The Rarest BALLAD that ever was seen,
Of the Blind BEGGER's DAUGHTER of Bednal-Green.
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IT was a blind Beggar that long lost his sight,
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He had a fair Daughter most pleasant & 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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The suit was then granted to pretty Bessee.
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Thus Bessee that was of beauty most bright,
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Then clad in gray russet, & late in the night
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From father & mother alone parted she,
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Who sighed & 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 whither nor which way to go,
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With tears she lamented her hard Destiny,
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So sad & 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 & 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, & mistress, & 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 Bessee.
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Great Gifts they did send her of silver & 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 & so comely was pretty Bessee.
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The young-men of Rumford in her had their joy
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She shew'd herself courteous, but never too coy,
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And at their commandment still would she be,
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So fair & so comely is 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 Disguis'd in the night;
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The second a Gentleman of good Degree,
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Who wooed & sued for pretty Bessee.
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A Merchant of Lond. whose wealth was not small,
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Was then the third suitor, & 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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I'll 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 lies distressed, O hear me, quoth he,
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[A]nd 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 forever love pretty Bessee.
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Then Bessee she sighed & 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 everyone this answer she made,
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Wherefore unto her they joyfully said,
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This thing to fulfill we all do agree,
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But 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 alwaies 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 begger's 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 Betty 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 near 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 at pretty Bessee.
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Then speak the blind begger, altho' I be poor,
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Rail not against my child at mine own door,
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Tho' 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 begger's 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 replied, Contented we be;
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Then there's (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 all 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, I'll 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 Begger 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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Than the beggers Daughter of Bednal-green.
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But of her sumptuous marriage & feast,
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And what brave Lords & Kts. thither was prest,
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The second part shall set forth to your sight,
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With marvelous pleasure & wished Delight,
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Of a blind beggers Daughter most fair & bright,
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That late was betrothed [unto] a young knight,
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All the Discourse thereof [y]ou may see,
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But now comes the wedding of pretty Bessee.
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WIthin a gallant Palace 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 & Delicates sweet.
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Was brought to their banquet as was thought meet,
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Patridge, plover, & venison most free,
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Against the brave wedding of pretty Bessee,
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This wedding thro' Engl. was spread by report,
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So that a great number did thither resort,
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Of Nobles & 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 Kt.
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His bride followed after like a Lady most bright,
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With troops of Ladies the like was ne'er seen,
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As went with sweet Bessee of 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 & 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 & 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 Kt.
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Then speak 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 father's so base,
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He's loth with his presence these states to disgrace
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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 & feather had he,
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And now a Musician 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 twang'd 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 strain'd 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 bonay 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 still hath somewhat for pretty Bessee.
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And if anyone her birth do disdain,
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Her father is ready with might & 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 & 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 begger's beholden 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 & thy parentage 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 I'll 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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And 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 'em 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 yong Monford with a blow oth' face
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Lose 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 i'th 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 lie,
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She saved his life thro 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 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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Tho' 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 called 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 everyone,
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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 imbrace,
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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 & Delight,
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A happy Bridegroom was made the Young Kt.
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who lived in Joy and Felicity,
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with his fair Lady pretty Bessee.
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