A Treatise Of Daunses, wherin it is shewed, that they are as it wereaccessories and dependants (or thynges annexed) to whoredome: wherealso by the way is touched and proued, that _Playes are ioyned andknit togeather in a rancke or rowe with them. _

I. Thessal. 5. 

_Let eurie one possesse his vessel in holines and honor. _

Anno 1581. 

A Treatise of Daunses, in which is shewed, that daunses beeintisementes to whoredome, and that the abuse of playes ought not tobe among Christians. 

I Doubt not, but that some, into whose handes this little treatiseshall come, will thinke me to be at greate leasure, that haueenterprised largely to leuie out and handle this argument: which totheir seeming is not otherwise of great importaunce. For be it thatdaunses were allowed or condemned, or els yet they were putt in therowe of thinges indifferent men might easily iudge according to theiropinion, that that should not bring great profit or hurt to ourchristian common wealth, seeing that ther are diuers pointes ofgreater weight and consequence, which trouble the spirits of manyelearned men, & make afraide the consciences of the weake and simpleones: which poyntes haue verye much nede to be opened and made plaine, rather then to trouble a mans selfe to write agaynst playes anddaunses. Furthermore men should be in very great forwardnes, if euerythinge were so well refourmed, that they were come euen unto daunses, that is to say, that all that which is corrupted, and those abuseswhich beare the sway among Christians were so cut off, and this sosick a body againe so wel restored to his soundnes and health, thatthere should remayne nothing els but to debate the question of leapingskippings and daunses. 

Ther will be found an other manner & sort of people, who will make noaccoumpte at all to mocke at this matter: as indeede the world is fulof mockers, and men without Godlines, without God, and withoutreligion. Now as concerninge these persons, they deserue no manner ofaunsweare at al, because they do as soone scoffe at the principallpointes of christian religion, and that which directly concerneth theseruice of God, as matters of lesse weight and importaunce. WhereforeI not much regarding or caringe for the iudgement of such iudges, willlet them runne to the water with the bridle uppon their head, or intheir necke, as they say. But as touchinge the first, because they beenot altogeather malicious and obstinate, I hope, that ha= uingaunsweared their obiections, and declared the reasons which hauemoued, yea rather driuen me forward or inforsed mee to descipher andsett out this matter, they will iudge my labour not to haue benealtogeather unprofitable. 

It is then in the first place to bee wished and desired, that troublesbeyng pacified, and all dissentions repressed, and put out, thespirits and consciences of men, should be assured and thorowlyperswaded of that which appertaineth to their saluation. And indeedeour Lorde hath stirred and raised up so perfect an age in al sciences& know= ledge, in which so many learned men, and of excellent learningand knowledge, haue so blessedly and diligently imployed them= seluesto teach us the order and maner to liue well, some after one sort andfashion, and some after an other, that those which be not yetsatisfyed, can not, or ought not, to lay the fault in any but inthemselues. 

Next all good men ought to wishe and desire that those which put theirhande to (this is to say trauaile for) the reformation of maners, should do it with such good argumentes, that there shoulde remayne, orbe left, but euen a very litle to be corrected and amended. And yetthis wish & desire should not let or hinder the trauaile of such as doindeuor to pull up by the rootes such herbes as be hurtful to thefield of the Lord, be they neuer so small and little: and I do, orwhich thing I labour to do in this little boke according to thetalente & graces which are geuen me from aboue. 

Adde also that if any do deeply & seasonably consider this matter, Ihope he shal not finde it so barren and of little edification, that itought to be dispised or troden under foote: for many men of quality(yea euen in the company of notable personages) of name and authority, make no conscience to demaunde and aske whether it be yll done todaunce, demaunding also a formall or playne parcell and text ofScripture, by which it may appeare that daunses be prohibited andforbidden, otherwise they think not that they do euill indaunsing. Some others goe further and alledging or rather indeedeabusing some peece of the Scripture, where it appeareth that thefaithfull haue leaped and daunsed: they thinke verily that they hauefounde the beane in the cake, as though this were a proper couerture &cloke to couer the infection and filthines of their daunces. 

Seyng then that many be foulie & grosely deceaued in this behalfe, andthat possible for want of beyng sufficiently instructed and informedor taught touching this matter, I haue bene so much the more willingto ease them in this question, by how much I hope to profit in common, that is, to do good to the greatest multitude, as also being willinghereby to satisfy some which haue earnestly and instantly required itat my handes. 

