If All the World Were Paper

[ This article appeared in volume 3 of the Letter of Dance. ]

by Fidelco de Rocheforte

On page 27 of Playford's first edition of The English Dancing Master sits a mostly unknown little dance. It is for a round or square of four couples. Here is the Dance Books Ltd. description.

Hands all and meet a D. back again, set and turn S. . That again .. The two men against each change places, your We. as much, the S. Hey, back to your places ... The other 4 as much ....

Sides all, set and turn S. . That again .. The first four meet, lead each others Wo. between the Cu. on your left hands, cast off, go to your palces and turn your own ... The other four as much ....

Armes all. Set and turn S. . That again .. The first four change places, then change with your own men, crosse over taking left hands and right with the We. to your palces ... The other four as much ....

The tune is a simple eight-bar repetition, played 12 times through (kind of boring after a while). Some improvisation can lighten it up, but too much ornamentation can kill it. A pleasant musical arrangement for three parts can be found in Barron's Early Playford for Early Instruments, Book 2.

One interpretation can be found in Millar's Elizabethan Country Dances. He found an old children's rhyme:

If all the world were paper and all the water ink,
If all the trees were bread and cheese,
What would I have to drink?

My reconstruction coincides with Millar's, although Playford is mostly understandable on his own, the most difficult to interpret being Part 3, A3-A4.

Reconstruction

Part 1	A1	(All join hands in a circle) Double into the center. Fall back a Double. Set and turn single.
	A2	Same as Part A1.
	A3	Lords #1 & #3 change places. Ladies #1 & #3 as much. (Beginning right shoulder with partner) Couples #1 & #3 two changes of a hay to places. (Couples #2 & #4 do not join in the hay.)
	A4	Couples #2 & #4 as much.
Part 2	A1	Side Right shoulders with partner. Set and Turn single.
	A2	Side left shoulders with partner. Set and Turn single.
	A3	Couples #1 & #3 meet a Double. [Take contrary by the hand and] lead out between Couples #2 & #4. [Drop hands and] Cast off to places. Turn partner once around by both hands.
	A4	Couples #2 & #4 as much.
Part 3	A1	Arm Right with partner. Set and Turn single.
	A2	Arm left with partner. Set and Turn single.
	A3	Lord #1 & Lady #3 change places (passing left shoulders); while Lord #3 and Lady #1 as much. Couples #1 & #3 change places with partners (passing right shoulders). Lord #1 & Lady #3 change places by left hands; while Lord #3 and Lady #1 as much. Couples #1 & #3 change places with partners by right hands. (In essence a hay, using hands only on the last two changes.)
	A4	Couples #2 & #4 as much.

Sources

Playford, John, The English Dancing Master, Dance Books, Ltd, London.

Millar, John, Elizabethan Country Dances, Thirteen Colonies Press, Williamsburg, VA.

Barron, Marshall, Early Playford for Early Instruments, Book 2, Playford Consort Publications, New Haven, CT.