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it. About 1253, the 38th of Henry III, the quintin was a sport much in fashion in almost every part of the kingdom. This contrivance, consisted of an upright post firmly fixed in the ground, upon the top of which was a cross piece of wood, moveable upon a spindle; one end of which was broad like the flat part of an halberd, while at the other end was hung a bag of sand. The exercise was performed on horseback. The masterly performance was, when, upon the broad part being struck with a lance, which sometimes broke it, the assailant rode so swiftly on as to avoid being struck on the back by the bag of sand, which turned round instantly upon the stroke given, with a very swift motion. He who executed this feat in the most dexterous manner was declared victor, and the prize to which be became entitled was a peacock. But if, upon the aim taken, the contender miscarried in striking at the broadside, his impotency of skill became the ridicule and contempt of the spectators. Dr. Plott, in his Natural History of Oxfordshire, tells us, that this pastime was in practice in his time at Deddington. He and Matthew Paris give similar accounts.

But all the manly pastimes seem to have given place to one, indeed no less manly, which was Archery. This had a continuance to the reign of Charles I. It appears from 33 Hen. VIII. that by the intru sion of other pernicious games, archery had been for a long time disused; to revive which, a statute was made.

Towards the beginning of James I.'s reign, military prowess seems to have sounded a retreat. He, to gratify the importunity of the common people, and at the same time to obviate his own fears upon a refusal, published a book of sports, in which the women had been some time before indulged on Sunday evenings, but which had been lately prohibited. These sports consisted of dancing, singing, wrestling, church ales, and other profanations of that day. Charles I., his successor, wisely, in the very entrance of his reign, abolished these sports, which was no doubt proper, and shewed the distinguished piety of this unfortunate monarch. But in this age likewise ended the manly sports of Britons, and nothing was introduced that could compensate for the loss.

In the Satistical Account of Scotland, parish of Monquhitter, under 'Amusements,' we are told, 'People who are not regularly and profitably employed, rejoice in a holiday, as the means of throwing off that languor which oppresses the mind, and of exerting their active powers. So it was with our fathers. They frequently met to exert their strength in wrestling, in casting the hammer, and in throwing the stone, their agility at foot-ball, and their dexterity at coits and penny-stone.

Hot-cockles.-This sport is described as follows by Gay: "As at Hot Cockles once I laid me down,

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I felt the weighty hand of many a clown ;
Buxoma gave a gentle tap, and I

Quick rose, and read soft mischief in her eye."

Races.-Misson, in his Travels in England, translated by Ozell, says: The English nobility take great delight in horse-races. The most famous are usually at Newmarket: and there you are sure to

see a great many persons of the first quality; and almost all the gentlemen of the neighbourhood. It is pretty common for them to lay wagers of two thousand pounds sterling upon one race. I have seen a horse, that after having run twenty miles in fifty-five minutes, upon ground less even than that where the races are run at Newmarket, and won the wager for his master, would have been able to run anew without taking breath, if he that had lost durst have ventured again.'Grose mentions among the Sports of Sailors, the following:

'Ambassador: A trick to duck some ignorant feHow, or landsman, frequently played on board ships in the warm latitudes. It is thus managed: A large tub is filled with water, and two stools placed on each side of it. Over the whole is thrown a tarpawlin, or old sail; this is kept tight by two persons, who are to represent the King and Queen of a foreign country, and are seated on the stools. The person intended to be ducked plays the Ambassador, and after repeating a ridiculous speech dictated to him, is led in great form up to the throne, and seated between the King and Queen, who rising suddenly as soon as he is seated, he falls backward into the tub of water.'-He notices another game in the subsequent words:

'Arthur, King Arthur: A game used at sea, when near the Line, or in a hot latitude.-It is performed thus: A man who is to represent King Arthur, ridiculously dressed, having a large wig, made out of oakum, or same old swabs, is seated on the side, or over a large vessel of water. Every person is to be ceremoniously introduced to him, and to pour a bucket of water over him, crying, Hail, King Arthur! If, during this ceremony, the person introduced laughs or smiles, (to which his majesty endeavours to excite him by all sorts of ridiculous gesticulations,) he changes place with, and then becomes King Arthur, till relieved by some brother tar who has as little command over his muscles as himself.'