Now to answeare them which demaund and aske a playne peece or text ofScripture in which daunses should be forbidden, let them know thatthere be many wicked and euill thinges which are not euidently andplaynly expressed in the Scripture, to be forbidden, notwithstandingthey bee of the same kynd and nature, or else dependences of somethynges which are therein expressed, and under which they ought to becomprehended, or els when the contrary of these things is praised andcommended, we are sufficiently taught and instructed to cast themaway, as things condemned by the holy Ghost, because ther is one & theselfe same reason in contrary things. 

I will place, & put in the order or rowe of the first, playes anddaunses: I meane such playes as by which man draweth or getteth tohymselfe, his neighboures money. It is true that wee fynd not in theScripture these words. Thou shalt not play, but wee find indeede thesewordes. Thou shale not steale: Now that to gayne or get an other mansmoney at play shoulde not be a most manifest & plaine thieuery: noneof sound iudgement will denie it. For hee which hath wonne or gottenit, by what title or right can he say, that such money is his: Verilywhen we get or win the money, or the goods of our brother, it must bewith the sweate of our face or browe, & that our laboure bringe himsome profite, that is to be profitable unto him: and euen as wereceaue his money or good: so must hee thorow our diligence andtrauaile receaue some profite. But when a man hath gotten his money bythe hazard or chaunce, as a man would say, of play, I pray you whatcommoditye and profite commeth to him thereby: we must then conclude, that this is a kind of theft: which although it be not playnlyexpressed in the holye scripture, yet neuertheles it ought to beereferred to the eight commaundement, in which it is sayd, Thou shaltnot steale. 

The like is of daunses which wee may put in the first & second row ororder. For although wee haue not any playne and expresse forbidding, where it should be sayd, Thou shalt not daunse, yet we haue a formalland plaine commaundement, Thou shalt not commit adultery, orwhoredome: to which the daunses ought to be referred. [Sidenote: Adefinition of daunses. ] Now if one would aske me what daunses were: Iwil answeare, that considering the sway which they haue at this dayamongest us Cristians, they bee nothing else but impudent, shameles, and dissolute gestures, by which the lust of the flesh is awaked, stirred by, and inflamed, as wel in men as in women. [Sidenote:Deut. 22. Titus. 2. ] Bat if honesty, modesty, and sobernes, berequired in apparaile, & adorning of mens selues, as we see that it iscommended and commaunded in Deuteronomie, & seing that S. Paule alsoin his epistle to Titus, willeth that there should be among us a soberand holy countenaunce, singularly and specially in women, whichordinarily be very curious in their garmentes, it is certayne andsure, that there is some poyson or venym hidden under thegrasse. [Sidenote: I. Pet. 3. ] And because it is so, S. Peter in hisfirst canonicall or generall epistle, forbiddeth that women shouldappeare, shew, and sett out themselues by theyr apparayle andneatnes. Add that in many other places of the sayd holy scripture, thediuersity and difference in attire and garmentes, is condemned, asprouoking to whoredome, and slipperines, by more stronge reason thedissolute and lewde gestures, which be practised by the proper andowne members of a mans bodye, ought to be cutt of, and banished fromamong christians. [Sidenote: Jud. 23. ] And S. Jude exhorteth us, tohaue, yea and that in hatred the garment which is defiled by theflesh, meaning under this figure & manner of speech, all inticementes& allurements which might draw us to any pollution, uncleannes, andfylthynes: what ought we to iudge in the excellency (as a man wouldesay) value and estimation of the flesh itselfe, which is so pollutedand defyled, that it bringeth forth, and setteth out the pollution andfilthines thereof, by villanous and dishonest gestures. [Sidenote:Ephe. 4. 29. Colos. 3. ] And when S. Paule in his epistles to theEphesians and Colossians, forbiddeth us all corrupt, infected, andfilthy speech, or woordes, is there not at the least as much, or asgreate occasion: [Sidenote: The eies. ] yea more or greater tocondemne dissolute and lewd gestures: for as concerning dishonest andunmeete woordes, they be gathered or receaued with our eares onely, but as for villanous & dishonest gestures, they be so many obiects, orthinges set before our eyes, as if one shoulde set before us a paintedtable, in which all villany infection, and filthines should be liuelypourtraited and set out. [Sidenote: Mat. 5. ] Now that the sighte ofall our senses is it which hath most force & strength to make usincline to uncleannes and filthynes, I will haue none other iudge butour Lord himselfe, when he hath uttered and spoken with his mouth, that hee which hath cast his eye uppon his neighbours wife, for tocouet, desyre, and with her is already a whoremonger in his hart:[Sidenote: I John. 2. ] behold also wherefore S. John in his firstcanonicall or generall epistle, putteth or ioyneth with theconcupiscence or lust of the flesh, the concupiscence & lust of theeyes. Finally when S. Paule placeth or putteth sobernes, modestie, and temperaunce among the effects and fruites which the grace of Godought to bring forth in us, doth hee not sufficiently forbid alldissolutenes, lightnes, outrages, and disorders, as wel in our mannersas in our gestures, & other manner of doings. 

