From Barthomley in Letters from a Former Rector to His Eldest Son By Edward Hinchliffe, 1856:

Souling, or begging and puling [?] for Soul-cakes, is another custom observed on All-Souls' eve. The "Soulers" go from house to house, and sing a song, for which they receive either soul-cakes, or pears, or apples, or ale. Children are the songsters during the day, but when night comes, and puts an end to work, the farmers' servants, and young men of the village, sally forth and startle the quiet night with their bawling: this ends, most commonly, in row and drunkenness. Here is the song itself:—

You gentlemen of England, I would have you to draw near
To these few lines which we have wrote, and you soon shall hear
Sweet melody of music all on this ev'ning clear,
For we are come a souling for apples and strong beer.

Step down into your cellar and see what you can find,
If your barrels are not empty, I hope you will prove kind,
I hope you will prove kind with your apples and strong beer,
We'll come no more a souling until another year.

Cold winter it is coming on, dark, dirty, wet, and cold,
To try your good-nature this night we do make bold;
This night we do make bold with your apples and strong beer,
We will come no more a souling until another year.

All the houses that we've been at, we have had both meat and drink;
So now we're dry with travelling I hope you'll on us think;
I hope you'll on us think with your apples and strong beer,
For we'll come no more a souling until another year.

God bless the master of this house and the mistress also,
And all the little children that round the table go,
Likewise your men and maidens, your cattle and your store,
And all that lies within your gates, I wish you ten times more;
I wish you ten times more with your apples and strong beer,
For we'll come no more a souling until another year.

This "sweet melody of music," for many years of my life, often reached me when I had retired to rest, and its plaintive tones, softened by distance, used to lull me gradually to sleep. The song of the children was short and to the point:—

Soul, soul, for an apple or two,
If you have no apples, pears will do;
Pray, good mistress, a soul-cake?"