The Exaletation of ALE BEING The Ancient Liquor of this REALM OR, A Clear definition of its efficacious Operation in several Pates, Arts and Professions.  
Dedicated to all that love Ale, and to be presented to all the Inns and Alehouses in ENGLAND.  

NOt drunken, nor sober, but neighbour to both,  
I met with a friend in Alesbury Vale,  
He saw by my face that I was in the case  
to speak no great harm of a pot of good ale.   

Then did he me greet, and said, since we meet  
(and he put me in mind of the name of the Dale)  
For Alesbury sake some pains I would take  
and not bury the praise of a pot of good ale.   

The more to procure me, than did he adjure me,  
if the ale I drank last were happy and stolen,  
To do it its right, and stir up my spirit,  
and fall to commend a pot of good ale.   

Quoth I to commend it I dare not begin,  
left therein my credit might happen to fail;  
For many men now do count it a sin  
for once to look towards a pot of good ale.   

Yet I care not a pin, for I see no such sin,  
nor any thing else my courage to quail;  
For this we do find, that take it in kind,  
much virtue there is in a pot of good ale.   

And I mean not the taste, though thereby much graced,  
nor the merry go down without pull or hale,  
Persuming the throat when the stomach's afloat  
with the fragrant sent of a pot of good ale.   

Nor yet the delight, that comes to the sight,  
to see how it flowers and mantles in graile;  
As green as as a leek, with a smile in the cheek,  
the true orient colour of a pot of good ale.   

But I mean the mind, and the good it doth find,  
not only the body so feeble and frail;  
For body and soul may bless the black boul,  
since both are beholden to a pot of good ale.   

For when heaviness, the mind doth oppress,  
and sorrow and grief the heart do assail,  
No remedy quicker, then to take of your liquor,  
and to wash away cares with a pot of good ale.   

●he widow that buried her husband of late  
will soon have forgotten to weep and to wail,  
And think every day twain till she marry again,  
read her but the contents of a pot of good ale.   

〈◊〉 is like a belly-blast to a cold heart,  
and warms and engenders the spirits vitale,  
〈◊〉 keep them from damage all spirits own their homage  
to the spirit of the buttery, a pot of good ale.   

●●d down to the legs this virtue doth go,  
and to a bad footman is as good as a sail,  
●●en it fills the veins, and makes light the brains,  
No Lackey so nimble as a Pot of good ale.   

●…e naked complains not for want of a coat,  
nor on the cold weather will once turn his tail;  
〈◊〉 the way as he goes, he cuts the wind with his nose,  
she be but well wrapped in a pot of good ale.   

〈◊〉 hungry man takes no thought for his meat,  
●hough his stomach would brook a tenpenny nail;  
〈◊〉 quite forgets hunger, and thinks on't no longer,  
she touch but the spark of a pot of good ale.   

〈◊〉 poor man will praise it so hath he good cause,  
〈◊〉 all the year eats neither Partridge nor Quail,  
But sets up his rest, and makes up his feast  
with a crust of brown bread, and a pot of good ale.   

The Shepherd, the Sour, the Thresher, the Mower,  
the one with his scithe, the other with his flail,  
Take them out by the poll, on the peril of my soul,  
all will hold up their hands to a pot of good ale.   

The black smith whose bellows all summer do blow  
with the fire in his face still, without e'er a vale,  
Though his throat be full dry, he will tell you no lie,  
but where you may be sure of a pot of good ale.   

Who ever denies it the prisoner will praise it,  
that beg at the grate, and lie in the goal:  
For even in their fetters, they think themselves better,  
may they get but a twopenny bla● Pot of ale.   

The beggar whose portion is always his prayers,  
not having a tatter to hang on his tail:  
I● as rich in his rags, as the churl in his bags,  
if he once but shakes hands with a pot of good ale.   

It drives his poverty clean out of mind,  
forgetting his brown bread, his wallet and Mail:  
He walks in the house, like a six-footed louse,  
if he once be enriched with a pot of good ale.   

And he that doth dig in the ditches all day,  
and wearies himself quite at the plough tail,  
Will speak no less things, then of Queens and of Kings,  
If he touch but the top of a pot of good ale.   

It is a whetstone to a blunt wit,  
and makes a supply where nature doth fail;  
The dullest wit soon will look quite thorough the Moon,  
if his temples be wet with a pot of good ale.   