But for as much as all the former argumentes are founded and groundedupon that definition of daunses, which I haue before geuen and made, and that some men might deny it me, we must answeare that which theyhaue bene accustomed to obiect against it. First of al I haue heard ofsome which denye daunses to be shamelesse and dissolute gestures, because that when they daunse, they do it not, but for a recreation ofthemselues and bodily exercise, yea that they use it as a certaynething, which of itselfe is neither good nor euill. But let such peoplebe answeared after this manner, that is to say, that their affectioncannot so chaunge the nature of the thing, that it doth not alwaieskepe and hold fast, his proper or owne name. We see that if one enteror goe into a Brothel house, or Stewes, yea without affection or mindto commit whoredome ther, yet neuerthelesse the place shal not ceaseor leaue of to be called a stewes, or Brothell house. Likewise letthem say, that in daunsing they haue not any shamelesse or vilanousmynde, & affection, which notwithstanding, may not well, easily, orlightly be beleeued, yet so it is, yet daunses cease not to be calledshamelesse gestures. 

But what: The question is not onely of their persons, but of a thing, which ought not to be in any use among Christians. And moreeuer thisis not all, to haue respect or regard onely of a mans owne selfe, butwe must loke also to our neighbours, who is he which dare assure orwarrant him selfe & others, that when he daunseth, or after that hehath daunsed he hath not prevoked & stirred up the lust of the fleshin some one of the standers by: But yet it is so, the effect & sutedeclareth it, because that the daughter and sister of the County orEarle of A. Was so enamoured or rauished with the loue of a verysimple and base gentleman whom she had seene daunse in the courte, andit printed so wel, that is, toke such deepe impression and roote inher hart, and understanding, that against the will of Father andMother, parentes and friends shee maried him. Now let us come to thepoynt or matter, what prouoked this young gentlewoman beyng rych, wise, learned, fayre, & of good countenaunce to loue a base man, oflitle discretion, unlearned, cockbrained, yea, which with great payneor much adoe knoweth to write his owne name, and besyde, or moreouervery deformed in face & countenaunce, if not to daunce onely, and tosee in him some small experience & skill to runne at the ringe:

Men will say, that shee shewed not hir wifedome, in that shee choseher husbande for daunsing onely: but what is that the flesh doth notintise and allure, with his snares & baytes: For albeit ther is somuch difference betweene the two parties, as betweene fayre gold andleade, yea so much indeed yet by her wifedome shee kept him backe, ormade him to refrayne from striking, fighting, slaying, and casting thehouse out at the windowes, as we say, for the least flee, which camebefore his eies: yet so it is, that he obtayned and got her by themeane abouesayde: notwithstanding if ther fell out no worse bydaunsing, this were somewhat to be supported, or borne withall. 

But now if he reply, and say hee careth not or regardeth not, whatother men think, seyng hee hath no maner of euil or naughty meaningein himselfe. I answere, that here we see an offense geuen, and thevery bond of loue broken and violated. 

For put the case, or graunt that daunsing were put & reckoned amongthings indifferent, in respect and consideration of it selfe, is itmeete or dutifull that for an indifferent and light thing, a manshould geue an occasion of falling or stumbling to his neighboure: Butso farr of is it, that daunses should bee put in the rome and numberof thinges indifferent, that euery one ought to make an accompt ofthem, and to holde them altogeather wicked, and unlawful: in so muchthat I send all them againe back to their owne consciences, which say, that in daunsing they haue not any impudent & shamelesseaffection. For the thing beyng so vilanous, and so infected of his ownnature, as daunsing is, it is impossible, that he which useth it, should not bee infected, neither more nor lesse: then it is impossibleto touch any filthines, and not to bee once uncleane, infected, anddefyled. 

