And after a lesson was played two or three, He strained out this song most delicately:-- "_A beggars daughter did dwell on a green, Who for her beauty might well be a queen, A blithe bonny lass, and dainty was she, And many one called her pretty Bessee._ "_Her father he had no goods nor no lands, But begged for a penny all day with his hands, And yet for her marriage gave thousands three, Yet still he hath somewhat for pretty Bessee_. "_And here if any one do her disdain, Her father is ready with might and with main, To prove she is come of noble degree, Therefore let none flout at my pretty Bessee."_ With that the lords and the company round With a hearty laughter were ready to swound; At last said the lords, "Full well we may see, The bride and the bridegrooms beholden to thee." With that the fair bride all blushing did rise, With crystal water all in her bright eyes; "Pardon my father, brave nobles," quoth she, "That through blind affection thus doats upon me. "If this be thy father," the nobles did say, "Well may he be proud of this happy day, Yet by his countenance well may we see, His birth with his fortune could never agree. "Arid therefore, blind beggar, we pray thee bewray, And look that the truth to us thou dost say, Thy birth and thy parentage what it may be, E'en for the love thou bearest to pretty Bessee." "Then give me leave, ye gentles each one, A song more to sing and then I'll begone; And if that I do not win good report, Then do not give me one groat for my sport:-- "_When first our king his fame did advance, And sought his title in delicate France, In many places great perils past he, But then was not born my pretty Bessee._ "_And at those wars went over to fight, Many a brave duke, a lord, and a knight, And with them young Monford of courage so free, But then was not born my pretty Bessee._ "_And there did young Monford with a blow on the face Lose both his eyes in a very short space; His life had been gone away with his sight, Had not a young woman gone forth in the night_. "_Among the slain men, her fancy did move To search and to seek for her own true love, Who seeing young Monford there gasping to die, She saved his life through her charity._ "_And then all our victuals in beggars' attire, At the hands of good people we then did require; At last into England, as now it is seen, We came, and remained in Bednall Green._ "_And thus we have lived in Fortune's despite, Though poor, yet contented, with humble delight, And in my old years, acomfort to me, God sent me a daughter called pretty Bessee._ _"And thus, ye nobles, my song I do end, Hoping by the same no man to offend; Full forty long winters thus I have been, A silly blind beggar of Bednall Green._" Now when the company every one Did hear the strange tale he told in his song, They were amazed, as well as they might be, Both at the blind beggar and pretty Bessee,