Classic Poem

I TT was a blind beggar tha t long lost his sight,
he had a faire daughter both pleasant & bright,
& many a gallant braue sutor had shee,
for none was soe comelye as pretty Bessye

And tho shee was of ffavor most faire,
yett seeing shee was but a beggars heyre,
of ancyent houskeep er s despised was shee,
whose sonnes came as sutors to prettye Bessye

Wherefore in great sorrow faire Bessy did say,
" good ffather & mother, let me goe away
to seeke out my fortune, where euer itt be. "
this sute then they granted to pretty Bessye.

Then Bessye tha t was of bewtye soe bright,
they cladd in gray russett, & late in the night
w i th teares shee lamented her destinye;
soe sadd & soe heauy was pretty Bessye.

Shee went till shee came to Stratford the bow,
then knew shee not whither nor w hi ch way to goe;
ffrom ffather & mother alone p ar ted shee,
who sighed & sobbed for pretty Bessye.

Shee kept on her Iourney till it was day,
& went vnto Rumford along the hye way,
& att the Queenes armes entertained was shee,
soe faire & welfavoured was pretty Bessye.

Shee had not beene there a month to an End,
but M aster & M ist r es s, and all, were her ffreind;
& euery braue gallant tha t once did her see,
was straight-way in loue w i th pretty Bessye.

Great guifts they did giue her of siluer & gold,
& in their songs daylye her loue was extold;
her beawtye was blessed in euery degree,
soe faire & soe comlye was pretty Bessye.

The young men of Rumford in her had their Ioy,
shee showed herseffe curteous, & neuer to coye;
and att her commandement wold they [ever] bee,
soe ffayre and soe comly was pretty Bessye.

ffowre sutors att once the vnto her did goe,
the craved her ffavor, but still shee sayd noe;
" I wold not wish gentlemen marry w i th mee: "
yett euer the honored pretty Bessye.

A merchant of London, whose wealth was not small,
was there the ffirst sutor, & p ro per w i th-all;
the 2 d a genteleman of good degree,
who wooed & sued ffor pretty Bessye;

The 3 of them was a gallant young Knight,
& he came vnto her disguised in the night;
her M ist r e ss owne sonne the 4 man must bee,
who swore he wold dye ffor pretty Bessye.

" And if thou wilt wedd w i th me, " q uo th the Knight,
" Ile make thee a Ladye w i th Ioy [and] delight;
my hart is inthralled by thy bewtye!
then grant me thy ffavor, my pretty Bessye! "

The gentleman sayd, " marry w i th mee;
in silke & in veluett my bessye shalbee;
my hart lyes distressed; O helpe me! " q uo th hee,
" & grant me thy Loue, thou pretty Bessye! "

" Let me bee thy husband! " the Merchant cold say,
" thou shalt liue in London both gallant & gay;
my shippes shall bring home rych Iewells for thee;
& I will ffor euer loue pretty Bessye. "

Then Bessye shee sighed, & thus shee did say,
" my ffather & mother I meane to obey;
ffirst gett their good will, & be ffaithfull to me,
& you shall enioye yo u r prettye Bessye. "

To euery one this answer shee made,
wherfore vnto her they Ioyffullye sayd,
" this thing to ffulfill wee doe all agree;
& where dwells thy ffather, my pretty Bessy? "

" My ffather, " shee said, " is soone to be seene;
he is the blind beggar of Bednall greene,
tha t daylye sitts begging ffor charitye;
he is the good ffather of pretty Bessye;

" his markes & his tokens are knowen ffull well,
he alwayes is led w i th a dogg and a bell;
a silly blind man, god knoweth, is hee,
yett hee is the good ffather of pretty Bessye "

" Nay then, " q uo th the Merchant, " thou art not for mee! "
" nor, " q uo th the Inholder, " my Wiffe thou shalt bee! "
" I lothe, " sayd the gentleman, " a beggars degree;
therffore, ffarwell, my pretty Bessye! "

" Why then, " q uo th the knight, " hap better or worsse,
I way not true loue by the waight of my pursse,
& bewtye is bewtye in euery degree,
then welcome to me, my pretty Bessye!