[Sidenote: The beginning of daunses. ] And that it is so, let ussomewhat, or a little serch and seeke out the beginning of daunses, and we shal fynd that men cannot geue them a better nor more apt andproper definition, then that which hath bene brought heretofore. Forif wee would in this matter refer our selues to them, which hauewritten of the antiquities, as well of the Grecians as of the Romains, yea, and that to some Poets, wee shall fynd how that daunses hauetaken their begynning, from Pagans and Heathen men, which haue thenfirst used them, when they did sacrifyce to their Gods. For beeingplunged into very thick, & as it were palpable dark nesses, after thatthey had forged and advised Gods according to their owne fantasy, theythought and supposed that they should bee delighted and pleased, withthe selfe same delightes and pleasures, wherein, or wherewith theydelighted themselues. 

Whereupon wee neede not doubt hereof, but that it was the deuil whichdid guide and leade them, whom al superstition, false religion, anderronious doctrine pleaseth, aboue all thinges, speciallye when such atoy and trifle is accompanied with al wantonnesse and villanie. Nowthat such manner of doing, that is to say, custome of Pagans andheathen men, hath bene followed and practiced, by the children ofIsrael, after that hauing sacrificed to the golden calf; they gauethemselues to play, the scripture assureth us thereof, in theii. Chapter of Exodus. 

Afterward men began to daunce in open playes, spectacles, and shewes, from which notwithstanding the people were driuen, prohibited, andforbidden, for feare lest they should be constrained there to beholdand see, an unhonest, and unseemly thinge, for their fere orkynd. Afterwarde when in a small space of tyme all honesty and shamedid begin, to vanish and weare away, then mens daughters and womenwere admitted and receaued to daunses: and yet withall it is true, that this was a part by themselues, and in priuie places. 

Finally a short time after, men haue so far disordered themselues, andbroken the bondes and limits of honesty, that men & women haue daunsedtogeather, or as wee would say, in mingle mangle, and namely andspecially in feastes and banquets, in so much that we see, that thiswicked and ungodlye custome, hath stretched forth it selfe euen untous, and hath yet, or already the sway at this daye, more then euer ithad. 

Beholde the beginninge of daunses, togeather with their fruits andproperties, which if they be well considered, and deeply waighed bysound and rype understandinge, it will not, or shall not bee thoughtstraunge & maruailous, that I condemne them, hauing indeede on my sydeas well the authority of the doctors of the Church, as of the fatherswhich were found or present at certayne auncient, and olde councels. 

[Sidenote: Augustine against Petilian cap. 6. ] Saint Augustine in hisbooke agaynst Petilian, speaketh in this manner: The Byshops hauealways accustomed to represse and beate downe vayne and wantondaunses: but there are at this day some, which are found in daunses, yea, and they themselues daunse with women, so farre of is it, thatthey reproue, correct, or amend such a greate vice. 

[Sidenote: Augustine uppon the 32. Psa. ] And uppon the thirtie andtwo psalme, he condemneth also, or lykewyse the daunces which be hador used on the Sondaies or Lordes dayes. 

[Sidenote: Chrisos. In the 26 homily upon Gen. ] Saint JohnChrisostome in the fiftie & sixt homily uppon the booke of Genesis, intreatinge or speaking of the mariage of Jacob, doth very muchcondemne daunsescalling them diuilish. 

[Sidenote: Chrisos. In the 48. Homily upon Gen. ] [Sidenote:Chrisos. In 14. Chap. Of S. Mat. ] The like is founde in the fourtyand eighte Homily. And upon the fourteenth chapiter of Saint Mathew, speakinge of the daunsynge of Salome, the Daughter of Herodias, heesayth, that when a wanton daunsynge is hadde, or used, the Deuill, daunseth by and by, or altogeather. 