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THE origin of dancing among the Greeks was doubtless the same as among all other nations; but as they proceeded a certain length in civilization, their dances were of consequence more regular and agreeable than those of the more barbarous nations. They reduced dancing into a kind of regular system, and had dances proper for exciting, by means of sympathy, any passion whatever in the minds of the beholders. In this way they are said to have proceeded very great lengths, to us absolutely incredible. At Athens it is said, that the dance of the Eumenides, or Furies, on the theatre, had so expressive a character, as to strike the spectators with irresistible terror: meu grown old in the profession of arms trembled; the multitude ran out; women with child miscarried; and people imagined they saw in earnest those terrible deities commissioned with the vengeance of heaven to pursue and punish crimes upon earth. The Greeks had martial dances, which they reckoned to be very useful for keeping up the warlike spirit of their youth; but the Romans, though equally warlike with the Greeks, never had any thing of the kind. This probably may be owing to the want of that romantic turn, for which the Greeks were so remarkable.

The Romans had no heroes among them such as Hercules, Achilles, or Ajax; nor does the whole Roman history furnish an example of a general whọ made war after the manner of Alexander the Great. Though their soldiers were as valiant as those of the Greeks, the object with them was the honour of the republic, and not their own personal praise. Hence there was less fury, and much more cool deliberate valour, exercised by the Romans, than any other nation whatever. The passions of pride, resentment, obstinacy, &c. were excited in them, not by the mechanical means of music and dancing, but by being taught that it was their chief honour to fight for the republic.It does not, however, appear that the Romans were at all less capa ble of being affected in this mechanical manner than the Greeks. When dancing was once introduced, it had the very same effects at Rome as at Athens.

DANCE OF THE CALUMET.

THIS is a solemn rite among the Indians on various occasions. They dare not wash themselves in a river in the beginning of summer, nor taste of the new fruits, without performing it; and the same ceremony always confirms a peace, or precedes a war. It is performed in winter in their cabins, and in summer in the open fields. For this purpose they choose a spot among trees, to shade them from the heat of the sun, and lay in the middle a large mat, as a carpet, setting upon it the god of the chief of the company. On the right hand of this image they place the calumet, as their great deity, with their arms erected round it. The hour of the dancing being come, those who are the most honourable take their seats under the shade of the trees. The company is then ranged round; every one, before he sits down, saluting the monitor, which is done by blowing upon it the smoke of tobacco. Each person next receives the calumet in rotation, and holding it with both hands, dances to the cadence of the vocal music, which is accompanied with the beating of a sort of drum. During this exercise, he gives a signal to one of his warriors, who takes a bow, arrow, and axe, from the trophies already mentioned, and fights him; the former defending himself with the calumet only, and both of them dancing all the while. This mock engagement being over, he who holds the calumet makes a speech, in which he gives an account of all the battles he has fought, and the prisoners he has taken, and then receives a cloak, or some other present, from the chief of the ball. He then resigns the calumet to another, who, having acted a similar part, delivers it to a third, and he to a fourth, &c. till at last the instrument returns to the person who began the ceremony, and who presents it to the nation invited to the feast, as a mark of their friendship, and a confirmation of their alliance.

ALME, OR ALMA,

THIS name is given to the singing and dancing girls in Egypt, who, like the Italian Improvisatori, can occasionally pour forth unpre

meditated verse. They are called Almé, from having received a better education than other women. They form a celebrated society in their country. To be received into it, according to Savary, it is necessary to have a good voice, to know the language well, to understand the rules of poetry, and be able to compose and sing couplets on the spot, adapted to present circumstances. The Almé know by heart all the new songs. Their memory is furnished with the most beautiful tales, There is no festival without them; uo entertainment of which they do not constitute the ornament. They are placed in a rostrum, from whence they sing during the repast. They then descend into the saloon, and form dances, which have no resemblance to ours; they are pantomime ballads, in which they usually represent the occurrences of life. The mysteries of love, too, furnish them with scenes. The suppleness of their bodies is inconceivable. One is astonished at the mobility of their features, to which they give at pleasure the impression suitable to the characters they play. The indecency of their attitude is often carried to excess. Their looks, their gestures, every thing speaks, but in so expressive a manner, that it is impossible to mistake them. At the beginning of the dance they lay aside with their veils the modesty of their sex. A long robe of very fine silk goes down to their heels, which is slightly fastened with a rich girdle. Long black hair, plaited and perfumed, lies on their shoulders. A shift, transparent as gauze, scarcely hides their bosom. As they put themselves in motion, the shapes, the contours of their bodies, seem to develop themselves successively. Their steps are regulated by the sound of the flute, of castanets, the tambour de lasque, and cymbals, which accelerates or retards the measure. They are still farther animated by words adapted to such scenes. They appear in a state of intoxication. They are the bacchantes, in a delirium. It is when they are at this point, throwing off all reserve, they abandon themselves wholly to the disorder of their senses; it is then that a people, far from delicate, and who like nothing hidden, redouble their applauses.

