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New Year's Eve was observed as a convivial and cordial meeting, as it still continues in some places, and the wassail-bowl was again brought into requisition, - and occasionally carried about by young women from door to door with an appropriate song. The following is given in Hone's " Every-day Book," vol. ii. p. 14, as a Wassail Song, sung in Gloucestershire on New Year's Eve, in which I have taken the liberty of introducing the names of the horses, instead of cutting them out into little stars as Juliet wished Romeo to be.
Wassail! Wassail! all over the town, Our toast it is white, our ale it is brown : Our bowl it is made of a maplin tree, We be good fellows all; I drink to thee.
Here's to Smiler, and to his right ear, God send our Maister a happy new year; A happy new year as e'er he did see— With my wassailing bowl I drink to thee.
Here's to Dobbin, and to his right eye, God send our Mistress a good Christmas pye: A good Christmas pye as e'er I did see— With my wassailing bowl I drink to thee.
Here 's to Filpail, and to her long tail, God send our Measter us never may fail. Ufa cup of good beer, I pray you draw near, And then you shall hear our jolly wassail.
Be here any maids, I suppose here be some;
Sure they will not let young men stand on the cold
stone, Sing hey O maids, come trole back the pin, And the fairest maid in the house let us all in.
Come, butler, come bring us a bowl of the best: I hope your soul in Heaven will rest: But if you do bring us a bowl of the small, Then down fall butler, bowl and all.
Croker, in his " Researches," (p. 233.) states a custom in the South of Ireland on this night of a |
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