My father, she said, is soon to be seen: The silly blind beggar of Bednall-green, That daily sits begging for charitie, He is the good father of pretty Bessee. His marks and his tokens are known very well; He always is led with a dog and a bell: A silly old man, God knoweth, is he, Yet he is the father of pretty Bessee. Nay then, quoth the merchant, thou art not for me. Nor, quoth the innholder, my wife thou shalt be: I loth, said the gentle, a beggar's degree, And therefore adieu, my pretty Bessee. Why then, quoth the knight, hap better or worse, I weigh not true love by the weight of the purse, And beauty is beauty in every degree; Then welcome unto me, my pretty Bessee. With thee to thy father forthwith I will go. Nay soft, quoth his kinsmen, it must not be so; A poor beggar's daughter no lady shall be, Then take thy adieu of pretty Bessee. But soon after this, by break of the day The knight had from Rumford stole Bessy away. The young men of Rumford, as thick as might be, Rode after to fetch again pretty Bessee. As swift as the wind to ryde they were seen, Until they came near unto Bednall-green; And as the knight lighted most courteouslie, They all fought against him for pretty Bessee. But rescue came speedily over the plain, Or else the young knight for his love had been slain. This fray being ended, then straightway he see His kinsmen come railing at pretty Bessee. Then spake the blind beggar, Although I be poor, Yet rail not against my child at my own door: Though she be not decked in velvet and pearl, Yet will I drop angels with you for my girl. And then, if my gold may better her birth, And equal the gold that you lay on the earth, Then neither rail nor grudge you to see The blind beggar's daughter a lady to be. But first you shall promise, and have it well known, The gold that you drop shall all be your Own. With that they replied, Contented be we. Then here's, quoth the beggar, for pretty Bessee. With that an angel he cast on the ground, And dropped in angels full three thousand pound; And oftentimes it was proved most plain, For the gentlemen's one, the beggar dropt twain: So that the place, wherein they did sit, With gold it was covered every whit. The gentlemen then having dropt all their store, Said, Now, beggar, hold, for we have no more, Thou hast fulfilled thy promise aright. Then marry, quoth he, my girl to this knight; And here, added he, I will now throw you down A hundred pounds more to buy her a gown. The gentlemen all, that this treasure had seen, Admired the beggar of Bednall-green: And all those, that were her suitors before, Their flesh for very anger they tore. Thus was fair Bessy matched to the knight, And then made a lady in others' despite: A fairer lady there never was seen, Than the blind beggar's daughter of Bednall-green.