledge & Sons Limited in 1906. The
editor notes that the truthfulness of Lord Herbert's
autobiography is rather inconsistent, so it must always
be read with some scepticism or awareness of possible
omissions. (link
to full text.) -- E. F. Winerock
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The exercises I chiefly used, and most recommend to
my posterity, were riding the great horse and fencing,
in which arts I had excellent masters, English, French,
and Italian. As for dancing, I could never find leisure
enough to learn it, as employing my mind always in
acquiring of some art or science more useful; howbeit,
I shall wish these three exercises learned in this
order. (fn 1)
That
dancing may be learnt first, as that which doth fashion
the body, gives one a good presence in and address
to all companies, since it disposeth the limbs to a
kind of souplesse (as the Frenchmen call it)
and agility, insomuch as they seem to have the use
of their legs, arms, and bodies, more than any ohters,
who, standing stiff and stark in their postures, seem
as if they were taken in their joints, or had not the
perfect use of their members. (fn 2) I speak not this
yet as if I would have a youth never
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1. Sir R. Southwell thus describes the accomplishments
of Lord Ossory, son of the first Duke of Ormonde (about
1650), a perfect specimen of the educated youth of
the seventeenth century: 'He rides the great horse
very well; is a good tennis-player, fencer, and dancer.
He understands music, and plays on the guitar and lute;
speaks French elegantly: ready Italian fluently, is
a good historian, and so well versed in romances that
if a gallery be full of pictures or hangings he will
tell the stories of all of them that are described'.
Cf. Thomas Lorkin's letter to Adam Newton, Prince Henry's
tutor, respecting the completion of a young gentleman's
education at Paris in 1610. Horse-riding, fencing,
and dancing were to be paractised at stated hours daily.
Ellis's Orig. Letters, second series, iii, 220,
221.)
2.
Cf. Locke On Education, 1693, p. 307. 'Dancing...
gives graceful motions all
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stand
still in company, but only, that when he hath occasion
to stir, his motions may be comely and graceful, that
he may learn to know how to come in and go out of a
room where company is, how to ake courtesies handsomely,
according to the several degrees of persons he shall
encounter, how to put off and hold his hat; all which,
and many other things which become men, are taught
by the more accurate dancing-masters in France.
The
next exercise a young man should learn (but not before
he is eleven or twelve years of age) is fencing...
[p.
40 -- In addition to his recommendation of dancing,
fencing, and riding the great horse, Lord Herbert condones
leaping, wrestling, vaulting on horsebook, and shooting
the long bow for gentleman, is lukewarm towards racing
horses, hunting, and hawking, allows bowling on occasion,
but condems dicing and card playing. For social niceties
he refers readers to Guazzo's La Civil Conversatione
and della Casa's Il Galatheo.]
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2.
cont. the life, and above all things manliness and
a becoming confidence to oyoung children. Locke warns
the pupil, however, against 'apish, affected postures',
and only values the accomplishment 'as it tends to
perfect graceful carriage'.
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Sometimes
also I went to the court of the French king, Henry
IV, who, upon information of me in the garden at the
Tuilleries, received me with all courtesy, embracing
me in his arms, and holding me some while there. I
went sometimes also to the court of Queen Margaret
at the Hostel, called by her name (fn 1); and here
I saw many balls or masks, in all which it pleased
that Queen publicly to place me next to her chair,
not without the wonder of some, and the envy of another,
who was wont to have that favour. I shall recount one
accident which happened while I was there.
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1.i.e.
Marguerite of Valois. M. Tallemant des Réaux
(i, 165) tells some amusing stories about the ballets
given by Queen Marguerite at her hotel. The Queen had
been divorced from Henri IV in 1600, and her reputation
was not good. Lord Herbert writes of her with greater
justice in his Satyra addressed to Ben Jonson
(September 1608), as
that
swol'n vicious Queen Margaret,
Who were a monster ev'n without her sin!
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All
things being ready for the ball, and every one being
in their place, and I myself next to the Queen, expecting
when the dancers would come in, one knocked at the
door somewhat louder than became, as I thought, a very
civil person.
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It
was now in the time of Carnival, when the Duke, who
loved the company of ladies and dancing as much as
any prince whosoever, made divers masks and balls,
in which his own daughters, among divers other ladies,
danced; and here it was his manner to place me always
with his own hand near some fair lady, wishing us both
to entertain each other with some discourse, which
was a great favour among the Italians. He did many
other ways also declare the great esteem he had of
me without coming to any particular...
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They
conducted me to the great hall of the governor, where
the Duke of Montmorency, and divers other cavaliers,
had been dancing with the ladies...
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When
foul weather was, they spent their time in visits at
each other's houses, where they interchanged civil
discourses, or heard music, or fell to dancing, using,
according to the manner of that country, all the reasonable
liberties they could with their honour, while their
manner was, either in the garden of the Tuileries,
or elsewhere, if any one discoursing with a lady did
see some other of good fashion approach to her, he
would leave her and go to some other lady, he who conversed
with her at that time quitting her also, and going
to some other, that so addresses might be made equal
and free to all without scruple on any part, neither
was exception made, or quarrel begun, upon these terms.
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