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…

And sometime young men, when they trespassed, were not forthwith adjudged to dye, but either to hunt in the theatre, or to dance in their armour: and they were called Pyrrhicharij. Another kind also there was, which was appointed for pleasure, only and lasciviousness, called of the Grecians [Greek or Hebrew] or [Greek or Hebrew].¹

And sometyme younge men, whē they trespassed, were not foorthwith adiudged to dye, but either to hunte in the theater, or to daunce in theyr armour: and they were called Pyrrhicharij. Another kinde also there was, which was appointed for pleasure, onely and lasciuiousnes, called of the Gretians 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 or 〈non-Latin alphabet〉.¹

1. 1[Greek or Hebrew] a rude rustical and rydiculouse kind of dancing in comaedies.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 a rude rusticall and rydiculouse kinde of dauncing in comaedies.

Moreover of them that expressed by the gestures of their bodies the meaning of their minds: writeth Lucianus in his Treaty of dancing, & likewise Athenaeus: Which came to that pass at length, that Demetrius Cynicus in derision called this counterfeit dancing a vain thing and nothing worth. Whereupon a worthy dancer, who then was had in honour at Rome, desired him that he would but one only time behold him, and then that he would judge and report ⟨image 23⟩whatsoever pleased him. He came to the Theatre, the counterfeit began by his gestures to express the common fable of Mars and Venus, taken in adultery. Wherein in such sort, he showed the Sun disclosing, Vulcan knitting nets, Venus all ashamed, and Mars humbly entreating, in so much as Demetrius astonied cried out. I not only see, O man, the things thou doest, but also here them. For by thy hands thou seemest to speak unto me. At the same time, as it happened, there repaired to Rome, the king of Pontus: Who when he had seen this dancer play his gestures in the Theatre, afterwards willed to demand of Nero, the thing he chiefly wished to be bestowed upon him, he asked the gesturer: whereat Nero marvelling, seeing he might have requested other things of much more value, inquired the cause of his request. He made answer, because I have many nations under my subjection, whom without an interpreter, I can not understand, and eftsoons it falleth out, that interpreters declare not faithfully enough my words unto them, nor again theirs unto me: But this fellow