2 66 



feet, twiilings of the bodj^, and a number 

 of ftrange indecent attitudes. It is a fevere • 

 - bodily exertion— more bodily indeed than 

 you can well imagine, for the limbs have 

 little to do in it. The head is held ered, or, 

 occafionally, inclined a little forward— the 

 hands nearly meet before — the elbows are 

 fixed, pointing from the fides— and the lower 

 extremities being held rigid, the whole peifon 

 is moved without lifting the feet from the 

 ground. Making the head and limbs fixed 

 points, they writhe and tarn the body upon 

 its own axis, flowly advancing towards each 

 other, or retreating to the outer parts of the 

 ring. Their approaches, with the figure of 

 the dance, and the attitudes and inflexions iu 

 which they are made, are highly Indecent : but 

 of this they feem to be wholly unconfcious, for 

 the gravity — -I might fay the folemnity of 

 countenance, under which all this paffes, is pe- 

 culiarly ftriking, indeed almoft ridiculous. 

 Not a fmile^ — not a fignificant glance, nor an 

 immodeft look efcapes from either fex : but 

 they meet, in very indecent attitudes, under 

 the moft fettled, and unmeaning gravity of 

 countenance. Qccafionally they change the 



