or in all the
3 peeces of Scripture before alledged, we euer fynd ther the death of
some. In the daunse before Herod the death of John Baptist. In the
rape or rauishing of Dina, Sichem, his father, & all his sobiectes,
died there. In the worshipping of the golden calfe, where the children
of Israel daunsed and leaped so nimblie, cherefully, & merily, before
that their belly was full, there died then aboute three thousande in
recompence of their ioy and gladnes. 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.

It remaineth now to answeare them, who would serue themselues with
certaine parcels and peeces of the scripture, in which mention is
made, that the faithfull people haue daunsed. [Sidenote: Exo. 15 20.]
First they alledge that which is written in Exodus, that Mary the
prophetesse, the sister of Aaron, who after that God had ouerwhelmed
and drowned Pharao & his army in the red sea, toke a taberet in hir
hand, & being attended, or waited upon by other women, song with them
a songe to the lord: as also Moses, and the children of Israel song
another.

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.

But when these which loue to leape and daunse, seeing there is here
spoken not only of daunses, but also of taberets and other musicall
instrumentes, do thinke that they are already in the hall of leapinge
or skipping, and do daunse according to the note and measures that the
Minstrels and Pipers wil sound or play to them: inferringe that the
holy scripture before alleged maketh for them, and that by it daunses
are approued, they are indeede fouly deceaued and very farre of from
their reckoninge, because that reckoning without the host, it was
meete for them to reckon twyse.

For it is most certaine that there is as much difference betweene
their daunses, and those which holy men haue used, as there is betwene
mariage and fornication. I meane betweene chastity & whoredome. And
euen as it is no maner of way permitted or suffered to committe
whoredome, so our daunses and the usage of them may not be allowed nor
receiued. But to