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…

Richard of the middle Village, accounteth it a most grievous sin, to dance on the holly days as though on other days it might be permitted; But far weightier is the judgement of the Fathers and sound Councils, then these mens; Who hurtfully set at large those things, which are to be kept in, seeing they have with them the hazard of souls, and not the hazard only, but the slidings and falls most grievously to be lamented▪ And yet these men seem to borrow this their Sentence, whereby they deny dancing on the holly days of the civill laws, in the Code forsooth, in the title of holly days, and law holly days .C. tit. deferijs L. dies festos. We let at liberty vacation on the holly days, but we will that men be restrained from inordinate delectations. And therefore it shall not be lawful on the holly days to use dancings, whether they be sensual ⟨image 28⟩or prepared for sensuality.

Rycharde of the middle Village, accounteth it a moste grieuous sinne, to daunce on the hollye dayes as though on other dayes it might be permitted; But farre waightere is the iudgement of the Fathers and sounde Councelles, then these mennes; Whoe hurtfullye set at large those things, which are to be kéept in, seing they haue with them the hazard of soules, and not the hazard onely, but the slydings and falles most grieuously to be lamented▪ And yet these men séeme to borrowe this theyr Sentence, wherby they denye dauncinge on the hollie daies of the ciuill lawes, in the Code forsoothe, in the title of holly dayes, and lawe holly dayes .C. tit. deferijs L. dies festos. We let at liberty vacation on the holly daies, but we will that men be restreined from inordinate delectations. And therefore it shall not be lawfull on the hollye dayes to vse dauncinges, whether they be sensuall ⟨image 28⟩or prepared for sensuallitye.

Aemilius Probus in the life of Epaminondas, sayeth, that singing and dancing among the Romans were smalie regarded, when among the Grecians they were had in great estimation. Sallust in his Catilinaria weighteth that Sempronia, a certain lewd and lascivious woman, was trymlier trained up in singing and dancing, than be seemed a honest Matron. And in the same place, he calleth these two instruments of excess in carnal pleasure. Cicero in the third book of his offices, is of this mind, that an honest & virtuous man, will not dance in the common concourse of people, though he might thereby become the greatest heir in the world. And in his oration, which he made after his return to the Senate, he termed in reproach Aulus Gabinus his adversary O tricksy dancer. It was laid in Lucius Murena his dish as a fault, that he danced in Asia: with the same also was king Deiotarus hit in the teeth. Cicero for Murena answers, that no sober person danceth, either in solitariness, either in an honest and moderate banquet, except he be out of his wits. The same Cicero