and were 'round dances' for a large number of people. As for the time of the Jig tunes, those of the 18th century were certainly written in a triple rhythm, like 38, 64, or 128. The Jegge of 1678, mentioned above, is in quick 64 time. But 'The Cobbler's Jig' [ Appendix ], 1622, and a Jigg by Matthew Locke, dated 1672, in his 'Compositions for Broken and Whole Consorts of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 parts,' are very decidedly in quick {{sfrac|4|4]} time, and have no such characteristics as a 'dotted note' anywhere about them. Moreover, Bull's 'The King's Hunting Jigg,' is also in quick 44 time, with a similar absence of dotted notes. This last example is probably earlier than 1600. At any rate it was a lively dance, as we can learn from Hamlet.
Hamlet. 22, 504. The 1st Player recites a speech.
| Polonius. | This is too long. |
| Hamlet. | It shall to the barber's, with your beard.— Pr'ythee (to the 1st Player), say on: he's for a jig, … or he sleeps. |
5. Measure. Beatrice, in the quoted passage from Much Ado About Nothing, gives a capital idea of the relative speed of the Scotch jig and the Measure. The jig, she says, is like the lover's wooing, hot, hasty, and fantastical; the measure, however, is like the Wedding, mannerly modest, full of state and ancientry.