[Sidenote: In the 53. Cannon. ] In the counsell of Laodicea, which washolden in the yeare 368. Ther was a cannon made, in these propertearmes, or wordes. It must be not admitted that the Christians, which either goe or come to mariages, leape or daunse, but thatchastlye & soberly they sup or dyne, and as it is seemly andconuenient for christians. Likewise in the yeare 676. There was holden& kept the sixt councell of Constantinople, where daunses wereforbidden, principally to women as greatly hurtfull. 

[Sidenote: In the canon 22. ] The third councel of Toletum, condemneththe peruerse and wicked custome of suche people which occupiedthemselues in vile and infected daunses: and aboue all uppon theSondayes, and holy dayes when they should haue imployed themselues inthe seruice of God. 

[Sidenote: Article 23. ] According to these Canons, there was made bythe estates lately holden at Orleans, in the young age or minority ofCharles the 9. An article, in which, amongest other thinges all iudgesare forbidden to permit or suffer any publicke daunses, uppon thesondayes, and other solonme holy dayes. 

But in the first place it were to be desired, and wished, that thisordinance might be straitly obserued and kept. Secondlye, that it weremore generall, that is to say, that it did wholly and altogeatherforbidd daunses, as wicked and unlawful thinges: for if we beChristians indeede, we ought not to suffer, that some pore and blindePagans should surmount and ouercome us in honesty & modesty. We fyndthat amongest the Romains, they which were ouermuch geuen todaunsinge, caried, or bare with them so greate a note or marke ofinfamy, & sklaunder, that they oftentimes accounted and estemed themunworthy to exercise or haue a publicke and honorable office: asappeareth by the censure, punishment, and correction, of Domitian, who, for thys only cause, cast out of the Senate a citizen of Rome, asunmeete, and unworthy of such a degree of honor. Saluit in his Orationagainst Catilina, speaking of a certaine woman, named Sempronia, sayeth that shee could daunse more delicately and fynely, then didappertaine to an honest and good woman. Cicero much reprocheth andupbraydeth, yea and constantly obiecteth, to Gabinius the studying andpractisinge of daunses, as an infamous thing. He both like in hisPhilippickes agaynst Antonius, and in the oration of Durena, he sayththat a sober man neuer daunseth, neither a part or priuily, neyther inan honest & moderate banquet, unlesse perhaps hee be unwyse, or out ofhis wit. 

[Sidenote: Daunsers are folish & senseles persons. ] Varro writeth, that Scipio was wont to say, that there was no difference at allbetweene a furious, outragious, or mad man and a daunser, sauing thatthis man, that is to say, the daunser was then onely mad when hedaunsed, and the other was so all his life long. From thence commeththe Latine prouerbe, that daunsers play the fooles, or wantons, but itis with measure. 

Here wee euidently and playnly see, in what estimation and regarddaunses were among Pagans and infidels, which trulye could not iudgeotherwise therof, I speake of them which had the best and more soundiudgement, and which were able to weigh and consider, as well thedaunses themselues, as their so pretious fruites, and excellenteffectes. For if it be, yet after feastes and banquets, men commonlyset, or geue themselues to daunse, and after that men be full of wyneand good meates, they bee then prouoked & pricked forwarde, by theprickes of the flesh, to what end serue such manner of gestures, ifnot, to make manifest & set out their intemperency. Now if men wouldrefer it, or bringe it to bodily exercise, this would be very folishlydone. For the body of her owne health, requireth not to be so shaken, tossed, and as a man woulde say, hunted after meate, for feare tohinder digestion, as the Phisition placed it amonge their rules ofdiet. Moreouer seeing yet men may exercise themselues in many othermaners and sortes of exercises, hee, as mee thinketh openly sheweth, yet he hath not modesty, nor temperance, nor his health it selfe inestimation, yet is, he estemeth & regardeth not. &c. Which chosethdaunsing for his exercise. Daunses then were neuer heretoforeotherwise accounted of, nether be at this present otherwise thoughtof, then mere vilany, & a most certaine, plaine, and evident testimonyof the filthines & intemperancy of them which delighted themseluestherin. Now, that so it is, the Prouerbe sayeth, De la panse, vient laDanse: from the panch commeth the daunce: [Sidenote: Math. 14. Mark. 6] And if we durst ioine therto whoredom their elder daughter, we shal find that she followeth after immediately. Which thing weshall easily fynd, if we consider the most ordinary & common effectesof daunsing. What was the cause that Herode so lightly promised, tothat goodlye daunser Salome, the daughter of Herodias, euen the onehalfe of his Realme, and kingdome, but that by her vilanous, andshameles daunsing, shee had stirred up and set on fyre hisconcupiscence and lust who was already a villanous adulterer, andinfamous whoremonger, so that the delighte and pleasure which he taketherin, provoked him to be willing to make so excessiue andunmeasurable a recompence: Moreouer let us marke more narrowly inGenesis, that which is written of Dina the daughter of Jacob, and weshall find that daunses were partly the cause of her rauishing, ordeflouring. For albeit, that in that place, there is no expressemention made of daunses, yet so it is, that when it is sayde, thatDina went to see the daughters of the countrey or land, there is someappearance and likelihod that the daughters had this custome, toassemble themselues togeather in daunse, and that to the end, that inshewing the nimblenes of their body, their bewty, and wery conceyts, they might bee coveted and desyred of young men, as indeede Dina wasby Sichem. And in this our tyme and age, do not men daily see manysuch thinges, which daunses bring with them: The example by meeheretofore brought forth and alleged, ought to serue for an example toall great lords, to withdraw their daughters from such baites. Butsetting all the rest aside, do wee not see that duncing hath cost, this holy man, and great prophet of God so deare, that it hath takenaway from him the head from aboue his shoulders. 

