ANCIENT DANCES. 
271 
seD a great many persons of the first quality ; and almost all the gen- 
tlemen of the neighbourhood. It is pretty common for them to lay 
wagers of two thousand pounds sterling upon one race. I have seeiii 
a horse, that after having run twenty miles in fifty-five minutes, upon 
ground less even than that where the races afe 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 fellow, 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." — 
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 ves- 
sel of water. Every person is to be ceremoniously introduced to 
him, and to pour a bucket of water over him, crying. Hail, King Ar- 
thur ! 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 com- 
mand over his muscles as himself.’ 
Ancient Dances. 
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 agree- 
able 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 behold- 
ers. 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: men grown old in 
the profession of arms trembled ; the multitude ran out *, women with 
child miscarried ; and people imagined they saw in earnest those terri- 
ble 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 
ovring to the want of that romantic turn, for which the Greeks were 
so remarkable. 