" W i th thee to thy ffather fforth will I goe "
" nay sofft, " q uo th his kinsman, " itt must not be soe;
a beggars daughter noe Ladye shalbe;
therfore take thy due [leaue] of pretty Bessye "

But soone after this, by breake of the day,
the knight ffrom Rumfford stole Bessye away.
the younge men of Rumfford, as thicke as might bee,
rode affter to ffeitch againe pretty Bessye;

As swift as they winde to ryd they were seene
vntill they came to Bednall greene;
& as the knight lighted most curteouslye,
the ffought against him for pretty Bessye;

But rescew speedilye came on the plaine,
or else the young knight ffor his loue had beene slaine.
this ffray being ended, then straight he did see
his kinsman came rayling against pretty Bessye.

Then spake the blind Beggar, " althoe I be poore,
yett rayle not against my child at my dore;
thoe shee be not decked in veluett & pearle,
yett will I dropp angells w i th you for my girle;

" And then if my gold may better her birthe,
& equall the gold you lay on the earth,
then neyther rayle, nor grudge you to see
the blind beggars daughter a Lady to bee.

" Butt ffirst I will heare, & haue itt well Knowen,
the gold tha t you drop shall all be yo u r owne. "
w i th tha t they replyed, " contented wee bee "
" then here is, " q uo th the Beggar, " ffor pretty Bessye. "

W i th tha t an angell he dropped on the ground,
& dropped in angells 500.
& oftentimes itt was proued most plaine,
ffor the gentlemans one the beggar dropt twayne,

Soe tha t the place wherin the did sitt,
w i th gold was couered euery whitt.
the gentleman hauing dropped all his store,
said, " Beggar, hold! for wee haue noe more.

" Thou hast ffulfilled thy p ro mise arright "
" then marry, " q uo th hee, " my girle to this K nigh t;
& heere, " q uo th hee, " Ile throw you downe
a 100 more to buy her a gowne. "

The gentleman tha t all this treasure had seene,
admired the beggar of Bednall greene,
& those tha t were her sutors before,
their fflesh for verry anger they tore.

Then was ffaire Bessye mached to the knight,
& made a Ladye in others despite;
a ffairer Ladye was neuer seene
then the Beggars daughter of Bednall gree[ne].

But of their sumptuos marriage & ffeast,
& what braue Lo rd s & K nigh ts thither we[r]e prest,
the 2 d ffitt shall sett to sight,
w i th marueilous pleasure & wished delight.

[Part II.]

Off a blind beggars daughter most bright,
tha t late was betrothed vnto a younge Knight,
all the discourse ther-of you did see:
but now comes the wedding of pretty Bes[sye].

w i thin a gallant pallace most braue,
adorned w i th all the cost the cold haue,
this wedding was kept most sumptuously,
& all ffor the creditt of pretty Bessye:

All kind of daintyes & delicates sweete
was brought ffor the banquett, as it most mee[t],
Partridge, plouer, & venison most ffree,
against the braue wedding of pretty Bessye.

This marryage through England was sp[r]ead by repor[t],
soe that a great number therto did resort
of nobles & gentles in euery degree;
& all was ffor the ffame of pretty Bessye.

To church then went this gallant younge knight;
h[i]s bride ffollowed, an angell most bright,
w i th troopes of Ladyes, the like were neu er seene
as went w i th Sweet Bessye of Bednall greene.

This marryage being solempnized then
w i th musicke p er fourmed by the skillfullest men,
the Nobles & gentles sate downe at tha t tyde,
each one beholding the beautifull bryde.

But after the sumptuous dinner was done,
to talke & to reason a number begunn
of the blind Beggars daughter most bright,
& what w i th his daughter he gaue to the Knight.