Then Dick to his darling full boldly dares speak,  
though before (silly fellow) his courage did quail;  
He gives her the smooch, with his hand on his pouch,  
if he meet by the way with a pot of good ale.   

And it makes the Carter a Courtier straightway;  
with rhetorical terms he will tell his tale  
With courtesies great store, and his cap up before,  
being schooled but a little with a pot of good ale.   

The old man whose tongue wags faster than his teeth  
(for old age by nature doth drivel and drail)  
Will frig and sling, like a dog in a string,  
if he warm his cold blood with a pot of good ale.   

And the good old Clerk, whose sight waxeth dark,  
and ever he thinks the print is too small;  
He will see every letter, and say service better,  
if he glaze but his eyes with a pot of good ale.   

The cheek and the jaws, to commend it have cause;  
for where they were late but even wan and pale:  
They will get them a colour, no crimson is fuller,  
by the true die and tincture of a pot of good ale.   

Ma●ke her enemies, though they think themselves wise,  
how meager they look, with how low a wail;  
How their cheeks do fall, without spirits at all,  
that alien their minds from a pot of good ale.   

And that now the grains do work in my brains,  
me thinks I were able to give by retale  
Commodities store, a dozen, or more,  
that flow to mankind from a pot of good ale.   

The Muses would muse, any should it misuse,  
for it makes them to sing like a Nightingale;  
With a lofty trim note, having washed their throat  
with the Caballine spring of a pot of good ale.   

And the Musician of any condition,  
it will make him to reach to the top of his scale,  
It will clear his pipes, and moisten his lights,  
If he drink alternatim a pot of good ale.   

The Poet divine, that cannot reach wine,  
because that his money doth many times fail,  
Will hit on the vain, to make a good straign  
if he be but inspired with a pot of good ale.   

For ballads Elderton never had peer,  
how went his wit in them with how merry a gale?  
And with all his sails up, and he bend at the cup  
and washed his beard with a pot of good ale.   

And the power of it shows, no whit less in prose,  
it will one phrase, and set forth his tale,  
Fill him but a boul, it will make his tongue troll,  
for flowing speech flows from a pot of good ale.   

And Master Philosopher, if he drink his part,  
will not trifle his time in the husk or the shalt,  
But go to the kernel by the depth of his art  
to be found in the bottom of a pot of good ale.   

Give a scholar of Oxford a pot of sixteens,  
and put him to prove that an Ape hath a tail,  
And sixteen times better his wit will be seen  
if you fetch him from Botley a pot of good ale.   

Thus it helps speech and wit, and it hurts not a whit,  
but rather doth further the virtue's morale:  
Then think it not much, if a little I touch  
the good moral parts of a pot of good ale   

To the church and religion it is a good friend;  
or else our forefathers their wisdom did fail,  
That every mile, next to the church stile,  
set a consecrate house to a pot of good ale.   

But now as they say, beer bears all away,  
the more is the pity if right might prevail;  
For with this same beer came up heresies here,  
the old Catholic drink is a pot of good ale.   

The churches much own, as we all do know,  
for when they be dropping and ready to fall;  
By a Whitsun or a Church ale up again they shall go  
and owe their repairing to a pot of good ale.   

Truth will do it right, it bringeth truth to light,  
And many bad matters it helps to reveal:  
For they that will drink, will speak what they think;  
Tom telltruth lies hid in a pot of good ale.   

It is Justice's friend, she will it commend,  
For all is here served by measure and tale;  
Now, true tale and good measure, are Justice's treasure,  
and much to the praise of a pot of good ale.   

And next I allege, it is fortitudes edge,  
for a very coward that shrinks like a snail,  
Will swear, and will swagger and out goes his dagger,  
if a be but armed with a pot of good ale.   

〈…〉 Knights and Squires of degree,  
that never wore corsset nor yet shirt of mail,  
But have fought their fights all, twixt the pot and the wall  
when once they were dubbed with a pot of good ale.   

And sure it will make a man suddenly wise  
year while was scarce able to tell a right tale,  
It will open his jaw, he will tell you the law,  
as made a right Preacher of a pot of good ale.   

Or he that will make a bargain to gain  
in buying or selling his goods forth to sale,  
Must not plod in the mire, but sit by the fire,  
and seal up his match with a pot of good ale.   

But for soberness, needs must I confess  
the matter goes hard, and few do prevail,  
Not to go too deep, but temper to keep,  
such is the attractive of a pot of good ale.   

