Then all the maids of Islington Went forth to sport and playe, All but the bayliffes daughter deare; She secretly stole awaye. 20 She pulled off her gowne of greene, And put on ragged attire, And to faire London she would go, Her true love to enquire. And as she went along the high road, 25 The weather being hot and drye, She sat her downe upon a green bank, And her true love came riding bye. She started up, with a colour soe redd, Catching hold of his bridle-reine; 30 "One penny, one penny, kind sir," she sayd, "Will ease me of much paine." "Before I give you one penny, sweet-heart, Praye tell me where you were borne." "At Islington, kind sir," sayd shee, 35 "Where I have had many a scorne." "I prythee, sweet-heart, then tell to mee, O tell me, whether you knowe The bayliffes daughter of Islington." "She is dead, sir, long agoe." 40 "If she be dead, then take my horse, My saddle and bridle also; For I will into some farr countrye, Where noe man shall me knowe." "O staye, O staye, thou goodlye youthe, 45 She standeth by thy side; She is here alive, she is not dead, And readye to be thy bride." "O farewell griefe, and welcome joye, Ten thousand times therefore; 50 For nowe I have founde mine owne true love, Whom I thought I should never see more." THE BLIND BEGGAR'S DAUGHTER OF BEDNALL GREEN. The copy here given of this favorite popular ballad is derived from _Ancient Poems, Ballads, and Songs of the Peasantry of England_, Percy Society, xvii. 60. It is there printed from a modern broadside, "carefully collated" with a copy in the Bagford collection. In Percy's edition, (_Reliques_, ii. 171,) besides many trivial emendations, eight modern stanzas (said to be the work of Robert Dodsley) are substituted for the first five of the Beggar's second song, "to remove absurdities and inconsistencies," and to reconcile the story to probability and true history! The copy in _A Collection of Old Ballads_, ii. 202, is not very different from the present, and the few changes that have been made in the text selected, unless otherwise accounted for, are adopted from that. "Pepys, in his diary, 25th June, 1663, speaks of going with Sir William and Lady Batten, and Sir J. Minnes, to Sir W. Rider's at Bednall Green, to dinner, 'a fine place;' and adds, 'This very house was built by the Blind Beggar of Bednall Green, so much talked of and sung in ballads; but they say it was only some outhouses of it.'" CHAPPELL, _Popular Musk of the Olden Time_, p. 159.