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Show .., . ... • 'I' '~ ' H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M F. X I C o: BOOK VII. dancers of lcfs rank; and, a~ a f nal in terval from them, other circl~'S '--v---" proportionaLly brgcr were formed, vv ich w re compoJecl af youth!;. · All thefe circles had for their centre the: 1-Iuchuet!. and the 'l'cponazt!./. The ddign which vve have given of the order and di fj1oGtion of this dance, rcprcfcn ts it in the form of a wheel, in which the pointn denote the dancers, and the circles D1cw the figure which they dcfcribctl in thei.r dance. The radii of the whcd are as many in n.urnher as there were dancers in the fimtllel1: circle nearefl: to the mufic . All the dancers dcicribcd a circle in their dancing, and no erfon departed from the radius or line to which he belonged . Thofe who danced cl o[c to the mufic, moved with flowncfs and grav ity, a the circle which they h<td to makt; was [mallet', and oh that account it was the place of the lords and' nobles mofi advans:ed in ::~ge; but thofe who occupied the l1:ation mofl difl:ant from the mufic, moved with the utmofi velocity, that they might neither lofc the direcl:ion of the line to which they be~ longed, nor the mcafure in which the lords danced. Their dances were almofi always accompanied with fin ging; bnt the fin ging was like all the movct11ents of the dancers, adjufl:ed hy the beating of the inflrum~nts. T~· o perfons fung a verfe, to which all the refi anfwered. In general tl~·e mafic began with a grave tone. and the lingers in a low voice. The longer the dance continued, the more chcarful tone was founded by the mnfic, the fingers~raifed their voices, their movements became fwiftcr, and the fubjeet of their fong more joyful. In the fpace between the different lines of dancers, fome buffoons danced, who counterfeited the drefs of other nations, or difguifed themfdvcs like wild beail:s and other animals, exciting the mirth of the people with their buffooneries. When one fet of dancers was wearied, another was in~roduccd, and thus they continued the dance for fix, and fometimes eig-ht hours. 0 This was the form of their ordinary dance; but they had others that were very different, in which they reprefcnted either fome myll:ery of their religion, fomc event of hiftory or war, the chace, or agriculture. Not only the lords, ~he priefl:s, and the youth of the colleges danced but likewife the kings in the temple in perform?.nce of their devotion, or for their amufemcnt in the palaces, but on fuch occafions they had .always a diftinct place for themfelves in refpeet to their charaCter. Among .. -· PI .. XVJ. I . .... 0 o o ooo., tt • • 0 ... ft (I , ' o,,,ooo.,,., ... ll!l • • t~" o, o¥ " .. ., . •' '"' . """•' (I C'l ' 1'1 0 () tl • 'l .• • ' • • • • ... .. I) ... • • 0 • • It .. .. . ' .. . ' • . • • "' 0 • .• ..• ..• . • .. . . . ... • . . . . . . . . 0 • • • ... .. • . .. .. . . • •. •. .• . "' . "' . ..... .., .".!:.·. ..... .. •".. . ... . ..'II. . '. . 0 0 "' ·..•.. • . . • c • •• Q· .• . .•. . ..• . • • . . .. "' ·.·~~· ... . ·.. . .. ..,. . ·..·. :· . . • • • 0 " . . •. •. •. . .. .•. • .• • • • 0 • . .. . ••. • •. . .. • • • •.• 0 • • • . . .. .. . . . . . .. .. .• .. • e 0 . . . 0 • • • . o • • . . . ., " . . . I .V 0 ~ II . 0 ' • ,· o " o o o • n "o Ill, " • \1 0 0 0 " .. 0 • I) " • |