Obs. Also 6–7 brall(e, 6–8 braul(e. [f. BRAWL v.2, or a. F. branle, f. branler, brandeler: cf. BRANGLE.]
1. A particular pace or movement in dancing.
1521. Copland, Introd. Frenche, 16. For to daunce ony bace daunce there behoueth .iiii. paces, that is to wite syngle, double: repryse, & braule.
1531. Elyot, Gov. (1580), 71. They [the motions] may be well resembled to the braule in daunsing.
2. A kind of French dance resembling a cotillon.
a. 1541. Wyatt, Poet. Wks. (1861), 182. And in this brawl as he stood entranced.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 66. Dansand base dansis, pauans, galȝardis, turdions, braulis and branglis.
1580. Sidney, Arcadia, 72. Holding hand in hand daunce as it were in a braule.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., III. i. 9. Will you win your loue with a French braule?
1611. Cotgr., Bransle, a brawle or daunce, wherein many (men and women) holding by the hands sometimes in a ring, and otherwhiles at length moue altogether.
1711. Budgell, Spect., No. 67, ¶ 2. The Lacedæmonians … made their Hormus (a Dance much resembling the French Brawl) famous.
1750. Gray, Lett., in Poems (1775), 214. My grave Lord-Keeper led the brawls.
1840–2. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Aunt Fanny. At some court Fancy-Ball … you may Fancy King Charles, I say, stopping the brawl.
b. The air or music of this dance.
c. 1600. Distracted Emp., IV. i. in Bullen, O. Pl. (1884), III. 225. I had thought to have whysteld hym a braule for makinge me daunce attendance.
† c. fig. [Cf. F. mener, ouvrir le branle; Eng. ‘Lead, open the ball.’]
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Hist. Jas. III., Wks. (1711), 43. The Kennedies … take the occasion … [to] change the brawl of state.
