United States or Luxembourg ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
If then we would consider the issues, and effectes, which come from daunses, & the fayre or goodly fruites which they bring forth, we would neuer thinke, but that the heares would stand upright upon our very heades when the question is of daunsing.
The like is founde in the booke of Samuel, after that Dauid had slaine Goliath, that many women came out of all the townes of Israel singing and daunsing before King Saule, with tabours, rebeckes, and other instrumentes of harmonie, or musicke.
Likewise let them say, that in daunsing they haue not any shamelesse or vilanous mynde, & affection, which notwithstanding, may not well, easily, or lightly be beleeued, yet so it is, yet daunses cease not to be called shamelesse gestures. But what: The question is not onely of their persons, but of a thing, which ought not to be in any use among Christians.
For put the case, or graunt that daunsing were put & reckoned among things indifferent, in respect and consideration of it selfe, is it meete or dutifull that for an indifferent and light thing, a man should geue an occasion of falling or stumbling to his neighboure: But so farr of is it, that daunses should bee put in the rome and number of thinges indifferent, that euery one ought to make an accompt of them, and to holde them altogeather wicked, and unlawful: in so much that I send all them againe back to their owne consciences, which say, that in daunsing they haue not any impudent & shamelesse affection.
Now let us come to the poynt or matter, what prouoked this young gentlewoman beyng rych, wise, learned, fayre, & of good countenaunce to loue a base man, of litle discretion, unlearned, cockbrained, yea, which with great payne or much adoe knoweth to write his owne name, and besyde, or moreouer very deformed in face & countenaunce, if not to daunce onely, and to see in him some small experience & skill to runne at the ringe: Men will say, that shee shewed not hir wifedome, in that shee chose her husbande for daunsing onely: but what is that the flesh doth not intise and allure, with his snares & baytes: For albeit ther is so much difference betweene the two parties, as betweene fayre gold and leade, yea so much indeed yet by her wifedome shee kept him backe, or made him to refrayne from striking, fighting, slaying, and casting the house out at the windowes, as we say, for the least flee, which came before his eies: yet so it is, that he obtayned and got her by the meane abouesayde: notwithstanding if ther fell out no worse by daunsing, this were somewhat to be supported, or borne withall.
There also they practice daunsing, and other noblemen's pastimes, as they use to do, which are brought up in the king's house. On the working dayes, the most of them apply themselves to the studye of the lawe, and on the holye dayes to the studye of holye Scripture; and out of the tyme of divine service, to the reading of Chronicles. For there indeede are vertues studied, and vices exiled.
Moreouer seeing yet men may exercise themselues in many other maners and sortes of exercises, hee, as mee thinketh openly sheweth, yet he hath not modesty, nor temperance, nor his health it selfe in estimation, yet is, he estemeth & regardeth not. &c. which choseth daunsing for his exercise.
These, that is the Greekes, esteemed daunsing verye much, and all these which knew howe to helpe and comfort themselues with an instrument of musicke. The other, that is the Romains made very small account of both daunsyngs, and lesse of the daunsers themselues. Here appeareth the difference of Climates, and of such as dwell under those climates.
As for the roughe exercises of wrasteling, ronning, daunsing, playeng at weapons, throwyng the barre or suche like, they train not their youth in, supposyng that the daily exercise of suche, shoulde be to roughe, and daungerous for them, and that they should be an empeiryng of strength.
By the way or meane of daunsing, the children of Israell, were willing to geue honour to an ydole, to a calfe of Gold, to a dead thing, and which they themselues had molten & framed after the imitation & manner of Pagans, which in such a sort & fashion serued their gods.
Word Of The Day