¶ Howe daunsing may be an introduction vnto the fyrste morall vertue called prudence. Cap. xxii.

AS I haue all redy affirmed, the prin∣cipall cause of this my lyttell enter∣pryse, is to declare an induction or meane, howe children of gentyll nature or disposition may be trayned into the way of vertue with a pleasant facilitie: And for as moch as it is very expedient, that there be myxte with studye some honest & moderate disport, or at the lest way recreation, to re∣cōfort and quicken the vitall spirites, leste they longe trauaylynge or being moch oc∣cupied in contemplation or remembrāce of thinges graue and serious, moughte hap∣pen to be fatigate, or perchance oppressed. And therfore Tulli, who vneth found euer any tyme vacaunt from studye, permytteth in his fyrste boke of offyces, that men may vse playe and disport: yet nat withstanding in suche wise as they do vse slepe and other maner of quyete, whanne they haue suffi∣ciētly Page  [unnumbered] disposed ernest matters & of weigh∣ty importaunce.

¶ Nowe bycause there is no passe tyme to be cōpared to that, wherin may be founden both recreation and meditation of vertue: I haue among all honest pastymes, wher∣in is exercise of the body, noted daunsyng to be of an excellent vtilitie comprehēding in it wonderfull fygures (whiche the gre∣kes do call Idea, of vertues and noble qua∣lities, and specially of the cōmodious ver∣tue called prudence, whom Tulli defyneth * to be the knowlege of thīges, which ought to be desyred & folowed: and also of them, whiche ought to be fled from or eschewed. And it is named of Aristotel the mother of vertues, of other philosophers it is called the capytayne or maystres of vertues, of some the house wyfe, for as moche as by her diligēce she doth inuestigate & prepare places apt and cōuenient, where other ver¦tues shall execute theyr powers or offices. Wherfore as Salomon saith, lyke as in wa∣ter be shewed the vysages of them that be∣holde * it, so vnto menne that be prudent, the secretes of mens hartes be openly disco∣uered. This vertue beinge so cōmodious to man, and as it were the porche of the no¦ble palayce of mannes Reason, wherby all other vertues shall entre, it semeth to me Page  80 ryght expediēt, that as sone as oportunitie may be founden, a chylde, or yonge man, be therto induced. And bicause that the study of vertue is tedyous for the more parte to them that do flourysshe in yonge yeres, I haue deuised, how in the fourme of daūsing nowe late vsed in this realme amonge gen∣tylmen, the hole description of this vertue prudence may be founden out and wel per∣ceyued, as wel by the daunsers, as by them whyche standynge by, wylle be dylygente beholders and markers, hauynge first myn instructiō surely grauē in the table of their remembrance. wherfore all they that haue their courage stered towarde very honour or perfecte nobilitie, let them approche to this passe tyme, and either them selfes pre∣pare them to daunse, or els at the leste way beholde with watchynge eyen, other that can daunse truely, kepyng iust measure and tyme. But to the vnderstanding of this in∣struction, they must marke well the sondry motions and measures, which in true form of daunsinge is to be specially obserued.

¶ The first meuing in euery daunse is cal∣led honour, which is a reuerent inclinatiō or curtesie, with a lōge deliberatiō or pause, and is but one motion, comprehending the tyme of thre other motions or setting forth of the foote: By that may be signified, that Page  [unnumbered] at the begynning of all our actes, we shulde do due honour to god, whiche is the roote of prudence, whiche honour is compact of these thre thinges, feare, loue, & reuerēce. And that in the begynnynge of al thinges, we shoulde aduysedly, with some tracte of tyme, beholde and foresee the successe of our enterpryse.

¶ By the seconde motion, which is two in nombre, may be signified celerite and slow∣nesse: * whiche two, all be it they seme to di∣scorde in their effectes and natural propre∣ties: therfore they maye be welle resem∣bled to the braule in daunsynge (for in our * englyshe tonge we say men do braule, whan betwene them is altercation in wordis) yet of them two springeth an excellent vertue, wherevnto we lacke a name in englyshe. Wherfore I am cōstrained to vsurpe a latin worde, callynge it Maturitie, whiche worde though it be strange and darke, yet by de∣claryng the vertue in a few mo wordes, the name ones brought in custome, shall be as easy to vnderstande as other wordes late comen out of Italy and Fraunce, and made denysens amonge vs.

¶ Maturitie is a mean betwene two extre * mities, wherin nothynge lacketh or exce∣deth, and is in such astate, that it may ney∣ther encrease nor minysshe without losinge Page  81 the denomiation of Maturitie. The gre∣kes in a prouerbe do expresse it proprely in * two wordes, whiche I can none otherwise * interprete in englysh, but spede the slowly.

¶ Also of this worde Maturitie, sprange * a noble and precious sentence, recyted by * Salust in the battayle agayn Catiline, whi∣che is in this maner or lyke, Cōsulte before thou enterprise any thynge, and after thou * haste taken counsayle, it is expedient to do it maturely.

Maturum in latyn may be interpretid ripe * or redy: as fruite whan it is ripe, it is at the very poynt to be gathered and eaten. And euery other thynge, whan it is redye, it is at the instante after to be occupied. Ther∣fore that worde maturitie, is translated to the actes of man, that whan they be doone with suche moderation, that nothing in the doinge may be sene superfluous or indigēt, we may say, that they be maturely doone: reseruyng the wordes rype & redy, to frute and other thiges seperate from affaires, as we haue now in vsage. And this do I now remembre for the necessary augmentation of our langage.

¶ In the excellent & most noble emperour Octauius Augustus, in whome reygned all nobilitie, nothinge is more cōmended, than that he had frequently in his mouthe this Page  [unnumbered] worde Matura, do maturelly. As he shulde haue sayde, do neyther to moche ne to litle, to soone ne to late, to swyftely nor slowely, but in due tyme and measure.

¶ Nowe I trust I haue sufficiently expoū∣ded the vertue called Maturitie, which is the meane or mediocritie betwene slouthe and celeritie, communely called spedinesse: and so haue I declared, what vtilitie maye be taken of a braule in daunsynge.