II.

A CAROL FOR PRESENTING THE WASSEL-BOWL, TO BE SUNG UPON TWELFTH-DAY AT NIGHT.

From a collection intitled, "New Christmas Carrols: Being fit also to be sung at Easter, Whitsontide, and other Festival days in the year." no date. 12mo. black letter; in the curious study of that ever to be respected antiquary Anthony à Wood, in the Ashmoleian Museum.

“There was an ancient custom," says Brand, "(I know not whether it be not yet retained in many places): Young women went about with a WASSAIL-BOWL, that is, a bowl of spiced ale, on new year's eve, with some sort of verses that were sung by them in going about from door to door.... They accepted little presents from the houses they stopped at. Mr. Selden thus alludes to it in his Table Talk, Art. Pope. The Pope in sending relicks to princes does as WENCHES do by their WASSELS at NEW YEARS TIDE. They present you with a CUP, and you must DRINK of a SLABBY STUFF; but the meaning is, you must GIVE them MONEY, ten times more than it is worth."" Observations on Popular Antiquities, p. 195. See also, p. 408. and the “Dissertation" prefixed to this collection.

Ben Jonson, in "Christmas his masque," presented at court 1616, introduces "CAROL, in a long tawney coat, with a red cap, and a flute at his girdle; his torch-bearer carrying a song-book open:" and "WASSEL, like a neat sempster and songster; her page bearing a brown bowl, drest with ribbands and rosemary before her."

A JOLLY Wassel-bowl,

A wassel of good ale,
Well fare the butlers soul,

That setteth this to sale:

Our jolly wassel!

And after his good wife
Our spiced bowl will try;
The lord prolong your life!
Good fortune we espy
For our wassel.

Some bounty from your hands,
Our wassel to maintain,
We'l buy no house nor lands
With that which we do gain
With our wassel.

This is our merry night

Of choosing king and queen; Then, be it your delight,

That something may be seen
In our wassel.

It is a noble part

To bear a liberal mind,

God bless our masters heart!

For here we comfort find,
With our wassel:

And now we must be gone,

To seek out more good cheer; Where bounty will be shown, As we have found it here, With our wassel.

Much joy betide them all,
Our prayers shall be still,
We hope and ever shall

For this your great good will
To our wassel.

III.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

God bless the master of this house,

The mistress, also,

And all the little children,
That round the table go:

And all your kin and kinsfolk,
That dwell both far and near;
I wish you a merry Christmas,
And a happy new year.

VOL. II.

R

IV.

THE TAMING OF A SHREW.

From one of the Sloan MSS. in the Museum (No. 1489). The writing of Charles the Ists time.

AL

you that are assembled heere,
Come listen to my song,

But first a pardon I must crave,
For feare of further wrong;
I must entreat thes good wyves al
They wil not angrye be,

And I will sing a merrye song,

If they thereto agree.

Because the

song I mean to sing

Doth touch them most of all,

And loth I were that any one

With me shold chide and brawle;

I have anough of that at home,
At boarde, and eake in bed,
And once for singing this same song
My wyfe did breake my head.

But if thes good wyves all be pleasd,

And pleased be the men,

Ile venture one more broken pate,

To sing it once agayne;

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