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…

For they lead their dances from the left to the right side of the Altar, to show the turning of Heaven from ⟨image 21⟩[…] ⟨image 21⟩[…] ⟨image 22⟩the East to the West, then returned they from the right side to the left, to signify the course of the moveable and unmoveable stars: which thing peradventure Virgil meant, when be said: Instaurantque choros mixtique altaria circū. They begin to dance afresh one with another round about the altars.¹ Also Salij the priests of Mars among the Romans were had in great estimation. And there be that refer the original hereof to Hiero Siculus the tyrant: who, as they report, to establish his tyranny, forbade the people mutual communication. By means whereof it came to pass, that the men of Sicily began to express their minds and thoughts by becks & gestures of the body: which afterwards grew to an use and custom. But whether this be so or no, dances in the old time were not estranged from religion: albeit afterwards they were applied to public and common rejoicing: Besides these, there was another kind exercised by young men in Martial affairs.

For they leade theyr daunces from the leafte to the right side of the Aulter, to shewe the turninge of Heauen from ⟨image 21⟩〈…〉 ⟨image 21⟩〈…〉 ⟨image 22⟩the Easte to the Weast, then returned they from the right side to the leafte, to signify the course of the moueable and vnmoueable starres: which thinge peraduenture Virgill meant, when be sayde: Instaurantque choros mixtique altaria circū. They begine to daunce afresh one with another round about the aulters.¹