B00830:9
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…
A brief treatise, concerning the use and abuse of dancing. Collected out of the learned works of the most excellent dean doctor, Peter Martyr, by paister Rob Massonius: and translated into English by I.K.A briefe treatise, concerning the vse and abuse of dauncing. Collected oute of the learned workes of the most excellent deaine doctour, Peter Martyr, by paister Rob Massonius: and translated into English by I.K.
London: printed by John Jugge, 1580London: printed by Iohn Iugge, 1580
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
❧To the Christian Reader.
That I, who am as I am. Undertake this matter (good Christian) when other of our English Nation, writing both learnedly with judgement, and zealously with knowledge, against diverse and sundry abuses crept in amongst us, nothing or very little handle the same, may to many perhaps, who are lightly weighed to the worse part, offer occasion of this common objection: What meaneth he to meddle with this thing, seeing he seeth others hold their peace? what? thinketh he if it were so necessary and needful a thing to be published in print, that among so many Books, there should be none, or nothing in them set forth? This kind of cavil, because I see it first & most of all others in the mouths of many, it seemed not therefore to me a miss at the first to meet herewith: aswell to remove the sinister opinion they conceive (I dare say) of the godly, as also the prejudicial verdict this may breed ⟨image 4⟩upon this my true, though not trim style of writing. Whether there be not diverse that have written freely & frankly against the abuse of Dancing, not only in the Latin and French, but likewise in our mother tongue: who will pluck the beam out of his eyes, may soon espy. But why our late learned men have not purposely penned some piece of work, (if it be long ago or little, these men forget it, or never see it) forasmuch as it may be imputed to the want, neither of will nor ability, to what it may be, I certainly know not: for who knoweth what things are in man, saving God and the spirit in him) yet to use a probable conjecture, I take the occasion to be in these virtuous persons: Because God hath either given them the peaceable state of Solomon, that they need not come forth into the field: or if not the peaceable state, yet the ready yielding of the people under Ezra, that there required no assault to be given: or if not the ready yielding, yet the speedy conquest of captain Joshua, that the only certain sound of the Trump, the scripture hath overthrown the walls of Jericho: and the walls overthrown, the bright Lamps