Then spake the Nobles, " most marueill haue wee,
this Iolly blind beggar wee cannott here see. "
" my Lo rd , " said the Bride, " my father is soe base,
he is loth by his p re sence these states to disgrace;

" The prayse of a woman in questyon to bringe,
before her fface heere, were a flattering thing. "
" wee thinke thy ffathers basenesse, " q uo th they,
" might by thy bewtye be cleane put awaye. "

They had noe sooner these pleasant words spoke,
but in comes the beggar cladd in a silke cote,
a velluett capp and a ffether had hee,
& now a Musityan fforsooth hee wold bee;

And being led in, ffor catching of harme
he had a daintye Lute vnder his arme,
saies, " please you to heare any Musicke of mee?
Ile sing you [a] song of pretty Bessye. "

W i th tha t his lute he twanged straight-way,
& there begann most sweetlye to play,
& after a lesson was playd 2 or 3:
he strayned on this song most delicatelye:

" A Beggars daughter did dwell on [a] greene,
who ffor her ffaire might well be a queene;
a blithe bonny Lasse, & daintye, was shee,
& many a one called her pretty Bessye. "

" Her ffather hee had noe goods nor noe Lands,
but begd for a penny all day w i th his hand[s];
yett to her marriage hee gaue thousands 3:
& still he hath somewatt for pretty Bessye;

" And if any one her birth doe disdaine,
her ffather is ready w i th might & w i th maine
to proove shee is come of a Noble degree;
therfore neu er fflout att pretty Bessye. "

W i th tha t the Lo rd s & the companye round
w i th harty Laughter were like to sound
att last said the Lor d s, " full well wee may see,
the Bride & the Beggar is behouldinge to thee. "

W i th that the Bride all blushing did rise
w i th the salt water w i thin her faire eyes:
" O pardon my ffather, graue Nobles, " q uo th shee,
" tha t thorrow blind affection thus doteth on mee. "

" If this be thy ffather, " the noble[s] did say,
" well may he be proud of this happy day;
yett by his countenaunce well may wee see,
his birth & his ffortune did neu er agree;

" And therfor, blind man, I pray thee bewray,
& looke tha t the truth thou to vs doe say,
thy birth & thy parentage, what itt may bee,
euen for the loue thou bearest to pretty Bessye. "

" Then giue me leaue, you Gengells eche one,
a song more to sing, then will I goe on;
& if tha t itt may not winn good report,
then doe not giue me a groat for my sport.

" When ffirst our King his ffame did Advance,
& fought for his title in delicate ffiance,
in many a place many perills past hee:
then was not borne my pretty Bessye.

" And then in those warres went over to fight
many a braue duke, a Lo rd , & a K nigh t,
& w i th them younge Mountford, his courage most free:
but then was not borne my pretty Bessye.

" Att Bloyes there chanced a terrible day,
where many braue ffrenchmen vpon the ground Lay;
amonge them Lay Mountford for companye:
but then was not borne my pretty Bessye.

" But there did younge Mountford, by blow on the face,
loose both his eyes in a very short space;
& alsoe his liffe had beene gone w i th his sight,
had not a younge woman come forth in the night

" Amongst the slaine men, as fancy did moue,
to search & to seeke for her owne true loue;
& seeing young Mountford there gasping to bee,
shee saued his liffe through charitye.

" And then all our vittalls, in Beggars attire
att hands of good people wee then did require.
att last into England, as now it is seene,
wee came, & remained att Bednall greene;

" And thus wee haue liued in ffortunes despite,
tho poore, yett contented w i th humble delight;
& in my young yeeres, a comfort to bee,
god sent mee my daughter, pretty Bessye

" And thus, noble Lords, my song I doe end,
hoping the same noe man doth offend;
full 40 winters thus I haue beene,
a silly blind beggar of Bednall greene. "

Now when the companye euerye one
did heare the strange tale in the song he had show[n],
they were all amazed, as well the might bee,
both at the blind beggar & pretty Bessye.

w i th tha t he did the fayre bride imbrace,
saying, " thou art come of an hon oura blle race;
thy ffather likewise of a highe degree,
& thou art well worthy a lady to bee! "

Thus was the ffeast ended w i th Ioy & delight;
a br[i]degrome [blissful] was the young knight,
who liued in Ioy & felicitye
w i th his ffaire Ladye, pretty Bessye.