By the way or meane of daunsing, the children of Israell, were willingto geue honour to an ydole, to a calfe of Gold, to a dead thing, andwhich they themselues had molten & framed after the imitation & mannerof Pagans, which in such a sort & fashion serued their gods. Bee notthese things sufficient to make a man flie daunses, & to prouoke achristian man to haue them in abomination, & to abhore them as thingswhich haue ordinarilye, and commonlye serued to idolatry, and haueprouoked to whoredome, and haue chaunged and altered many daughters ofgood house and stocke, from the loue and fauour of their parentes, andfinally haue caused infinite murthers: murthers I say, for in all the3 peeces of Scripture before alledged, we euer fynd ther the death ofsome. In the daunse before Herod the death of John Baptist. In therape or rauishing of Dina, Sichem, his father, & all his sobiectes, died there. In the worshipping of the golden calfe, where the childrenof Israel daunsed and leaped so nimblie, cherefully, & merily, beforethat their belly was full, there died then aboute three thousande inrecompence of their ioy and gladnes. If then we would consider theissues, and effectes, which come from daunses, & the fayre or goodlyfruites which they bring forth, we would neuer thinke, but that theheares would stand upright upon our very heades when the question isof daunsing. 

It remaineth now to answeare them, who would serue themselues withcertaine parcels and peeces of the scripture, in which mention ismade, that the faithfull people haue daunsed. [Sidenote: Exo. 15 20. ]First they alledge that which is written in Exodus, that Mary theprophetesse, the sister of Aaron, who after that God had ouerwhelmedand drowned Pharao & his army in the red sea, toke a taberet in hirhand, & being attended, or waited upon by other women, song with thema songe to the lord: as also Moses, and the children of Israel songanother. 

The like is founde in the booke of Samuel, after that Dauid had slaineGoliath, that many women came out of all the townes of Israel singingand daunsing before King Saule, with tabours, rebeckes, and otherinstrumentes of harmonie, or musicke. 

But when these which loue to leape and daunse, seeing there is herespoken not only of daunses, but also of taberets and other musicallinstrumentes, do thinke that they are already in the hall of leapingeor skipping, and do daunse according to the note and measures that theMinstrels and Pipers wil sound or play to them: inferringe that theholy scripture before alleged maketh for them, and that by it daunsesare approued, they are indeede fouly deceaued and very farre of fromtheir reckoninge, because that reckoning without the host, it wasmeete for them to reckon twyse. 

For it is most certaine that there is as much difference betweenetheir daunses, and those which holy men haue used, as there is betwenemariage and fornication. I meane betweene chastity & whoredome. Andeuen as it is no maner of way permitted or suffered to committewhoredome, so our daunses and the usage of them may not be allowed norreceiued. But to cut it short, that is to say, to be short, wee cannot gather that any appearaunce or shew of euil, or any signe ofwatonnes or dissolutenes, was euer found in the daunses of holy men, but altogeather contrariwise, they therein behaued themselues withsuch honor, fear, and reuerence towardes God, the whole matter itselfe beyng accompanied, with so great honesty and sobernesse, asnothinge more. And in which mens deede 3. Pointes are to be consideredand marked, which can not be at any hand found in the Prophane andwicked daunses of our tyme. 

