an agreeable motion of the body, adjusted by art to the measures or tune of instruments, or of the voice.

Athenæus concludes, that in the early ages of antiquity, they accounted dancing an exercise becoming persons of honour and wisdom; and that, as such, it had been esteemed by the greatest men in all ages. Thus, Homer calls Merion a fine dancer; and says, that the graceful mein and great agility which he had acquired by that exercise, distinguished him above the rest in the armies of either Greeks or Trojans. Dancing was in very great esteem among the Greeks, even the Lacedemonians encouraged it: but, at Rome, we find the custom was quite otherwise; for there, to use the words of Cicero, no man dances unless he is mad or drunk: Cicero reproaches Gabinius with having danced: and we read, that Domitian excluded several members from the senate for having danced.

Dancing in general, was by the ancients divided into cubistic, spheric, and orchestic: the cubistic dance was performed with certain wrestlings and contortions of the body; the spheric with a sort of ball, or bowl play; but the orchestic was most usual, and what indeed was dancing properly so called.

Dancing is usually an effect and indication of joy; though Mr Palleprat assures us, that there are nations in South America, who dance to shew their sorrow. It has been in use among all nations, civilized and barbarous; though held in esteem among some, and in contempt among others. It has often been, and still is, sometimes made an act of religion. Thus David danced before the ark to honour God, and expresses his excess of joy for its return into Sion. Among the pagans it made a part of the worship paid to the gods, it being usual to dance round the altars and statues; and at Rome, the salii, who were priests of Mars, danced through the streets in honour of that God. The poets make the gods themselves dance. The Christians are not free from this superstition; for in popish countries certain festivals, particularly those of the sacrament, and passion of our Lord, are celebrated with dancing.