Academy of Compliments

Title
A new Academy of Compliments: or, the Lover's Secretary
Date
1715 (4ed)

4th edition (1715) held at the British Library.

It is written primarily for ladies looking for a husband, containing amongst other things stock phrases to put in love letters, instructions on how to communicate with a fan, instructions on interpreting dreams and moles, and “the newest now extant” songs and poems.

It seems to have been in print for a long time; 17th edition (1784) available online (see link below).

At the end, contains instructions for several country dances, under the title: “The Modish Dancing Master, or, Brief and Plain Instructions for Dancing Country-Dances.”, the dances being:

  • Hedge-Lane
  • The Opera
  • The Grenadier's March
  • Excuse me
  • Prince George
  • How happy's He
  • Barley
  • The Dragoon's March
  • The Opera
  • Spanish Jig
  • Excuse Me
  • Hey ho for my Honey
  • Valentine's Day
  • Lilli Burlero
  • The Jovial Beggar
  • Margery Cree, in Three Parts
  • Barley
  • Green Sleeves

They're all longways duple minor, with the exception of Margery Cree, which appears to be a longways singular, simplified from Margery Cree in 17th and 18th editions of the Dancing Master (not to be confused with the earlier square dance to the same tune).

Notably, there are three dances which are in there twice: The Opera, Excuse Me, and Barley. They're fundamentally the same dance both times in each case, but also in each case there are differences – demonstrating that there's more than one way to do it!

 

Online source(s)
Facsimile (17ed 1784)