But here's an amends, which will make all friends,  
and never doth tend to the best avail,  
If you take it too deep, it will make you but sleep,  
so comes no great hurt of a pot of good ale.   

If reeling they happen to fall to the ground,  
the fall is not great, they may hold by the rail,  
If into the Water they cannot be drowned,  
for that gift is given to a pot of good ale.   

If drinking about, they chance to fall out,  
fear not the alarm, though flesh be but frail:  
It will prove but some blows, or at most a bloody nose,  
And friends again strait with a pot of good ale.   

And Physic will favour ale as it is bound  
and be against beer both tooth and nail,  
They send up and down, all over the town  
to get for their Patients a pot of good ale.   

Their Aleberries, caudles, and possets each one,  
and sillabubs made at the milking pale,  
Although they be many, beer comes not in any,  
but all are composed with a pot of good ale.   

And in very deed, the hop's but a weed  
brought o'er against Law, and hereset to sale;  
Would the Law were renewed, and no more beer brewed  
but all good men betake them to a pot of good ale.   

The Law, that will take it under her wing,  
for at every law day; or moot of the hall,  
One is sworn to serve our Sovereign King  
in the ancient office of a Conner of Ale.   

there's never a Lord of Manor or of Town  
by strand or by land, by hill or by dale,  
But think it a franchise and flower of the Crown  
to hold the assize of a pot of good ale.   

And though there lies writs from the Court Para●…  
to stay the proceeding of the Court Paravail,  
Law favours it so, you may come you may go,  
there lies no prohibition to a pot of good ale.   

They talk much of state, both early and late,  
but if Gascoigne and Spain their wine should but fail,  
No remedy then, with us Englishmen,  
but the state it must stand by a pot of good ale.   

And they that sit by it, are good men and quiet,  
no dangerous plotters in the commonweal,  
Of treason or murder for they never go further  
than to call for and pay for a pot of good ale.   

To the praise of Cambivius that good British King  
that devised for his nation (by the Welshman's tale)  
Seventeen hundred years before Christ did spring  
the happy invention of a pot of good ale:   

But he was a Paynim and ale was then rife,  
yet after Christ came and bid us all hail;  
St David tid never trink Peer in her life  
but all Cwwrwwhibley a pot of good ale.   

The North they will praise and praise it with passion  
where every River gives name to a Da●e;  
There are yet men living that are of th● old fashion,  
no Nectar they know but a pot of good ale.   

The 〈…〉 were at 〈◊〉,  
so high was the skill and so kept underseale;  
The Picts were undone, slain each mother's son  
for not teaching the Scots to make Hether-ale.   

But bither or thither it skills not much whether,  
for drink must be had, men live not by keale,  
Nor by Haverhannocks, nor by Haverjannock●s  
the thing the Scots love is a pot of good ale.   

Now if you will say it I will not deny it,  
that many a man it brings to his bale;  
Yet what fairer end, can one wish to his friend  
then to die by the dart of a pot of good ale.   

Yet let not the innocent bear any blame,  
it is their own doing to break o'er the pale,  
And neither the malt, nor the good wife in fault,  
if any be potted with a pot of good ale,   

They tell of whom it kills, but say not a 〈…〉  
How many a man liveth both found an 〈…〉  
Though he drink no beer any day in the 〈◊〉  
by the Radical humour of a pot of goo● 〈◊〉   

But to speak of killing that am I not willing,  
for that in a manner were but to rail;  
But Beer hath its name cause it brings to the beir,  
therefore well far say I to a pot of good ale.   

Too many I wis, with their death proved this,  
And therefore if ancient records do not fail,  
He that first brewed the hop was rewarded with a rope  
and found his beer far more bitter than ale.   

O Ale! ah alendo, thou liquor of life,  
that I had but a mouth as big as a Whale;  
For mine is too little to touch the least tittle  
that belongs to the praise of a pot of good ale.   

Thus I trow some Virtues I have marked you out,  
and never a vice in all this long trail;  
But that after the pot there cometh a shot,  
and that's th' only blot of a pot of good ale.   

With that my friend said that blot will I bear,  
you have done very well it is time to strike sale;  
we'll have six pots more, though I die on the score,  
to make all this good of a pot of good ale.    

LONDON, Printed by M. I. for F. Coles at the Lamb in the Old-Baily, 1663.