The Rarest Ballad that ever was seen,
Of the blind Beggers Daughter of Bednal-Green.
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IT was a Blind Begger that long lost his sight,
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He had a fair daughter most pleasant and bright,
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And many a gallant brave Suitor had she,
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For none was so comely as pretty Bessee.
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And though she was of favour most fair,
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Yet seeing she was but a Begger his heir,
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Of ancient house-keepers despised was she,
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Whose Sons came as Suitors to pretty Bessee.
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Wherefore in great sorrow fair Bessee did say,
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Good Father and Mother let me go away,
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To seek out my fortune where ever it be;
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This suit was then granted to pretty Bessee.
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Then Bessee that was of beauty most bright,
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Then clad in gray Russet and late in the night,
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From Father and Mother alone parted she,
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Who sighed and sobbed for pretty Bessee.
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She went till she came at Stratford at Bow,
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Then knew she not whether nor which way to go
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With tears she lamented her hard destiny,
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So sad and so heavy was pretty Bessee.
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She kept on her journey until it was day,
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And went unto Rumford along the high-way,
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And at the Kings-arms entertained was she,
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So fair and well-favoured was pretty Bessee.
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She had not been there one month to an end,
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But Master, and Mistris and all was her friend,
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And every brave Gallant that once did her see
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Was straight-way in love with pretty B[e]s[s]ee.
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Great gifts they did send her of silver and gold,
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And in their Songs daily her love they extold,
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Her beauty was blazed in every degree,
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So fair and so comely was pretty Bessee.
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The young men of Rumford in her had their joy,
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She shewd herself courteous but never too coy,
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And at their commandment still would she be,
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So fair and so comely was pretty Bessee.
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Four Suitors at once unto her did go,
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They craved her favour but still she said no,
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I would not wish Gentlemen to marry with me,
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Yet ever they honoured pretty Bessee.
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The one of them was a gallant young Knight,
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And he came to her disguisd in the night,
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The second a Gentleman of good degree,
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Who wooed and sued for pretty Bessee.
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A Merchant of London whose wealth was not small
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Was then the third Suitor, and proper withal,
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Her Masters own Son the fourth man must be,
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Who swore he would dye for pretty Bessee.
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And if thou wilt marry with me, quod the Knight,
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Ile make thee a Lady with joy and delight,
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My heart is inthralled by thy beauty,
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Then grant me thy favour my pretty Bessee.
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The Gentleman said, come Marry with me,
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In silks and in Velvet my Bessee shall be,
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My heart lives distressed, O hear me, quoth he,
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And grant me thy love my pretty Bessee.
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Let me be thy Husband the Merchant did say,
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Thou shalt live in London most gallant and gay
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My ships shall bring home rich jewels for thee,
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And I will for ever love pretty Bessee.
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Then Bessee she sighed and thus she did say,
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My Father and Mother I mean to obey,
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First get their good will and be faithful to me,
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And you shall enjoy your pretty Bessee.
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To every one this answer she made,
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Wherefore unto her they joyfully said,
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This thing to fulfil we all do agree,
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And where dwells thy Father my pretty Bessee.
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My Father, quoth she, is plain to be seen,
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The silly blind begger of Bednal-green,
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That daily sits begging for charity,
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He is the good father of pretty Bessee.
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His marks and his tokens are known full well,
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He always is led with a dog and a bell,
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A silly old man God knoweth is he,
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Yet he is the father of pretty Bessee.
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Nay then quoth the Merchant, thou art not for me
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Nor quoth the Inholder my Wife shall not be,
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I loath (quoth the Gentleman) a beggers degree,
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Therefore fare you well my pretty Bessee.
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Why then (quoth the Knight) hap better or worse,
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I weigh not true love by the weight of the purse,
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And beauty is beauty in every degree,
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Then welcome to me my pretty Bessee.
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With thee to thy Father forthwith will I go,
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Nay soft (quoth his Kinsman) it must not be so,
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A beggers daughter no Lady shall be,
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Then take thy adieu of pretty Bessee.
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And soon after this by break of the day,
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The Knight had from Rumford stole Bessee away,
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The young men of Rumford so sick as may be,
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Rode after to fetch again pretty Bessee.
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As swift as the wind to ride they were seen,
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Until they came neer to Bednal-green,
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And as the Knight lighted most courteously,
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They fought against him for pretty Bessee.
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But rescue came presently over the Plain,
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Or else the Knight for his love there had been slain,
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The fray being ended then straight he did see,
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His Kinsman come railing for pretty Bessee.
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Then spake the blind begger, although I be poor,
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Rail not against my child at mine own door,
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Though she be not deckt with Velvet and Pearl,
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Yet will I drop Angels with thee for my Girl:
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And then if my Gold will better her birth,
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And equal the Gold that you lay on the earth,
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Then neither rail nor grudge you to see
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The blind beggers daughter a Lady to be:
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But first I will hear and have it well known,
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The gold that you drop shall be all your own.
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With that they replyed contented we be,
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Then theres (quoth the begger) for pretty Bessee,
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With that an Angel he cast on the ground,
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And dropped in Angels full three thousand pound,
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And oftentimes it proved most plain,
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For the gentlemans one the begger dropt twain:
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So as the place whereas he did sit,
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With gold was covered every whit:
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The Gentleman having dropt ali his store,
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Said, begger hold, for I have no more,
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Thou hast fulfilled thy promise aright.
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Then marry my Girl, quoth he to the Knight,
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And here, quoth he, Ile throw you down,
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A hundred pound more to buy her a Gown;
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The Gentlemen all that this treasure had seen,
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Admired the beggar of Bednal-green.
