lant and gay;
My ships shall bring home rich jewels for thee,
And I will for ever love pretty Bessee."

Then Bessy she sigh-ed, and thus she did say,
"My father and mother I mean to obey;
First get their good will, and be faithful to me,
And you shall enjoy your pretty Bessee."

To every one this answer she made,
Wherefore unto her they joyfully said,--
"This thing to fulfil we all do agree:
But where dwells thy father, my pretty Bessee?"

"My father," she said, "is soon to be seen:
The seely blind beggar of Bethnal Green,
That daily sits begging for charit-ie,
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 seely 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 loathe," 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 the 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 ride they were seen,
Until they came near unto Bethnal 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 deck-ed 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