First the occasions which thrust them forwarde to do it, was such agreat ioy which they had conceaued of the fauoure which God had shewedto them, that they coulde not conceale, or kepe hidden, but needesmust manifest it, & let it abroad, by all the meanes and wayes thatthey could inuent or deuise. [Sidenote: Psal. 68. ] Which thinge alsoDauid declareth in the sixty and eight psalme, saying, the Lord hathgeuen an argument, occasion or matter unto the women, who also hauesong accordingly: It was then a solomne (as a man would say) orpublicke thankes geuing, which they rendred, or gaue unto God, singingor setting forth him to be the author of their deliuerance. Whatfellowship, agreement, or likenes, can there bee, between the daunceof these holy fathers, and these which wee behold nowe at this dayamong christians. Is it a question when men daunce to acknowledge orconfesse the graces & goodnesses of God, to thanke him therfore, reioicing themselues in him: When the lusty and fyne man should holdea young damosel, or a woman by the hand, and keeping his measures heshal remoue himselfe, whirle about, & shake his legges alofte (whichthe daunsers call crosse capring) for pleasure, doth not she in themeane while make a good threede, playing at the Moris on her behalfe:but I pray you: what can ther by there of God, of his worde, of ofhonestye in such folishnes: I holde my tounge, that is, I speakenothing of their wordes, amorous deuises, or deuises of loue, wantoncommunications or speeches or markes only knowen to the Ladye, orGentlewoman. It is true, that a man will say to me, that he mustreioyce and be mery, which thing also I graunt, but yet not with aworldly, dissolute, and leuse ioy. 

The seconde pointe is, that euen as the people of Israell wereinstructed in the seruice of God by very many cerimonies, and outwardmanners or fashions, so when they would honor him, and geue him someduety which they did owe, they did not content themselues to do itwith the harte, and with the mouth, but by and by they added, andioyned there withall some outwarde gestures, to witnes that, which waswithin. Euen unto this present or hetherto we haue founde very littleaffinitye or agreement betweene the daunses of the auncientpatriarches, and of good and religious people, and these, which we useat this present, or in these dayes. 

It is certaine and true, that the daunsers of our tyme would veryfayne make themselues equall with them, and be in the selfe samedegree of honor: sauing notwithstanding, that they content not themselues to haue a shameles and villanous harte, but they will alsodiscouer and lay open their own shame & villany, by dissolutegestures. 

The third and last poynt sheweth us the fashion of the nations orpeople of the East, the outward gestures, and custome receaued amongthem, contrary herein to the westerne people. The reason is becauseeuery nation hath alwayes some proper and particuler inclination, which another hath not. Moreouer those which draw nigh unto the Eastand South, are by reason of the heate, mor easie to moue themselues, and consequently to make or shew gestures, then they are which be inthe East, or North who by reason of the cold be more heauy & weighty:From whence it commeth, that the Italian in his communications orspeeches, but especially if he speake with an affection or good hart, intermingleth and useth so many gestures, that if an English manshould see him a farre of, not hearing his words, would iudge him outof his wit or els playing some comedy upon a scaffold. 

Let a man on the other side beholde an Almain or Germain in thePulpit, and hee would thinke him benummed, and impotent, or lame inall his members or partes, of his bodie. 

And to confirme this, lett us beholde and call to remembraunce, howthe auncient Romains were remoued farr from the opinion and mind ofthe Greks. These, that is the Greekes, esteemed daunsing verye much, and all these which knew howe to helpe and comfort themselues with aninstrument of musicke. The other, that is the Romains made very smallaccount of both daunsyngs, and lesse of the daunsers themselues. Hereappeareth the difference of Climates, and of such as dwell under thoseclimates. From thence it commeth that the people of the East partesdid breake and rent in peeces their garmentes when they hadunderstanding of euil newes. Wherefore they did lye weltering andtumblinge upon the ground, put on sackcloth, put on ashes, or dustupon their heads, yea then, when they pretended to shew somerepentance, and to manifest or set out an inward greefe: all whichthinges would bee founde, and thought rediculous, foolish, and to beelaughed at amonge nations & peoples, on this side of them: And if thatwomen should take tabourets in their handes, as we read that the womenof Israel haue done: would not men thinke that they were out of theirwitt: which notwihstanding was not found in thought straung among theIsraelites, because this was the custome of the nation and people. Itis true, that a man may also referr the tabourets & other instrumentesof musicke to the ceremonies of Moyses law: which ceremonies haue beneabolished at the comming of Jesus Christ, in so much that at this daywhere we are under the Gospell, wee must use the same more soberly, and sparingly, & with greater modesty: but all that, hath nothingecommon with the daunses of this present time or age. 

