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My transcription
of dance-relevant passages from the NYPL Mid-Manhattan
Research Library's copy of James Cleland's The Institution
of a Young Noble Man (Oxford: Joseph Barnes, 1607,
1611, 1612), introduction by Max Molyneux. New York:
Scholars' Facsimiles & Reprints, 1948. Vol. 1.
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the look or type face of the original... but I've done
my best! --E. F. Winerock
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Chap.
6: The Description of a young Noble-mans Tutor.
...
It is a pittie that men should more regard their
Horse-boy then their sonnes Tutor, they denie it
in words but confirme it in deeds. For to the one
they wil allow a pension of twentie or thirtie pounds
yearlie, to the other they wil not so easilie afford
so manie shillings. But this their liberality is
worthilie rewarded, when they have horses wel broken,
and unrulie sonnes. therefore I wish al Noble Parents
that have happelie found such a Tutor as I have discribed,
that they entertaine and esteeme of him according
to his office. (Institution 29)
Chapt.
20. Of Apparrel.
Next
it followeth to speake of Rayment, the one putting
wherof is the ordinarie action after sleep, which
is so necessarie, that if it be missing there is
/ (Institution 214)
is
nether goodlines of person, beautie of the body,
nor anie good fashion of carryage that is able to
make a man esteemed. For it is a lamentable case,
when they saie such a one would be a proper handsome
man, if hee were wel arraied. But in this land I
should rather wish there were some Athenian Nomophylackes,
and Censures appointed, as at rome, to see that men
should be as moderate in their raiment, as in their
diet. Then doubtlesse manie young gentlemen would
have rents and possessions, which now have none.
They have put their lands, which contained a great
circuit, u into a litle trunck, and hold it a point
of policie to weare their lands upon their backes,
that they maie see that noe wast be done by their
Tennants. But alasse when they would spred abroad
their gaie cloathes againe into a longe feild, or
a pleasant parke, they are so shorte that they cannot
reach one ridge length, & so are dubd Sir John
Had-land, knights of Pennilessebench.
Obay therfore his Maiesties Instruction
in being nether too superflous, like a deboshed waister,
nor yet overbasly clad, like a miserable wretch,
not arteficially trimmed like a courtisan, nor yet
over sluggishly cloathed, like a countreie clowne,
nor over lightly like a Candy souldier, or a vaine
young Courtier, nor yet over gravely, like a Minister.
But in your garments be proper, cleanely, and honest,
weareing your cloathes in a carelesse, yet a comelie
forme. None of you should exceed the bounds of your
quality and revenues: For he maketh himselfe a mocking
stocke to the worlde, who shyneth a far of in his
scarlets, and glistering gold lace, like a king of
a Stage plaie, and when hee approacheth neare, hath
nether a sutable companie / (Institution 215)
nie
of followers, nor a living to maintain that bravery,
nor yet is of that qualitied, and rancke, unto which
such costly and gorgeous apparrel doth appertaine,
nor doeth the time or place require. Hee (like the
millars Asse carrying the Godesse Isis,) thinketh
that everie one who saluteth his faire cloathes,
doth honour himselfe: but if a man could look through
his gay coat, to see what were within him, he would
be astonished, as one going into the Temples of Ægypt,
which were so faire without, having no thing within
but a wilde catt, or some such like monstrous beast:
thus is the world often times illuded with the external
senses.
Make not fooles of your selves
in wearing long haire or nailes, which are but excrements
of nature, and bewray such misusers of them to bee
of a vendictive, or a vaine light nature. For (as
the learned Count saith) nemo comatus, qui non
sit Cinædus: whosoever delighteth in his
long haire, or maketh a vow in keeping therof, doth
sacrifice unto the Goddesse Cotys: Wherefore Pherecides
meeting with such a young man, covered his face with
his cloake. Doth not nature it selfe teach you, that
if a man have long haire, it is a shame unto him,
and that he denieth his kinde? Some cannot be content
as God made them, but as though they were hudled
up in hast, and sent unto the world not fully finished,
must use drugs, balmes, ointments, paintings, lac
virginale, and what not? To amend the least faultes
not amisse, but fie upon these frownsing irons, poking
sticks, and brushes, that must ever serve to keepe
countenance with al, in company, in stroaking up
their mustachoes. Others smel so sweetly, as if they
were new arrived from Arabia / (Institution
216)
Arabia,
and had brought home some perfumes from Horontia;
but they know not, that they smel best, when they
smel least, & that they stinck in their sweet
odors.
