The rarest new 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 both pleasant and bright,
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And many a gallant brave Suiter had she,
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For none was so comelie as prettie Bessie,
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And though she was of favour most fair,
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Yet seing she was but a Beggers Heir,
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Of ancient house-keepers despised was she,
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Whose sons came as suiters to prettie Bessie.
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Wherefore in great sorrow fair Bessie did say,
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Good Father and Mother let me go away,
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To seek out my fortune whereever it be,
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This suit then they granted to prettie Bessie.
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Then Bessie that was of beautie most bright,
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They 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 prettie Bessie.
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She went till she came to Straitfoord the Bow,
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Then knew she not whither or which way to go;
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With tears she lamented her sad destinie,
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so sad and so heavie was prettie Bessie.
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She kept on her journey until it was day,
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And went unto Rumfoord along the highway:
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And at the Queens Arms entertained was she,
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So fair and well favour'd was prettie Bessie.
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She had not been there a month to an end,
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But Master and Mistriss and all was her friend:
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And every brave gallant that once did her see,
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Was straightway in love with prettie Bessie.
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Great gifts they did give her of silver and gold,
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And in their songs dailie her love they extol'd:
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Her beautie was blazed in everie degree,
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So fair and so comelie was prettie Bessie.
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The young men of Rumfoord in her had their joy,
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She shew'd herself courteous, and never too coy,
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And at their commandment still would she be,
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So fair and so comelie was prettie Bessie.
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Four Suiters 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 Gentle-men marrie with me,
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Yet ever they honoured prettie Bessie.
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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 high degree,
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Who wooed and sued for prettie Bessie.
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A Merchan[t] of London whose wealth was not small,
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Was then the third suiter and proper withal,
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Her Masters own Son the fourth man must be,
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Who swore he would die for prettie Bessie.
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And if thou wilt marrie me quoth the Knight,
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I'le make thee a Ladie with joy and delight:
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My heart is inthral'd with thy beautie,
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Then grant me thy favour, my prettie Bessie.
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The Gentle-man said, come marrie with me,
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In silk and in velvet my Bessie shal be:
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My heart lives distressed, O hear me quoth he,
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And grant me thy love, my prettie Bessie.
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Let me be thy husband the Merchant did say,
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Thou shall live in London most gallant and gay,
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My S[h]ips will bring home rich Jewels for thee,
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And I shal forever love prettie Bessie.
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Then Bessie she sighed, and thus did she say,
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M[y] 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 shal enjoy your prettie Bessie.
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To everyone this answer she made,
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Wherefore unto her they joyfullie said,
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This thing to fulfill we all do agree,
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And where dwells thy Father, my prettie Bessie?
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My Father quoth she is soon to be seen,
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The silly blind Begger of Bednal-green,
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That daily sits begging for charitie,
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He is the good Father of prettie Bessie.
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His marks and his tokens are known full well,
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He alwayes 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 prettie Bessie.
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Nay then quoth the Merchant, you are not for me,
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Nor, quoth the Inn-holder, my wife shal not be,
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I loath quoth the Genteman a Beggers degree,
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Therefore farewel my prettie Bessie.
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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 beautie is beau[t]ie in every degree,
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Then welcome to me my prettie Bessie.
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With thee to thy Father forthwith I will go,
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Nay, soft said his Kins-man, it must not be so,
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A beggers daughter no Lady shal be,
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Then take thine adieu of prettie Bessie.
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But soon after this, by the break of day,
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The Knight had from Rumfoord stole Bessie away;
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The young men of Rumfoord, as thick as may be,
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rode after to fetch again prettie Bessie.
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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 courteouslie,
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They fought against him for prettie Bessie.
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But rescue came presently over the plain,
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Or else the Knight for his love had bee[n] slain,
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The fray being ended, then straight he did see,
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his Kinsmen came railing for prettie Bessie.
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Then spake the blind Begger, although I be poor,
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Yet rail not against my Child at the door:
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Though she be not deckt with Velvet or 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 your Gold you lay on the earth,
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Then never 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 ye drop shal all be your own:
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With that they replied, contented we be,
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then here's quoth the Begger for prettie Bessie.
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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 that the place whereon they did sit,
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With Gold was covered every whit;
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The Gentle-man having dropt all his store,
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said, Begger hold now, for I have no more.
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The companie wondered much at the sight,
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Then marry my Girl, said he to the Knight:
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And here said he, I will throw you down,
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an hundred pound more to buy her a Gown.