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These Almé are sent for into all the harems. They teach the womẹn the new airs, amuse them with amorous tales, and recite in their presence poems, which are so much the more interesting, as they furnish a lively picture of their manners. They initiate them into the mysteries of their art, and teach them to contrive lascivious dances. These girls, who have a cultivated understanding, are very agreeable in conversation. They speak their language with purity. The habit of dedicating themselves to poetry, renders the softest and most sonorous expressions familiar to them. They repeat with a great deal of grace, In singing, nature is their only guide. Sometimes two of them sing together, but always with the same voice. It is the same with an orchestra, where all the instruments playing in unison execute the saine part. The Almé assist at the marriage ceremonies, and march before the bride, playing on instruments. They make a figure likewise at funerals, and accompany the procession, singing sorrowful airs.

They break forth into groans and lamentations, and give every sign of grief and despair. These women are paid very high, and seldom appear but among the grandees. The common people have

also their Almé. These are girls of the second class, who try to imitate the former; but they have neither their elegance, their graces, nor their knowledge. They are every where to be met with. The public places and the walks about Grand Cairo are full of them. As the populace require allusions still more strongly marked, decency will not permit the relation of the pitch to which these carry the licentiousness of their gestures and attitudes.

TURKISH BATHING.

IN modern Turkey, as well as among the ancients, bathing makes a part of their luxuries, so that in every town and even village there is a public bath. Indeed, the necessity of cleanliness, in a climate where one perspires so copiously, has rendered bathing indispensable; the comfort it produces, preserves the use of it; and Mahomet, who knew its utility, reduced it to a precept. Of these baths, and the manner of bathing, particularly at Cairo, the following account is given by M. Savary, in his letters on Egypt.

The first apartment one finds on going to the bath, is a large hall, which rises in the form of a rotunda. It is open at the top, to give a free circulation to the air. A spacious estrade, or raised floor, covered with a carpet, and divided into compartments, goes around it, on which one lays one's clothes. In the middle of the building, a jet-d'eau spouts out from a bason, and agreeably entertains the eye. When you are undressed, you tie a napkin round your loins, take a pair of sandals, and enter into a narrow passage, where you begin to be sensible of the heat. The door shuts to, and, at twenty paces off, you open a second, and go along a passage, which forms a right angle with the former. Here the heat increases. They who are afraid of suddenly exposing themselves to a stronger degree of it, stop in a marble hall, in the way to the bath properly so called. The bath is a spacious and vaulted apartment, paved and lined with marble, along which there are four closets. The vapour, incessantly rising from a fountain and cistern of hot water, mixes itself with the burning perfumes; these, however, are never burnt, except the persons who are in the bath desire it: they mix with the steam of the water, and produce a most agreeable effect. The bathers are not imprisoned here, as in Europe, in a tub, where one is never at one's ease. Extended on a cloth spread out, the head supported by a small cushion, they stretch themselves freely in every posture, whilst they are lapped up in a cloud of odoriferous vapours, which penetrates into all their pores. After reposing there some time, until there is a gentle moisture over the whole body, a servant comes, presses you gently, turns you over, and when the limbs are become supple and flexible, he makes all the joints crack, without difficulty. He masses, i. e. touches delicately, and seems to knead the flesh, without making you feel the smallest pain. This operation finished, he puts on a stuff glove, and rubs you a long time. During this operation he detaches from the body of the patient, which is running with sweat, a sort of small scales, and removes even the imperceptible dirt that stops the pores. The skin becomes soft and smooth like satin. He

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