Beholde the beginninge of daunses, togeather with their fruits and properties, which if they be well considered, and deeply waighed by sound and rype understandinge, it will not, or shall not bee thought straunge & maruailous, that I condemne them, hauing indeede on my syde as well the authority of the doctors of the Church, as of the fathers which were found or present at certayne auncient, and olde councels.

Euen unto this present or hetherto we haue founde very little affinitye or agreement betweene the daunses of the auncient patriarches, and of good and religious people, and these, which we use at this present, or in these dayes.

And to confirme this, lett us beholde and call to remembraunce, how the auncient Romains were remoued farr from the opinion and mind of the Greks.

Gosson writes: The right use of auncient poetrie was to have the notable exploytes of worthy captaines, the holesome councels of good fathers and vertuous lives of predecessors set down in numbers, and sung to the instrument at solemne feastes, that the sound of the one might draw the hearers from kissing the cup too often, and the sense of the other put them in minde of things past, and chaulke out the way to do the like.

Alas, faire dames, to make my sorows plain Would but reuiue an auncient wound again, Which grating presently vpon my minde Doth leaue a fear of former woes behinde.

And whilest the other peeres for povertie Were forst their auncient houses to let lie, And their olde castles to the ground to fall, Which their forefathers famous over-all 1180 [Over-all, everywhere.

O that I had the Thracian poets harpe, For to awake out of th'infernall shade Those antique Caesars, sleeping long in darke, The which this auncient citie whilome made!

All that which Aegypt whilome did devise, All that which Greece their temples to embrave, After th'Ionicke, Atticke, Doricke guise, Or Corinth skil'd in curious workes to grave, All that Lysippus practike* arte could forme, Apelles wit, or Phidias his skill, Was wont this auncient citie to adorne, And the heaven it selfe with her wide wonders fill.

On each side purtraid was a Victorie, Clad like a nimph, that wings of silver weares, And in triumphant chayre was set on hie, The auncient glory of the Romaine peares.

There many an auncient trophee was addrest*, And many a spoyle, and many a goodly show, Which that brave races greatnes did attest, That whilome from the Troyan blood did flow.

"And afterwardes I handled her so fayre, 120 That though by kind shee stout and salvage were, For being borne an auncient lions hayre, And of the race that all wild beastes do feare, Yet I her fram'd, and wan so to my bent, That shee became so meeke and milde of cheare 125 As the least lamb in all my flock that went.

At length they all to mery London came, To mery London, my most kyndly nurse, That to me gave this lifes first native sourse, Though from another place I take my name, 130 An house of auncient fame.

Ile nere enquire What 'tis you goe about, but trust your counsailes As the Auncients did their Oracles.

More within the lande by the riuers side is Damiata an auncient citie enuironed with walles contayning fiue miles in circuit, and but of small strength.

Out of one of these are dayly digged the bodies of auncient men, not rotten, but all whole, the cause whereof is the qualitie of the Egyptian soile, which will not consume the flesh of man, but rather dry and harden the same, and so alwayes conserueth it.

And Lambarde, in his Customes of Kent (Perambulation, 410, 1596, page 538), thus notices it:"The custom of Grauelkynde is generall, and spreadeth itselfe throughout the whole shyre, into all landes subiect by auncient tenure vnto the same, such places onely excepted, where it is altered by acte of parleament.

See, then, (my Lord) this Aggat that containes The image of that Goddesse and her sonne, Whom auncients held the Soveraignes of Love; See, naturally wrought out of the stone (Besides the perfect shape of every limme, Besides the wondrous life of her bright haire)

We are (by birth) more noble then our fortunes; Why should we, then, shun any meanes we can To raise us to our auncient states againe?

See, then, (my Lord) this Aggat that containes The image of that Goddesse and her sonne, Whom auncients held the Soveraignes of Love; See naturally wrought out of the stone (Besides the perfect shape of every limme, Besides the wondrous life of her bright haire)

Why, now you fall into your auncient vaine.

Thus Manuel reigned in vertue and honoure with that noble Ladye his wyfe: and he was beloued and dradde of high and lowe degree, for he dyde ryghte and iustice according to the auncient Manner, kepynge hys land in dignitie and goode Appearance, and hauynge the highest place in hys tyme.

Notwithstanding after long beholding, hee showed mee, it seemed that the sayde booke contayned some auncient monument of this Ile, and that he perceyved this word Prytania to bee put for Brytannia.

1610 ... publish in Print to the whole Realme and to all Posteritie, that all Graunt of Monapolyes and of the benefitt of any penall Lawes, or of power to dispence with the Lawe ... are contrary to your Majesties Lawes, which your Majesties Declaracon is truly consonant and agreeable to the auncient and fundamentall Lawes of this your Realme....