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The Gentle-men 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 suiters before,
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their flesh for very anger they tore.
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Then was fair Bessie matcht to the Knight,
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And made a Lady in others despight:
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A fairer Lady was never seen,
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then the blind Beggers daughter of Bednal-green.
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But of her sumptuous cloathing and feast,
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And what brave Lords and Knights thither past,
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The second part shal set forth to your sight,
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with marvellous pleasure, and wishing delight.
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The Second Part.
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OF a blind Beggers daughter most fair and bright,
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That late was betrothed to a young Knight,
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All the discourse thereof you see,
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but now comes the wedding of prettie Bessie.
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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 sumptuouslie,
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and all for the love of prettie Bessie.
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All kinds of dainties and delicates sweet,
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Was brought to their banquet, as was thought meet,
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Partridge, and Pliver, and Vennison most free,
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against the brave wedding of prettie Bessie.
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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 Gentles of every degree,
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and all for the same of prettie Bessie.
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To Church then went this gallant young Knight,
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His Bride followed after like an Angel most bright,
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With troups of Ladies, the like was never seen,
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as went with sweet Bessie of Bednal-green.
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This wedding being solemnized then,
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With Musick performed by skilfullest men,
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The Nobles and Gentles sat down at that tide,
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each one beholding the beautiful Bride.
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But after this sumptuous dinner was done,
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To talk and to reason a number began,
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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 silly poor Begger we cannot here see,
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My Lords, said the Bride, my Father's too base,
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he's loth with his presence those 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 said they,
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might by thy beautie be clean put away.
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They had no sooner these pleasant words spoke,
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But in came the Begger in a silken Cloak,
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A velvet cap and a feather had he,
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and now a Musician forsooth would he be.
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And being led in for catching of harm,
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He had a daintie Lute under his arm,
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So he to the companie spake merrilie,
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a song I will sing of prettie Bessie.
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With that the Lute he twanged straightway,
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And thereon began most sweetlie to play:
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And after a lesson was play'd two or three,
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he strain'd out his song most delicatlie.
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The Song.
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A Beggers daughter did dwell on a green,
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Who for her beautie might well be a Queen,
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A blyth bonnie Lass, and a daintie was she,
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and manie one called her prettie Bessie.
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Her Father had no goods, nor no land,
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But begg'd for a pennie all day with his hand,
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But yet to her marriage he gave thousands three,
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and still on hath somewhat for prettie Bessie.
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And if anyone her birth do disdain,
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Her Father is readie with might and with main,
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To prove she is come of noble degree,
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therefore let none flout at prettie Bessie,
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With that the Lords and companie round,
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With heartie laughter were readie to swound,
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A[t] last, said the Lords, full well ye 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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And with the salt water within her fair eyes,
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Pardon my Father brave Nobles said 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 happie 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 parentage what it might be,
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ev'n for the love thou bearest to prettie Bessie.
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Then give me leave you Gentles each one,
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One song more to sing, then will I 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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The other Song.
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WHen first our King his fame did advance,
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And sought 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 prettie Bessie.
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And in these Wars went over to fight,
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Many brave Duke, a Lord, and a Knight
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And with them young Mountfoord, of courage mos[t] free
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but then was not born my prettie Bessie.
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And there did young Mountfoord with a blow on the face,
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Loss both his eyes in a very short space:
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His life had also gone with his sight,
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had not a young woman come forth in the night
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Amongst the slain men as fancie did move,
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To search and to seek for her own true Love:
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Who seeing young Mountfoord there gasping to ly,
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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 desire:
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At last into England, as now it is seen,
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we came and remained on Bednal green.
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And thus we have lived in fortunes despight,
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Though poor, yet contented, with humble deligh[t]
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And in mine old years a comfort to be,
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God sent me a daughter, call'd prettie Bessie.
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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 fourty long winters thus have I been
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a silly old Begger of Bednal green.
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Now when the company everyone
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Did hear the strange tale in the 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 prettie Bessie.
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Then that the fair Bride they then did embrace,
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Saying, ye are come of a honoured race,
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Thy Father likewise of an high degree,
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and thou art well worthy a Lady to be.
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Thus was the feast ended with great delight.
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A happy Brid[e]groom was made the young Knight,
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Who lived in joy and felicitie,
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with his fair Lady prettie Bessie.
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FINIS.
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