No sound of revel, no laugh of wassail was heard in the consecrated camp; all was astir, but with the grave and earnest preparations of thoughtful men.
Gay sport have we had to-night with Faul and Zabulus [180]; but gayer far shall our sport be in the wassail hall of Senlac, when thy grandchild shall come in the torchlight to the bridal bed of her lord.
Oh, many and many a wretched man have I comforted spiritually over a flagon of stout ale; and many a good legacy to the Church hath come out of a friendly wassail between watchful shepherd and strayed sheep!
In the streets below were heard the tramp of busy feet hurrying homeward, and the confused uproar of joyous wassail from the various resorts of entertainment crowded by careless revellers.
The wenches with their wassail bowls, About the streets are singing; The boys are come to catch the owls, The wild mare in is bringing.
The wassail round, in good brown bowls, Garnished with ribbons blithely trowls.
Love and joy come to you And to your wassail too, And God bless you, and send you A happy New Year.
A silver bowl in the middle of the table suggested punch; Canon Wrottesley must brew a wassail bowl.
The wassail bowl being now mixed to his satisfaction, he filled the glasses of the company, allotting to each lady the thimbleful which he believed to be a woman's share of any alcoholic beverage, and extracting compliments from every one.
I thought it began quite a week ago, and that we had had nights and nights of wassail bowls and old memories and Christmas-card cheerfulness.
The wassail bowl was a triumph, and the candle of Mr. Pickwick was put out.
The wassail round, in good brown bowls, Garnished with ribbons, blithely trowls.
The most popular wassail rhyme was similar to the above, but others were sung by the "howlers.
Soon the evergreen Laurel alone is green, When Catherine crownes all learned menne; Then Ivy and Holly berries are seen, And Yule clog and wassail come round agen.
FIELD The Christmas fires brightly gleam And dance among the holly boughs, The Christmas pudding's spicy steam With fragrance fills the house, While merry grows each friendly soul Over the foaming wassail bowl.
Then the wassail bowl full of swimming roasted apples, goes its merry round.
There the head of the house assembles the family around the wassail bowl to drink the healths of every one.
The Saxon phrase "Wasshael" means "Your health"; hence the wassail bowl.
Arrange so that each guest is in his place standing, with a wassail cup in hand, and then at three minutes of 12, darken the room.
A big, blazing Yule-log, to drinkwassail in front of, and to sing carols around.
Amundeville is Lord by day, But the monk is Lord by night; Nor wine nor wassail could raise a vassal To question that Friar's right.
Wassail for the kingly stranger Born and cradled in a manger!
And let theWassail Cup abound, Whene'er the mummers' time comes round.
It is perhaps only the antiquary who will detect the connection between the Milk Pail and the Wassail Cup in the Fool's Song.
When the song was finished, the steaming wassail bowl was brought out, and all the company drank to a better understanding.
Then the King said: "And now, Baby Charles, let us hear the boon ye were to crave of us at wassail as the guerdon for the holder of the lucky raisin in Master Sandy's snapdragon.
By degrees, however, the wine and wassail of mine host began to operate upon bodies already a little jaded by the chase.
The wassail had not yet begun, and there was a pause in the feast.
The health was received with a general uproar of approval, and wassail was drunk to many other fair dames, by the rest of the revellers.
Again was the fire replenished, and again went the wassail round.
