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My transcription
of dance-relevant passages from the NYPL Mid-Manhattan
Research Library's copy of Richard Mulcaster's The
Training Up Of Children. Facsimilie reprint. (Amsterdam,
New York: De Capo Press, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, Ltd.,
1971) STC: 18253.
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As concessions to Dreamweaver and web compatibility,
double spaces between sentences have been reduced to
single spaces, certain irregularities of spacing and
punctuation for margin justification have been regularised,
and the ∫/s
is modernised
except in titles. The ' ------
' denotes page breaks. Obviously this does not replicate
the look or type face of the original... but I've done
my best! --E. F. Winerock
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POSITIONS
WHERIN THOSE PRI-
MITIVE CIRCVMSTANCES
BE EXAMINED, WHICH ARE NE-
CESSARIE FOR THE TRAINING
up of children, either for skill in
their
booke, or health in their bodie.
WRITTEN
by RICHARD MVLCASTER, master
of the schoole erected in London anno. 1561. in the
pa-
rish of Sainct Laurence Powntneie, by the worshipfull
companie of the merchaunt tailers of the said citie.
Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautrollier
for Thomas Chare.
1581
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Chapter
16.
Of daunsing, why it is blamed, and how deliuered from
blame.
DAunsing
of it selfe declareth mine allowance, in that I
name it among the good and healthfull exercises : which
I must needes cleare from some offensiue notes, wherwith
it is
charged by some sterne people: least if I do not so,
it both con-
tinue it selfe in blame still, and draw me thither
also with it,
for allowing of a thing, that is disliked, and by me
not deliue-
red from iust cause of misliking, which by my choice
do seeme
to defend it. And yet I meane not here to rippe vp,
what rea-
ding hath taught me of it, though it seeme to haue
serued for
great vses in olde time, both athleticall for spectacle
and shew:
militare for armour and enemie : and Physicall for
health and
welfare : so many and so notable writers, make so much
and
so oftimes mention therof in all these three kindes.
Some de-
dicate whole volumes to this argument onely, some enterlace
their brauest discourses with the particularities therof,
& those
no meane ones. And in deede a man, that neuer red much,
and
doth but marke the thing cursorily, would scant beleue,
that
it were either of such antiquitie, or such account,
or so ge-
nerally entreated of by learned men, all those their
writinges
stil sounding to the praise and aduancement therof
: howsoeuer
in our dayes either we embase it in opinion : or it
selfe hath gi-
uen cause of iust embasement, by some peoples misvse.
Many
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sortes
of it I do reade of, but most discontinued, or rather
quite
decayed, that onely is reserued, which beareth oftimes
blame,
machance being corrupted by the kinde of Musick, as
the
olde complaint was : machance bycause it is vsed but
for plea-
sure and delite onely, and beareth no pretense or stile
of exer-
cise, directly tending to health, which is our peoples
moane
now in our dayes. For where honest and profitable reasons
be
not in the first front, to commend a thing, but onely
pleasaunt
and deliteful causes, which content not precise surueiours,
there
groweth misliking, the partie that exerciseth, not
pretending
the best, which is in the thing, and the partie that
accuseth,
marking nothing else but that, which maye moue offence.
The sad and sober commodities, which be reaped by daun-
sing in respect of the motion applyed to health be
these, by
heating and warming, it driueth awaie stifnes from
the ioyntes,
and some palsilike trembling from the legges and thighes,
whom it stirreth most, it is a present remedie to succour
the
stomacke against weaknesse of digestion, and rawnesse
of hu-
mours : it so strengtheneth and co[n]firmeth aching
hippes thinne
shankes, feeble feete, as nothing more : in deliuering
the
kidneys or bladder from the stone, it is beyond comparison
good : but now such as haue weake braines, swimming
heades,
weeping eyes, simple and sory sight, must take heede
of it,
and haue an eye to their health, for feare they be
disie when
they daunce, and trip in their turning, or rather shrinke
downe
right when they should cinquopasse. Such as haue weake
kidneys and ouerheated, may displease them selues,
if it please
then to daunce, and encrease their diseases, by encreasing
their heat.
The daunsing in armour, called by the Greekes p??????,
as it
is of more motion in exercise, so it worketh more nimblenesse
in executing, when ye deale in the field with your
enemies.
