Joan Sanderson, or The Cushion Dance, a Round Dance.
This Dance is began by a single Person, (either man or woman) who taking a Cushion in his hand dances about the room, and at the end of the Tune he stops, and sings, This Dance it will no farther go. The Musician answers, I pray you, good sir, why say you so? Man. Because Joan Sanderson will not come to. Music. She must come to, and she shall come to, and she must come whether she will or no. Then he lays down the Cushion before a woman, on which she kneels, and he kisses her, singing, Welcom Joan Sanderson, welcom, welcom. Then she rises, takes up the Cushion, and both dance, singing, Prinkum, Prankum, is a fine Dance, and shall we go dance it once again, once again, and once again, and shall we go dance it once again. Then making a stop, the Wo. sings, as before, This Dance, &c. Music. I pray you, Madam, &c. Woman. Because John Sanderson, &c. Music. He must, &c. And so she lays down the Cushion before a man, who kneeling upon it, salutes her, she singing, Welcom John Sanderson, &c. Then he taking up the Cushion, they take hands and dance round, singing as before: And thus they do till the whole Company are taken into the Ring. And then the Cushion is laid before the first man, the wo. singing, This Dance, &c. (as before) only instead of —come to, they sing —go fro; and instead of Welcom John Sanderson, &c. they sing, Farewel John Sanderson, farewel, farewel: And so they go out one by one as they came in. Note, That the woman is kiss’d by all the men in the Ring at her coming in and going out, and the like of the man by the women.
Finis.