Wassail! wassail! over the town,
Our toast is white, our ale it is brown :
Our bowl it is made of the maplin tree,
We be good fellows all; I drink to thee.
Here's to __*, 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 our __†, and to his right eye,
God send our mistress a good Christmas pie;
A good Christmas pie as e'er I did see, -
With my wassailing bowl I drink to thee.
Here's to our Filpail‡, and to her long tail,
God send our measter us never may fail
Of a 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 troll 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 may rest;
But if you do bring us a bowl of the small,
Then down fall butler, and bowl and all.
*The name of a horse
†The name of another horse
‡The name of a cow
UW-Madison Libraries: The Book of Days: Vol. 1, page 23.
Posted by mduvekot at December 31, 2005 06:52 PM