daunsing, this were somewhat to be supported, or borne withall.

But now if he reply, and say hee careth not or regardeth not, what
other men think, seyng hee hath no maner of euil or naughty meaninge
in himselfe. I answere, that here we see an offense geuen, and the
very bond of loue broken and violated.

For put the case, or graunt that daunsing were put & reckoned among
things indifferent, in respect and consideration of it selfe, is it
meete or dutifull that for an indifferent and light thing, a man
should geue an occasion of falling or stumbling to his neighboure: But
so farr of is it, that daunses should bee put in the rome and number
of thinges indifferent, that euery one ought to make an accompt of
them, and to holde them altogeather wicked, and unlawful: in so much
that I send all them againe back to their owne consciences, which say,
that in daunsing they haue not any impudent & shamelesse
affection. For the thing beyng so vilanous, and so infected of his own
nature, as daunsing is, it is impossible, that he which useth it,
should not bee infected, neither more nor lesse: then it is impossible
to touch any filthines, and not to bee once uncleane, infected, and
defyled.

[Sidenote: The beginning of daunses.] And that it is so, let us
somewhat, or a little serch and seeke out the beginning of daunses,
and we shal fynd that men cannot geue them a better nor more apt and
proper definition, then that which hath bene brought heretofore. For
if wee would in this matter refer our selues to them, which haue
written of the antiquities, as well of the Grecians as of the Romains,
yea, and that to some Poets, wee shall fynd how that daunses haue
taken their begynning, from Pagans and Heathen men, which haue then
first used them, when they did sacrifyce to their Gods. For beeing
plunged into very thick, & as it were palpable dark nesses, after that
they had forged and advised Gods according to their owne fantasy, they
thought and supposed that they should bee delighted and pleased, with
the selfe same delightes and pleasures, wherein, or wherewith they
delighted themselues.

Whereupon wee neede not doubt hereof, but that it was the deuil which
did guide and leade them, whom al superstition, false religion, and
erronious doctrine pleaseth, aboue all thinges, speciallye when such a
toy and trifle is accompanied with al wantonnesse and villanie. Now
that such manner of doing, that is to say, custome of Pagans and
heath