There is no history of the name. Skeat says it is so called from the
Canary Islands. Hawkins does not attempt to account for the title, but
cunningly infers that it is of English origin because it has _not_ got
a foreign name. Also he mentions that Purcell wrote a Canaries for his
Opera of Dioclesian, 1690. [See Note on 'Orchesographie.']
The Canary is also alluded to in two other places, where the lively
character of the dance is clear. Mr Ford puns on 'wine,' 'pipe,' and
'canary.' Of course _he_ means _whine_, _pipe_ (for dancing to), and
the _Canary_ that he meant Falstaff to dance.
_Wiv._ III, ii, 83.
_Host._ Farewell, my hearts. I will to my honest knight
Falstaff, and drink _canary_ with him.
_Ford._ [_aside_] I think, I shall drink in _pipe-wine_
first with him; I'll make him _dance_.
And next, Lafeu connects the canary with 'spritely fire and motion.'
_All's Well_ II, i, 74.
_Lafeu._ ... I have seen a medicine
That's able to breathe life into a stone,
Quicken a rock, and make you _dance canary_
With spritely fire and motion.
There are two specially important passages which mention several
dances at one time, so as to give some prominence to their special
characteristics--viz., _Much Ado_ II, i, 68, and _Twelfth Nt._ I, iii,
118.
The budget of dances here named includes--
1. Cinque-pace, or Sinkapace.
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