‘Let us sing,’ ‘Let us dance,’ which occur in modern opera and which establish at least some external connection between the two arts, are almost entirely wanting.[13] And yet the Provençal _balada_ is a dance-song in the most emphatic sense of the word. The secret lies in the rhythm, the metre. This, in most of the _baladas_, is graceful waving motion itself. In conjunction with the musical accompaniment the effect must have been of surpassing charm. As to the nature of this musical accompaniment an interesting passage may be found in the _Leys d’amors_. Speaking of the _dansa_ the old Provençal writer asserts that it must have ‘a slight and joyous tune, not quite so long as those of the _Vers_ or the _Canso_, but a little more lively, such as is suited for dancing, as the name indicates. But nowadays people use this tune very badly, for the singers hardly know how to get into a good dance rhythm. And as they are unable to do so, they have changed the tune of the _dansa_ into the tune of the _redondel_, with their minims and the semi-breves of their motets.’ To us the melodious beauties indicated by these words are, it is to be feared, lost for ever. But even without this important aid, sufficient remains to connect the fall of the lines with the graceful harmonious action of the human body. This association of ideas is common amongst Southern nations; the Greek metrical terms _arsis_ and _thesis_ are derived from the lifting up and setting down of the dancers’ feet. But even in the literature of Teutonic nations songs occasionally occur which act on brain and feet as would the lively rhythm of a valse by Strauss or Lanner. I will mention only a single English specimen by way of illustration. In a ‘Mad-Song’ called the ‘Lady distracted with Love,’ originally sung in Tom D’Urfey’s ‘Don Quixote’ (first performed in 1694) and to be found in that author’s ‘Pills to purge Melancholy,’ especially the second division of each stanza appears to me a model of the dance-song in its northern transformation. It is supposed to depict the phase of ‘mirthful madness,’ and runs thus:— Or if more influencing Is to be brisk and airy, With a step and a bound And a frisk from the ground I’ll trip like any fairy. As once on Ida dancing Were three celestial bodies, With an air and a face And a shape and a grace I’ll charm like beauty’s goddess. But how infinitely more graceful than these lively verses is the soft gliding rhythm of the following Provençal stanzas! ‘_Coindeta soi_,’ ‘I am graceful, joyous,’ the lady begins,— Coindeta soi, si cum n’ai greu cossire Per mon marit qar nol volh nil desire. Q’ieu beus dirai per qe son aussi droza Coindeta soi; Qar pauca soi joveneta e toza Coindeta soi; E degr’aver marit don fos joyoza Al cui toz temps pogues jogar e rire. Coindeta soi.