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And those that were her Suitors before,
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Their flesh for very anger they tore:
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Thus was their Bessee matcht to a Knight,
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And made a Lady in others despight,
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A fairer Lady there never was seen,
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Then the beggars daughter of Bednal-green:
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But of her sumptuous Marriage and Feast,
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And what brave Lords and Knights thither was prest,
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The second part shall set forth to your sight,
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With marvelous pleasure and wished delight.
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Of a blind beggers daughter most fair & bright,
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That late was betrothed to a young Knight,
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All the discourse thereof you may see,
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But now comes the Wedding of pretty Bessee.
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Within a gallant pallace most brave,
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Adorned with all the cost they could have;
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This Wedding was kept most sumptuously,
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And all for the love of pretty Bessee.
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All kind of dainties and delicates sweet,
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Was brought to their banquet as was thought meet,
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Patridge, Plover, and Venison most free,
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Against the brave wedding of pretty Bessee.
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This wedding through England was spread by report
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So that a great number thereto did resort,
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Of Nobles and Gentiles of every degree,
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And all for the fame of pretty Bessee.
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To Church then went this gallant young Knight
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His bride followed after like a Lady most bright:
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With troops of Ladies the like was ner seen,
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As went with sweet Bessee to Bednal-green.
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This Wedding being solemnized then,
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With Musick performed by skilful men,
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The Nobles and Gentiles sat down at that tide;
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Each one beholding the beautiful bride.
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But after their sumptuous dinner was done,
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To talk and to reason a number begun,
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Of the blind beggers daughter most bright,
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And what with his daughter he gave to the Knight.
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Then spake the Nobles much marvel have we,
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The jolly blind begger we cannot here see:
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My Lords, quoth the Bride, my fathers so base,
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Hes loath with his presence these states to dis-grace,
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the praise of a woman in question to bring,
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Before her own face were a flattering thing.
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We think thy fathers baseness (quoth they)
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Might by thy beauty be clean put away;
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They had no sooner these pleasant words spoke,
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But in comes the Begger with a silken Cloak,
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A Velvet Cap and a Feather had he,
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And now a Musitian forsooth he would be.
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And being led in from catching of harm,
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He had a dainty Lute under his arm;
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Said, please you hear any musick of me,
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A Song I will sing you of pretty Bessee.
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With that his Lute he twangd straightway,
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And thereon began most sweetly to play,
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And after a Lesson was plaid two or three,
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He straind out this song most delicately.
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A Beggers Daughter did dwell on the green,
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Who for her beauty may well be a Queen,
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A blith bonny Lass and dainty was she,
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And many one called her pretty Bessee.
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Her Father had no goods nor no Lands,
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But begged for a penny all day with his hands,
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And yet for her Marriage gave thousands three,
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Yet st[i]ll ha[t]h somewhat for pretty Bessee.
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And if any one her birth do disdain,
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Her Father is ready with might and with main,
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To prove she is come of a Noble degree,
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Therefore let none flout at my pretty Bessee.
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With that the Lords and company round,
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With hearty Laughter was ready to sound,
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At last said the Lords, full well we may see,
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The Bride and the beggers beholding to thee.
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With that the Bride all blushing did rise,
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With the fair water all in her fair eyes:
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Pardon my Father, grave Nobles (quoth she)
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That through blind affection thus doteth on me:
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If this be thy Father the Nobles did say,
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Well may he be proud of this happy day,
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Yet by his Countenance well we may see,
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His Birth with his fortune did never agree,
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And therefore Blind begger we pray thee bewray,
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And look that the truth to us thou do say;
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Thy Birth and thy Parantage what it might be
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Even for the Love thou bearest to pretty Bessee.
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Then give me leave you Gentiles each one,
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A song more to sing and then ile be gone;
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And if that I do not win good report,
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Then do not give me a groat for my sport:
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WHen first our King his Fame did advance,
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& fought for his title in delicate France:
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In many places great perils past he,
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But then was not born my pretty Bessee.
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And in those Wars went over to fight,
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Many a brave Duke, a Lord, and a Knight,
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And with them young Monford of courage so free,
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But then was not born my pretty Bessee.
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And there did young Monford with a blow othee, face,
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Loose both his eyes in a very short space.
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His Life also had been gone with his sight,
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Had not a young woman come forth ith night,
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Amongst the slain men her fancy did move,
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To search and to seek for her own true love:
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Who seeing young Monford there gasping to die,
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She saved his life through her charity.
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And then all our victuals in Beggers attire,
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At hands of good people we then did require:
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At last into England as now it is seen,
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We came and remained at Bednal-green.
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And thus we have lived in fortunes despight,
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Though poor, yet contented with humble delight
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And in my old years a comfort to be,
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God sent me a Daughter calld pretty Bessee.
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And thus you Nobles my Song I do end;
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Hoping the same no man doth offend;
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Full forty long Winters thus have I been,
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A silly blind Begger of Bednal-green.
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Now when the company every one,
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Did hear the strange tale in song he had shown,
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They were all amazed, as well they might be,
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Both at the blind Begger and pretty Bessee.
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With that the fair Bride, they then did embrace
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Saying you are come of an honourable race,
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Thy Father likewise of a high degree,
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And thou as worthy a Lady to be:
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Thus was the Feast ended with joy and delight,
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A happy Bride-groom was made the young Knight.
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Who lived in joy and felicity,
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With his fair Lady pretty Bessee.
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