The old man’s enthusiasm for an instrument that has never really received its due homage is truly fine, and he gives no less than seventy-six examples of drum-beat on a common-time basis. He follows this with an exposition of fife-playing (with musical examples); his earnest plea for this study of drum (_tambour_) and fife being only preparatory to a study of the _basse-dances_, which were properly accompanied by both instruments. As several of these dances of three centuries agone have been revived in our time, it is of interest to consider them in some detail, more especially as they formed the choregraphic basis of all the ballets subsequently for some two centuries. Arbeau informs us that most of what he calls the “recreative” dances (or as we might say “social,” as opposed to the more ceremonial affairs necessitating an orchestra) were performed in his forebears’ time to the music of the flute and little drum. Capriol asks: “Tell me, what are these dances and how are they done?” To which Arbeau replies that they danced, in his father’s days, “_pavanes_, _basse-dances_, _branles_ and _courantes_, which have been in use some forty or fifty years.” Capriol asks: “How did our fathers dance the _basse-dance_?” Arbeau replied that they had two sorts, the one common and regular, the other irregular, the former being danced to “_chansons régulieres_,” and the latter to “_chansons irrégulieres_,” and proceeds to explain that, for the former songs, there were sixteen bars which were repeated, making thirty-two to commence with; then a middle part of sixteen bars; and a close of sixteen, repeated; making eighty bars in all. If the air of the song was longer than this, the _basse-dance_ played on it was termed “irregular.” He then explains that the _basse-dance_ proper was in three parts, the term being really only applied to the first; the second being called “_retour de la basse-dance_,” and the third and last being termed “_tordion_.” Then comes the following: “_Memoire des mouvements pour la basse-dance._ R b ss d r d r b ss ddd r d r b ss d r b c.” Not unnaturally Capriol, who is for ever asking quite intelligent questions, wants a translation of this cryptic-looking array of letters. It is better understood when one hears that “R” stands for _reverence_, “b” for a _branle_, “ss” for _deux simples_, “d” for a _double_ (or three “ddd” for three “doubles”); the small “r” stands for a _réprise_, and “c” for _congé_; all of which are terms understood by dancers of to-day.