THE PRINTED EDITIONS. 9] 
The strongest of the malt is dear, 
Good reason certes why it shoulde. 
If that this ale be sodde inoughe, 
A man can have noe better drinke. 
Sharpe ale is noughte, give that the ploughe‘, 
By this I love good ale you thinke, 
An exposition of the line 
Unica nux prodest, nocet altera, tertia mors est. 
This speeche perhapes is somewhat darke, 
As riddles use to be, 
The stile thereof with common sense 
Doth not so well agree 
But for to tell by passinge nutte 
Our author what he meanse ; 
The nutmegge first he profereth 
And that to good intense, 
In second place, what hurtfull is 
He semeth for to tuche® 
Wherein he meaneth the wallnutte 
Doth hurte us over muche. 
But in the last what perils moughte 
Be hidde therein I muse 
Because to eate or cracke that nutte 
No man did ever use. 
4 Proof, 5 Touch, or teach. 