These be the frutes which are reaped by daunsing well
and or-
derly vsed, for the benefit of health, and the contrary
displea-
sures, which are caught by it, thorough inconsiderate
applying
of it, by the partie which is not made for it. The
blames which
1. it beareth be these. That it reuelleth out of time,
wherewith
2. Plysick is offended : That if serueth delite to
much, whereat
good
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good
manners repine. For these two faultes there is but
one
generall aunswere : that daunsing is healthfull, though
the
daunsers vse it not healthfully, as other things of
greater coun-
tenaunce be verie good, though the professours do not
so, as
their professions do enioine them. For the first in
particular,
the rule of health condemnes not daunsing, but the
mistyming
of it : that it is vsed after meat, when rest is most
wholesome :
with full stomacke, when digestion should haue all
the helpe
of naturall heat : that to please the beholders, such
as vse daun-
sing do displease them selues. And sure if daunsing
be an exer-
cise, as both all antiquitie doth commend it for, and
I my selfe
do allow of it by that name : it would by rule of Physick
go be-
fore meat, and not be vsed but long after, as a preparatiue
a-
gainst a new meale : and a disburdener of superfluities,
against
a surcharge of new diet : Howbeit there be in it some
more
violent measures then some : and in beginning with
the most
staydest and most almanlike, and so marching on, till
the
springing galliard and quicker measures take place,
choice in
euerie one, vpon knowledge of his owne bodie, and his
empti-
nesse or saturitie maye helpe health, though the custome
of
eche countrey commaunde not onely health, though to
her
harme, but euen the verie science which professeth
the prefer-
uation of health, if desire egge delite, to shew it
selfe in place.
Wherevpon the second blame of daunsing, doth especially
builde, and take her hold.
To keepe thinges in order, there is in the soule of
man but
one, though a verie honorable meane, which is the direction
of
reason : to bring things out of order there be two,
the one stro[n]g-
headed, which is the commaundement of courage, the
other
many headed, which is the enticement of desires. Now
daun-
sing hath properties to serue eche of these, exercise
for health,
which reason ratifieth, armour for agilitie, which
courage com-
mendeth, liking for allowance, which desire doth delite
in. But
bycause it yeildeth most to delite, and in most varietie
of plea-
sures, desire ministreth most matter to blame, daunsing
by plea-
sing desire to much, hath pleased reason to litle,
and when rea-
son obiecteth inconueniences, it turneth the deafe
side, and
followeth her owne swinge. For when the tailour hath
braued,
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where
nature hath beawtified : when amiablenesse of person
hath procured agilitie by cunning, what gallant youthes
in
whom there is any courage, can abide not to come to
shew,
hauing such qualities so wor[t]hy the beholding? here
will cou-
rage shew her selfe, though repentance be her port,
here will
desire throng in prease, though it praise not in parting.
All this
doth confesse that daunsing is become seruant to desire,
though
not daunsing alone : and yet companions in blame be
no dis-
chargers of fault. What then? for the generall, seing
thinges
which man vseth, cannot be quite free from misuse,
it is halfe a
vertue to winne so much, as there be as litle misuse,
as may be :
and to charge the partie that deserues blame, with
hinderance
of health, with corruption of manners, with ill losse
of good
time : which if he care not for, the precept may passe,
though
he passe not for it. But howsoeuer daunsing be or be
thought to
be, seing it is held for an exercise, we must thinke
ther is sone
great good in it, though we protecte not the ill, if
any come
by it. Which good we must seeke to get, and praie those
mai-
sters, which fashion it with order in time, with reason
in ge-
sture, with proportion in number, with harmonie in
Musick, to
appoint it so, as it may be thought both seemely and
sober, and
so best beseeme such persons, as professe sobrietie
: and that
with all, it may be so full of nimblenesse and actiuitie,
as it may
proue an exercise of health, being vsed in wholesome
times,
and not seeking to supplant rest, as the rule of health
at this
daie complaineth. And generally of all ages, me thinke
it be-
seemeth children best, to enable, and nimble their
iointes ther-
by, & to stay their ouermuch deliting therin in
further yeares.
The very definition of it declareth, what it was then,
when it
was right, and what it is now, when it seemes to be
wronge, if
right in such thinges be not creature to vse, and maye
change
with time, without challenge for the change. They define
daunsing to be a certaine cunning to resemble the manners,
affections, and doinges of men and women, by motions
and
estures of the bodie, artificially deuised in number
and pro-
portion. This was to them a kinde of deliuerie, to
vttere their
mindes, by signes & resemblances, of that which
came nearest
to the thing, and was most intelligible to the lookers
on. But
now
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now with vs, there is nothing left to the daunser ordinarily,
but
the bare motion, without that kinde of hand cunning
(for so I
terme their ?e?????µ?a ) bycause the skill seemed
then to rest
most in the vse of the vpper partes, and gesturing
by the hand.
The credit of our daunsing now is to represent the
Musick right,
and to cause the bodye in his kinde of action to resemble
and
counterfet that liuely, which the instrument in his
kinde of
composition deliuereth delicately : and with such a
grace to vse
the legges and feete, as the olde daunsers vsed their
armes and
handes. And as in the olde time both men, wymen and
chil-
dren did vse daunsing to helpe and preserue their health,
to pur-
chace good hauiour and bearing of their bodies : so
in these
our dayes, being vsed in time, by order, and with measure,
it
will worke the same effectes of health, hauiour and
strength,
and may well auide the opinion of either lewdnesse,
or light-
nesse. Thus much for daunsing, as the motion is for
health, and
the meaning for good.
(pp.
71-75)
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