These three poyntes being dispatched we fynd and see cleerely, whataffinity & agreement there is, betweene these twoo maners ofdaunses. [Sidenote: 2. Sam. 6. ] Our daunsers do yet further alledgean other parcel or peece of the scripture written in the booke of theKinges, where it is said, that Dauid leaped and daunsed before theArke of the Lord. [Sidenote: Mark this you that folowe daunsingscholes. ] But so far of is it, that this serueth them to mayntaynetheir daunses, that I would not wish to haue a more proper, fitt, playne, and agreeable place to confute them. For if Dauid hath had alike affection in his daunse, as they haue in theirs, that is to say, to please the gentlewoman and Ladies, as our daunsers endeuor, studye& deuise to please their minions and flattering dames, Michol hiswife, had neuer mocked him. He might then haue daunsed morepleasantly, and after a fashion more agreeable to the flesh: and fortrueth, hee might haue done it beyng light or nimble by nature, andable or meete to do al thinges. 

But the answeare which he made his wife Michol, very well declareth, that hee pretended or purposed no other thinge but to set out byoutward gestures, the greatnes of the ioy which he had conceaued inhis harte, because of the presence of God. This was (sayd he) beforethe Lord which I haue done in this behalfe: it appeareth by thisaunsweare, that his affection was not in or on the world, and that hecared not much for the iudgement of Michol, and of all otherworldlings, because he would not please them, nor satisfy or feedetheir fine and goodly eyes, by his daunsing. Wherfore we must concludethat Dauid condemneth the worldlines of his wife, and such other asshee: yea in that that shee was punished by barrennes, which followedtheruppon. It is an evident argument, that God approued or allowed thedoing and saying of the Prophet. 

[Sidenote: Note you that delight in your art of daunsing] Now if althey, which make daunsinge their god, would imprint this in their hartand understanding, they should receaue & use the same, rather to theircondemnation, then to be so much without aforehead, that is to say, shameles, that they woulde abuse the scripture, to couer theiruncleannes & infection. For this is a most detestable & abhominablesacriledge, to make the unspeakeable truth of God to serue our wickedand most shamefull affections. Adde thereunto that he will greeuously& sharply punish all such scoffers, and prodigall persons which do somuch prophane the maiesty and excellency of his name, and thatdiuinity, which is contayned and expressed in the holy scriptures. [Sidenote: Isa. 5. 20. ] Moreouer, when we so disguise and chaunge thenature of thinges that we call good euil, and the euil good, we oughtto assure our selues of the curse of God, pronounced by the prophetIsaiah, saynge: cursed (sayth he) be they, which say that euil isgood, and that good is euil, which put darknes for light, and lightfor darknes, which geue sowre thinges for sweete, and sweete for sower& bytter. [Sidenote: Daunses not indifferent. ] But I demaund or askenow, whether they which allow daunses, and place them amongindifferent things, do not call good euil, and euil good: and byconsequent do not inflame and kindle the wrath of God upon themthemselues, and al their fautors or fauourers. 

All which thinges beyng considered, I hope that diuers knowing whateuil, and mischief there is in daunses, will giue them ouer and castthem away, thinking or supposing, that in that, that thei haueretained & fauoured them, euen unto this present, they haue ratherdone it thorowe ignoraunce, than thorowe stubburnesse or selfewill. But as concerning others, whiche will preseuer and continue intheir dissolutnes and loosenesse, the Lord withdraw and plucke themtherefrom, when it pleaseth him, least they incurre or runne headlonginto his wrath and vengeance, which hangeth ouer their heads, for thatthey haue obstinatelie and stubburnlie gainesaide and withstood, somanifest & plaine a truth. * * *

Prayse be to GOD. 

[Stamp: Lambeth Palace Library]