Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (UK Und.) drink; thus ben bouse, good drink; for later uses see also booze n.

c.1535		R. Copland Hye Way to the Spyttel House line 1052: For the bene bouse my watch hath a coyn.
c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 83: bowse drinke.
1608		Dekker Belman’s Second Nights Walk B3: For the bene bowse my watch hath a win.
1612		Dekker O per se O L4: Their Ben Bouse (the strong Liquor) causing them to haue Nase Nabs (drunken Coxcombes) up fling they the Cannes.
1625		Massinger New Way to Pay Old Debts I i: No bouze? Nor no Tobacco?
1637		Dekker ‘Canting Song’ in Eng. Villainies (8th edn) O2: Ben Bowse thou shalt Bowse thy fill.
1641		R. Brome Jovial Crew II i: This Bowse is better than Rum-bowse, / It sets the Gan a-gigling.
1651		T. Randolph Hey for Honesty III i: I’ll stand the pad [...] Nip bungs, dupp gibbers leager, louse and bouse.
1665		Head Eng. Rogue [as cit. 1612].
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] Bowse, Drink.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Bowse, c. Drink.
1719		A. Smith Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) 203: Bowse, drink, or to drink.
1728		Defoe Street Robberies Considered 30: Bouse, Drink.
1734		C. Johnson Hist. of Highwaymen &c. 105: One of the chief of them took a Gage of Bouze, which is a Quart of Drink.
1764		K. O’Hara Midas III ii: Come, let’s take one bouze, and roar a catch.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1859		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. 10: Ancient cant, bowse.
1909		W.H. Davies Beggars 103: The wandering beggar says ‘skimish’ for drink, but city beggars say ‘bouse’.

2. a toast.

1676

‘The Beggars’ Wedding’ in Ebsworth Bagford Ballads (1878) II 875: Then to the house / The bridegroom brought the bride, all drink a bowse.