_And after wars, when white-winged Victory Is with a glorious Triumph beautified; And every one doth Ιῶ! Ιῶ! cry, While all in gold the Conqueror doth ride; The solemn pomp, that fills the city wide, Observes such Rank and Measure everywhere, As if they altogether dancing were._
_The like just order Mourners do observe, But with unlike affection and attire, When some great man, that nobly did deserve, And whom his friends impatiently desire, Is brought with honour to his latest fire. The dead corpse, too, in that sad dance is moved As if both dead and living dancing loved._
_A diverse cause, but like solemnity, Unto the Temple leads the bashful bride, Which blusheth like the Indian ivory Which is with dip of Tyrian purple dyed: A golden troop doth pass on every side, Of flourishing young men and virgins gay, Which keep fair Measure all the flowery way._
_And not alone the general multitude But those choice NESTORS, which in counsel grave Of cities and of kingdoms do conclude, Most comely order in their sessions have; Wherefore the wise Thessalians ever gave The name of Leader of their Country's Dance To him that had their country's governance._
_And those great Masters of the liberal arts, In all their several Schools, do Dancing teach; For humble Grammar first doth set the parts Of congruent and well according Speech, Which Rhetoric, whose state the clouds doth reach, And heavenly Poetry do forward lead, And divers Measures diversely do tread._
_For Rhetoric clothing Speech in rich array, The looser numbers teacheth her to range With twenty tropes, and turnings every way, And various figures and licentious change: But Poetry, with rule and order strange, So curiously doth move each single pace As all is marred if she one foot misplace._
_These Arts of Speech the Guides and Marshals are, But Logic leadeth Reason in a dance_ (_Reason, the Cynosure and bright Loadstar _In this world's sea, t' avoid the rocks of Chance_), For with close following, and continuance, One reason doth another so ensue As, in conclusion, still the Dance is true._
_So Music to her own sweet tunes doth trip, With tricks of_ 3, 5, 8, 15, _and more; So doth the Art of Numbering seem to skip From Even to Odd, in her proportioned score; So do those skills, whose quick eyes do explore The just dimension both of earth and heaven, In all their rules observe a measure even._