A brief treatise, concerning the use and abuse of dancing. Collected out of the…A briefe treatise, concerning the vse and abuse of dauncing. Collected oute of the…

Now as we have laboured in laying these together, (and much the more because like the Captain we would bestow the greatest part of our pains, in battering this your principallest bulwark: for this ⟨image 9⟩once won, that ye have no hold of scripture, (as trueth you have not) many of your soldiers will soon, I doubt not, yield) so set we theirs and yours, the one by the others. The Daughter of Judge Jephthah's, Judith, & the good Father, delighted in dancing, and danced some them selves: you in this point do the like. But go further with them in this wide wilderness of the world, until you come, (as Hercules did) to the two ways, the one virtuous, the other voluptuous: and they enter the way of virtue, you of voluptuousness, as apparently declare your usual & wanton words, lascivious gestures, and unchaste behaviour. If you can say that good men, and godly women, have used this exercise, you have said, you suppose something. But alas, this some thing is nothing, by that time you confer it with those three things, that make or mar all. For though the external actions be in a manner all one, as were those of Abraham, and the Ammonites Elijah, and the two disciples, James, and John, yet the cause, the manner, & the end, make as great difference in these, as they did in those. The cause of the chaste Virgin, & worthy women's ⟨image 10⟩dancing, was in token of a joyful hart that the Lord had given them or their friends victory over their, and the Lords enemies: your cause to satisfy your voluptuous pleasure. Their manner was modest & moderate to refresh their minds & recreate their bodies: yours immodest, if immodesty it self be immodest, and immoderate, if dancing all day long, & part of the night be immoderate: if to toil & sweat thereat as if a man were at mowing: nay, they that sweat so much hereat, never so much and seldom at all sweat at work.

Now as we haue labored in laying these togeather, (and muche the more because lyke the Captaine we would bestowe the greatest part of our paines, in batteryng this your principallest bulwarke: for this ⟨image 9⟩once wonne, that ye haue no hold of scripture, (as trueth you haue not) many of your souldiours wyll soone, I doubt not, yéelde) so set we theirs and yours, the one by the others. The Daughter of Iudge Iepthes, Iudith, & the good Father, delyghted in daunceing, and daunced some them selues: you in this poynt doo the lyke. But go further with thē in this wide wildernesse of the worlde, vntyll you come, (as Herculus dyd) to the two wayes, the one vertuous, the other voluptuous: and they enter the waye of vertue, you of voluptuousnesse, as apparauntlye declare your vsuall & wanton wordes, lasciuious iestures, and vnchast behauiour. If you can say that good men, and godly women, haue vsed this exercise, you haue sayd, you suppose something. But alas, this some thing is nothing, by that time you cōferre it with those three thinges, that make or marre all. For though the external actiōs be in a manner all one, as were those of Abraham, and the Ammonits Elias, and the two disciples, Iames, and Iohn, yet the cause, the maner, & the end, make as great differēce in these, as they did in those. The cause of the chaste Virgin, & worthy womās