Green’s Dictionary of Slang

of a man, to have sexual intercourse; thus treading n.

c.1572		Valenger ‘Cockolds Kallender’ Arundel MS I 220: Such a Cock deserveth shame as treades his neyghburs henne.
1578		T. Lupton All for Money E1: Old mother Croote Would as fayne be trode as a younger pullet.
1594		Lyly Mother Bombie I iii: [She] will fall too where she likes best, and thus the chicke scarce out of the shell cackles as though she had bene troden with an hundreth cockes.
1608		Dekker Honest Whore Pt 2 (1630) V ii: This is the Hen, my Lord, that the Cocke (with the Lordly combe) your Sonne-in-law would crow ouer, and tread.
1614		Jonson Bartholomew Fair V iv: Brave! he will swim o’er the Thames, and tread his goose, tonight, he says.
1630		Tinker of Turvey 23: A winking Cuckold, is he, that sees a Cock-Sparow tread his Hen, yet goes away and sayes nothing.
1639		H. Glapthorne Argalus III i: If stiffe and strong you stand, You may tread them [i.e. women] at command.
1652		Laughing Mercury 20-27 Oct. 228: They [i.e. ‘Swans’] do not [...] keep themselves true to their Mates, but admit of treading by any Fowl [...] and worthy the observation of any Gentleman that takes delight in Lady-Birds.
1663		Cary Marriage Night in Dodsley Old Plays XV II i: How the gander Ruffles and prunes himself, as if he would Tread the goose by him.
1672–76		‘Amorous Dialogue Btwn John & his Mistress’ in Farmer Merry Songs and Ballads (1897) II 67: I like no blades for a trick that I know, / For as soon as they’ve trod they are given to crow.
1680		‘The Bulls Feather’ in Euing Broadside Ballads No. 23: There’s nere a proud Gallant / that treads on Cows leather, / But may be Cornuted, and wear the Bulls Feather.
1698		N. Ward London Spy I 10: The Filthiness of their Practice hath render’d them like a Path-way, by common Treading, Nasty and Infertile.
1836		‘Bill Stroke’Em’ in Gentleman’s Private Songster in Spedding & Watt (eds) Bawdy Songbooks (2011) III 380: For surely you will tread a drop [i.e. the gallows] / If by force you drop a tread.
1896		Farmer Vocabula Amatoria (1966) 136: Fouler. To copulate; ‘to tread.’.
1953		Randolph & Wilson Down in the Holler 111: Even such an innocent verb as tread must be avoided, because it still means copulate.