d woman. Cicero much reprocheth and
upbraydeth, yea and constantly obiecteth, to Gabinius the studying and
practisinge of daunses, as an infamous thing. He both like in his
Philippickes agaynst Antonius, and in the oration of Durena, he sayth
that a sober man neuer daunseth, neither a part or priuily, neyther in
an honest & moderate banquet, unlesse perhaps hee be unwyse, or out of
his wit.
[Sidenote: Daunsers are folish & senseles persons.] Varro writeth,
that Scipio was wont to say, that there was no difference at all
betweene a furious, outragious, or mad man and a daunser, sauing that
this man, that is to say, the daunser was then onely mad when he
daunsed, and the other was so all his life long. From thence commeth
the Latine prouerbe, that daunsers play the fooles, or wantons, but it
is with measure.
Here wee euidently and playnly see, in what estimation and regard
daunses were among Pagans and infidels, which trulye could not iudge
otherwise therof, I speake of them which had the best and more sound
iudgement, and which were able to weigh and consider, as well the
daunses themselues, as their so pretious fruites, and excellent
effectes. For if it be, yet after feastes and banquets, men commonly
set, or geue themselues to daunse, and after that men be full of wyne
and good meates, they bee then prouoked & pricked forwarde, by the
prickes of the flesh, to what end serue such manner of gestures, if
not, to make manifest & set out their intemperency. Now if men would
refer it, or bringe it to bodily exercise, this would be very folishly
done. For the body of her owne health, requireth not to be so shaken,
tossed, and as a man woulde say, hunted after meate, for feare to
hinder digestion, as the Phisition placed it amonge their rules of
diet. 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. Daunses then were neuer heretofore
otherwise accounted of, nether be at this present otherwise thought
of, then mere vilany, & a most certaine, plaine, and evident testimony
of the filthines & intemperancy of them which delighted themselues
therin. Now, that so it is, the Prouerbe sayeth, De la panse, vient la
Danse: from the panch commeth the daunce: [Sidenote: Math. 14.
Mark. 6] And i
|