wo are grounds; one touches
the bass, and the other tickles the minikin."

BEING TREATED.
TO ELLINDA.

For cherries plenty, and for corans
Enough for fifty, were there more on's;
For elles of beere,<35.1> flutes<35.2> of canary,
That well did wash downe pasties-Mary;<35.3>
For peason, chickens, sawces high,
Pig, and the widdow-venson-pye;<35.4>
With certaine promise (to your brother)
Of the virginity of another,
Where it is thought I too may peepe in
With knuckles far as any deepe in;<35.5>
For glasses, heads, hands, bellies full
Of wine, and loyne right-worshipfull;<35.6>
Whether all of, or more behind--a
Thankes freest, freshest, faire Ellinda.
Thankes for my visit not disdaining,
Or at the least thankes for your feigning;
For if your mercy doore were lockt-well,
I should be justly soundly knockt-well;
Cause that in dogrell I did mutter
Not one rhime to you from dam-Rotter.<35.7>

Next beg I to present my duty
To pregnant sister in prime beauty,
Whom well I deeme (e're few months elder)
Will take out Hans from pretty Kelder,
And to the sweetly fayre Mabella,
A match that vies with Arabella;
In each respect but the misfortune,
Fortune, Fate, I thee importune.

Nor must I passe the lovely Alice,
Whose health I'd quaffe in golden chalice;
But since that Fate hath made me neuter,
I only can in beaker pewter:
But who'd forget, or yet left un-sung
The doughty acts of George the yong-son?
Who yesterday to save his sister
Had slaine the snake, had he not mist her:
But I shall leave him, 'till a nag on
He gets to prosecute the dragon;
And then with helpe of sun and taper,
Fill with his deeds twelve reames of paper,
That Amadis,<35.8> Sir Guy, and Topaz
With his fleet neigher shall keep no-pace.
But now to close all I must switch-hard,
[Your] servant ever;
LOVELACE RICHARD.

<35.1> This expression has reference to the old practice
of drinking beer and wine out of very high glasses, with
divisions marked on them. A yard of ale is even now a well
understood term: nor is the custom itself out of date, since
in some parts of the country one is asked to take, not a glass,
but A YARD. The ell was of course, strictly speaking, a larger
measure than a yard; but it was often employed as a mere synonyme
or equivalent. Thus, in MAROCCUS EXTATICUS, 1595, Bankes says:--
"Measure, Marocco, nay, nay, they that take up commodities make