Sixteenth Century Quote of the Week

"Dancing is practiced to reveal whether lovers are in good health and sound of limb, after which they are permitted to kiss their mistresses in order that they may touch and savor one another, thus to ascertain if they are shapely or emit an unpleasant odor as of bad meat."

Thoinot Arbeau (1515-1595), Canon of Langres

Orchésographie (1589)