The boke named the Gouernour, deuysed by syr Thomas Elyot knight

That all daunsynge is not to be re∣proued. Capitulo. xix.

I Am not of that opinion, that all daunsing generally is repugnaunt vnto vertue, all thoughe some persones excellently ler∣ned, specially diuines, so do affirme it: whi∣che alwaye haue in theyr mouthes (whan they come into the pulpette) the sayinge of the noble doctour, sainct Augustine, That better it were, to delue or to go to ploughe on the sondaye, thanne to daunce. Whiche moughte be spoken of that kynde of daun∣synge, which was vsed in the tyme of sainct Augustine, whan euery thing with the em∣pire

of Rome, declined from their perfec∣tion, and the olde maner of dansynge was forgoten, & none remayned, but that which was lasciuious, and corrupted the myndes of them that daunsed, and prouoked synne, as semblably some do at this daye. Also at that tyme idolatry was nat clerely extinct, but diuers fragmentes therof remayned in euery region. And perchance solemne daū¦ses, whiche were celebrate vnto the pay∣nims false goddis, were yet continued, for asmoch as the pure religion of Christ was nat in al places consolidate, and the pastors and curates dyd winke at suche recreatiōs, fearynge, if they shulde hastily haue reme∣ued it, & induced sodaynly the seueritie of goddis lawes, they shulde styre the peo∣ple therby to a generall sedition, to the im∣minent daunger and subuertion of Christis hole religion, late sowen among them, and nat yet sufficiently rooted. But the wyse & discrete doctour saynte Augustine, vsynge the art of an oratour, wherin he was right excellent, omytting all rigorous menace or terrour, dissuaded theym by the moste ea∣siest way, from that maner ceremony, belō∣gyng to idolatrie, preferryng before it bo∣dyly occupation, therby aggrauatynge the offence to god, that was in that ceremony, sens occupation, whiche is necessarye for

mans sustinaunce, and in due tymes vertu∣ous, is nat withstandynge prohibited to be vsed on the sondayes. And yet in these wor¦des of this noble doctour, is not so gene∣rall disprayse to all daunsynge as some men do suppose. And that for two causes. Fyrst in his comparison, he preferreth nat before daunsynge, or ioyneth therto any vycious exercyse, but annecteth it with tyllyng and diggynge of the erthe, whiche be labours incident to mans lyuyng, and in them is cō∣teyned nothynge that is vycyous. Where∣fore the preemynence therof aboue daun∣synge, qualifyeng the offence, they beinge done out of due tyme, that is to saye, in an holy daye, concludeth nat daunsynge to be at all tymes and in euery maner vnlaufull or vicious, consyderynge, that in certayn ca∣ses of exstreme necessytie, menne mought bothe ploughe and delue without doing to god any offence. Also it shall seme to them, that seriously do examyne the said wordes, that therein, Sayncte Augustine dothe nat prohybyte daunsynge so generally, as it is taken, but onely suche daunses, whiche (as I late sayde) were superstytious, and con∣teyned in theym a spyce of ydolatrie, or el∣les dydde with vncleane motions or coun∣tynances irritate the myndes of the daun∣cers to venereall lustes. Wherby fornicatiō

and auoutry were dayly increased. Also in those daūces were enterlased dities of wan ton loue or rybaudry, with frequente re∣membraūce of the most vile idolles, Uenus & Baccus, as it were that the daunce were to their honour and memory, whiche moste of all abhorred from Christis religion, sa∣uering the auncient errour or paganisme.

¶ I wold to god those names were not at this day, vsed in balades and ditties, in the courtes of pryncys and noble men, where many good wittes be corrupted with sem∣blable fantasies, whiche in better wyse em∣ployed, moughte haue bene more necessa∣ry to the publyke weale, and theyr princes honour. But nowe wyll I leaue this sery∣ouse matter to diuines, to perswade or dys∣suade herein, accordynge to theyr offyces. And sens in myne opinion sayncte Augu∣stine, that blessed clerke, reproueth not so generally all daunsynge, but that I maye laufully reherse some kynde therof, which maye be necessary, and also commendable, takynge it for an exercise: I shal nowe pro∣cede to speake of the fyrst beginnyng ther∣of, and in how great estimation it was had in dyuers regions.