A Brief Treatise Concerning the Use and Abuse of Dancing

A brief Treatise, Concerning the use and abuse of Dancing. Collected out of the learned works of the most excellent Divine Doctor, Peter Martyr, by Master Rob. Massonius: And translated into English by I. K. Ecclesiasti. 9. ver. 4. Use not the company of a woman that is a synger, and a dauncer: neither hear her, least thou be taken by her craftiness. Imprinted at London by John Judge, dwelling at the North door of Poules. To the right worshypfull Master Alexander Nowell, Deane of the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul: Happy health with grace from God. Having (right worshypfull) a Treatise sent unto me to be Imprinted, as touching the use and abuse of dancing: Collected out of the works of the most worthy, and well learned Divine Doctor, Peter Martyr. I fancied to present the same (especially and above the rest) to your worship and worthy person, only enforced thereto by the common brute of your rare zeal, singular virtue, and godly Religion. The party by whose pen and pain it was translated, and changed from Roman robe, to English vesture, is both virtuous, learned, and godly: and being stirred, as it were stinged foreward of very zeal, seeing these disordred and daly daunsings in the rude Country, marring men's manners, breeding much beastly behavior: and being desirous to have such rudeness reformed in those quarters where he is acquainted, requested and wyld me to procure in print the publishing thereof: Which having accomplished, I most humbly present the same to your vvorshyppe, emboldned the rather under your name to have it published and put forth in print, to the view of the world, for that it has been ouerlooked and lyked of Divines, zealous, Religious, learned, and godly. Wherefore desiring you good Master Nowell, so it may be taken as a token of my good will to your vvorshyppe: I forbear any farther to molest you with my unlettered lines, beseching the ever and over ruling Iehoua through his Christ Jesus our only joy, to continue his good blessings upon you, and to make perfect the good he has begun in you, and in us all. Amen.

Your vvorshippes to command. T.K. 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 judgment, 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 wayed to the worse part, offer occasion of this common objection: What means he to meddle with this thing, seeing he sees others hold their peace? what? thinks 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 cauell, because I see it first and most of all others in the mouths of many, it seemed not therefore to me a mysse at the first to meet herewith: as well to remove the sinister opinion they conceive (I dare say) of the godly, as also the prejudicial verdite this may breed upon this my true, though not trim style of writing. Whether there be not diverse that have written freely and 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 epsy. 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 knows 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 has either given the^ the peaceable state of Solomon, yt 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 Trumpe, the scripture has overthrown the walls of Jericho: and the walls ouerthrown, the bright Lamps of the gospel so shined out of their earthe^ vessels, that the eyes of the adversaries were in such sort daseled, that Phineas with his spear thrust this Madianitishe woman clean through: or if none of all these come to pass, (as often times for the abundance of our iniquityes in these latter days they do not) yet because God has sent them a Moses zelouse in his cause, Exo. 32.19 to put down such outrageous pastime, that their shoulders are eased of this heavy burden. But will some Saloms say, this comparison you make between us, and the children of Israel, is odious. Far be it from us, that our disporte should be like, or lykened unto their. Whether there be such dissolute disportes in all places or no, I am utterly ignorant, and God for bid there should: Neither include I in this my comparison all manner of daunces, no more then mine Author does, and so I beseech thee (gentle Reader) interpret both our meanings. But truly to report what I have heard with mine ears, seen with mine eyes, and mine hands have as it were handled, I see no cause why ours and theirs may not iustlye he coupled together.

Theyrs (who knows not) tended to the dishonouring of God: and to tell thee how many ways God is dishonored by ours: I may deal with thee, as the spyrite of the Lord dealt with the Prophet Ezechiel. Son of man, behold the abominations flowing out of this filthy fountain. Math. 12.36. …