Post hume non benè semper olet: for
my owne part, Malo quàm benè olere,
nil olere.
(Institution 217)
Chapt.
23. How you should play at Tennis, and Daunce.
The
Tennis Court, whereby I would have you to recreate
your minde, and exercise your body sometimes, besides
pleasure it preserveth your health, in so farr as
it moveth everie part of the bodie. Neverthelesse,
I approve not those, who are ever in the Tennis Court
like Nackets, and heat themselves so much, that they
rather breed, then expel sicknes; nor yet commend
I those, who blacke the Tennis keepers score, &
that have ba-ded away the greatest part of their
wealth, either in playing great and manie sets, or
else in continuing in tossing, until they defie the
same game. It is both / (Institution 224)
both
an hurt and a shame for a Noble man to be so eager
in that play. The Pal Maile is also honourable: as
for the French Kyles, the Byas Bowles, the casting
of the ston, the Barre, and such like exercises,
they are fitter in my opinion for a Citizens prentice,
& a countrey Clowne, then for anie Gentleman.
I wil not ascend up amongst the
Gods to shew you them Dancing to asswage Saturn's
Melanchollie; nor wil I lead you unto the Curetes,
and Curibantes to seeke the first invention thereof;
nor wil I staie to tel you of Proteus his Changings,
or Gelos his s/fableriestes in offering at Delos;
nor the Indians in saluting the Sun; nor to heare
the Harmonical motions of the Celestial Spheares
with Plato; nor wil I shew you to make war in Dansing,
as the old Inhabitants of Aethiopia did; nor to Daunce
about the Cittie, as the Romane Salÿ did. neither
wil I represent unto you the Majestie of Princes
by Eumelia a kinde of Daunce; nor the wanton and
dissolute motions of base people by Cordax. But as
Socrates did unto the Grecians, and Lycurgus unto
the Lacedemonians, I recommend that forme of Dauncing
unto you, called by the Ancients, Hormus, which of
al others is most like our sort of Dauncing named
Numbers, wherein daunced both men and weemen togither:
which with our Divines permission (not approving
the immoderate moving of the feet, more then I wil
describe the proprieties of Honour, of Singles, of
Two in Number, of Reprinse, and Double) I thinke
it one of the best exercises that a Noble man can
learne in his young yeares, and that fashioneth the
bodie best. Alwaies I commende me-/ (Institution
225)
mediocritie
in al things: for there is nothing so good, but if
it be used with excesse wil become bad. Wherefore
I praise not those Ordinarie Dauncers, who appeare
to be druncke in their legs, (as Chrysippus Serving
Maide said unto her Master) in shaking alwaies their
feet, singing continuallie, one-two-three: foure;
& five. When you go to Daunce in anie Honourable
companie, take heede that your qualitie, your Raiment,
and your skil go al three togither: if you faile
in anie of those three, you wilbe derided. Imitate
not so much the Masters Capers, as to have a good
grace in the carriage of your bodie: this is the
principal, and without the which al the rest is naught.
These are the Exercises wherein I would have you
al wel experienced, using them one after another,
and not al togither, running from this exercise to
that, neglecting your studies, or thinges necessarie
to obtaine those meere shaddowes in respect of them.
The best is, that you learne but one or two of them
at once, not adding your mindes more unto one then
to another with Pamphilus.
Horum ille nihil egregiè præter
catera
Studebat, & tamen omnia hæc
mediocriter.
(Institution 226)
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