Young—William Gager’s Defence of Academic Stgge. 623 
which I coulde alleage, to illustrat thes rules, but that thay are 
playne to you, and I ame weary allready, and have a greate way 
yet to goe, and feare that you are starke tyred with my tedious 
discourse. 
Seeinge therfor that, as I take it, it is not proved vngodly for a 
boy or a yuthe, to putt on womanly rayment in owre case, it 
followethe that it is not the lesse vnlawfull for suche a one also 
to imitate womanly speeche, and behaviour, howe hardly so ever 
you thinke good to terme it. neyther dothe my glosse vpon the 
Texte allowe the contrary, as you wryte. for thes verses of myne, 
Distinda sexum forma distindum decet , Virile non est fxminx 
mores sequi, etc. 1 are also parte of my exposition of the Texte which 
is in controversye, and carrye no other sense then I have spoken 
of before, for thoughe different behavioure becummethe different 
sexes, and it beseemethe not men to followe weemens manners, 
in the common course of lyfe, to the pervertinge of <|p. 55> the lawe 
of nature, honesty, and cumlynes, or for any evill purpose; yet a 
boy, by way of representation only, may not indecently imytate 
maydenly, or womanly demeannre. Ffor as for all that tracte 
of your discourse, concerninge the danger of wanton dansinge, 
of kissinge bewtifull boyes, of amatorye embracinges, and effectuall 
expressinge of love panges, wherby bothe the spectators in be- 
howldinge, and the actors in the meditation of suche thinges, 
are corrupted, all which you prove by sondry examples and author- 
ytyes 2 ; it is more learnedly, and eloquently handled, then iustly 
applyed agaynst vs. it is easy for you, or any man of learninge to 
1 Momus, 11. 155-156. 
2 Yet the third reason, wherein playes are charged, not for making young 
men come foorth in hoores attire, like the lewde woman in the Proverbs; 
but for teaching them to counterfeit her actions, her wanton kisse, her impud¬ 
ent face, her wicked speeches and entisements; should haue bene allowed 
even by your owne glosse and exposition of the text: sith you say vpon it, 
that different behaviour becommeth different sexes, and, it beseemeth not men to 
folow wemens maners [side-note, from Momus, lines 155-156: Distincta sexum 
forma distinctum decet. Virile non est foeminse mores sequi]. Thetis taught 
Achilles howe to play the woman in gate, in speech, in gesture: Sic ergo 
gradus; sic ora, manusque nate feres, comitesque modis imitabere fictis. And be¬ 
cause his mother had not taught him enough, or he was but a bad scholer: 
Deidamia gaue him farder advertisements, how he must hold his naked brest, 
his hands. Sc so foorth. These are wemens maners vnseemelie for Achilles 
to imitate: he should not haue done it. How much lesse seemely then is it 
for young men to danse like wemen, though like those, who praised God with 
danses: and much lesse seemelie yet to danse like vnhonest wemen, like 
Herodiasl whereby what a flame of lust may bee kindled in the hearts of men, 
as redie for the most part to conceue this fire, as flaxe is the other, Christian 
writers shewe in parte by Herodes example: but a Heathen Poet [side-note; 
Propertius lib. 2. eleg. 2.] more fullie by his owne experience; affirming that 
hee was not ravished so much with his mistresses face, though marvellous 
faire and beautifull, nor with her heare hanging downe loose after facion about 
her smooth necke; nor with her radiant eyes, like starres; nor with her silkes. Sc 
outlandish braverie; as hee was with her galant dansing. [Overthrow, p. 17.] 
19 
