The Maid Peept out at the Window
The Friar in the Well
The Maid Peept out at the Window or The Friar in the Well is an English Country Dance. It was published by John Playford (website) in 1651 in The English Dancing Master, London. It was interpreted by Cecil Sharp (website) in 1922 and published in The Country Dance Book (Part 6). Found in The Playford Ball. It is a proper 6 Couple Longways dance. There is no progression in this dance. It is a USA dance. The dance lasts 72 bars. It is in the key: G Minor.
Lead up a D. forwards and back That again First cu. cast off and go to the lower end and stay there, the rest following, set and turn S All this back again to your places S. Sides all That again Men slip just before your we. and go a D. up, and fall on the wo. side, set and turn S. We. slip before your men, go up, fall all to your own places, set and turn S. Arms all That again First man put back the 2. wo. by both hands, while the 2. man puts back the first wo. fall into each others places, all the rest doing the like, set and turn S. All this again to your own places
The animation plays at 120 counts per minute. Men are drawn as rectangles, women as ellipses. Each couple is drawn in its own color.
| 1-4 | Up a Double, and back |
| 5-8 | That again |
| 9-12 | 1s cast to bottom, other couples following |
| 13-16 | Partner set and turn single |
| 17-20 | 1s cast to top, other couples following |
| 21-24 | Partner set and turn single |
| 25-28 | Right Siding |
| 29-32 | Left Siding |
| 33-34 | Face up, men slip right to women's line as women slip left to men's (men in front) |
| 35-36 | Up a double |
| 37-40 | Partner set and turn single |
| 41-42 | Face down, men slip right to men's line as women slip left to women's (men in front) |
| 43-44 | Down a double |
| 45-48 | Partner set and turn single |
| 49-52 | Right Arming |
| 53-56 | Left Arming |
| 57-60 | In two couple minor sets: half poussette clockwise (1st corners push) |
| 61-64 | Partner set and turn single |
| 65-68 | Finish the poussette |
| 69-72 | Partner set and turn single |
If you find what you believe to be a mistake in this animation, please leave a comment on youtube explaining what you believe to be wrong. If I agree with you I shall do my best to fix it.
If you wish to link to this animation please see my comments on the perils of youtube. You may freely link to this page, of course, and that should have no problems, but use one of my redirects when linking to the youtube video itself:
https://www.upadouble.info/redirect.php?id=MaidPeepedOutAtTheWindow
The dance itself is out of copyright, and is in the public domain. The interpretation is out of copyright, and is in the public domain. My visualization of this dance is copyright © 2021 by George W. Williams V and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This website is copyright © 2021,2022,2023,2024 by George W. Williams V
My work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Most of the dances have more restrictive licensing, see my notes on copyright, the individual dance pages should mention when some rights are waived.