al

e

My father, the fand, is foone to be seene :
The feely blind beggar of Bednall-greene,
That daylye fits begging for charitìe,

He is the good father of pretty Befsee.

His markes and his tokens are knowen very well;
He always is led with a dogg and a bell :

A feely olde man,God knoweth,is hee,
Yett hee is the father of pretty Befsee.

Nay then, quoth the merchant, thou art not for mee:
Nor, quoth the innholder, my wiffe fhaly thou bee:

I lohe, fayd the gentle, a beggars degree,

And therefore, adewe, my pretty Befsee!

Why then, quoth the knight, hap better or worse,

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75

80

I wfighe not true love by the weight of the purfse, al

And bewtye is bewtye in every degree;

Then welcome unto me, my pretty/Befsee.

With thee to thy father forthwith I will goe.
Nay foft, quoth his kinfmen, it must not be foe;
A poor beggars daughter noe ladye fhal bee,
Then take thy adew of pretty Befsee.

85

Then

But foone after this, by breake of the day
The knight had from Rumford stole Beffy away.
The yonge men of Rumford, as thicke as might bee,
Rode after to feitch againe pretty Befsee,

90

As

Ex

ANCIENT POEMS.

As fwifte as the winde to ryde they were feene,
Untill they came neare unto Bednall-greene;
And as the knight lighted moft curteouslìe,
They all fought against him for pretty Befsee.

But refcy

came fpeedilye over the plaine,

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95

Or else the young knight for his love had beene flaine.
This fray being ended, then ftraitway he fee
His kinsmen come rayling at pretty Befsee.

Then spake the blind beggar, Although I be poore,
Yett rayle not against my child at my own doore:
Though thee be not decked in velvett and pearle,
Yett will dropp angells with you for my girle.

And then, if my gold may better her birthe,
And equall the gold that you lay on the earth,
Then neyther rayle nor grudge you to fee
The blind beggars daughter a lady to bee.

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But firft you fhall promife, and have itt well knowne,
The gold that you drop fhall all be your owne.
With that they replyed, Contented bee wee.
Then here's, quoth the beggar, for pretty Befsee.

With that an angell he caft on the ground,
And dropped in angels Allchand pound;
And oftentimes it was proved most plaine,
For the gentlemens one the beggar dropt twayne:

M4

ew/

n

110

In the Editor's fitio Msitu sel

Soe that the place, wherein they did fitt,
With gold it was covered every whitt.

The gentlemen then having dropt all their flore,
Sayd, Now, beggar, hold, for we have no more.

Thou haft fulfilled thy promife aright.

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fis

Then marry my girle quoth ho to the knight;
And heere, added hee, I will now throwe you downę
A hundred pounds more to buy her a gowne.

The gentlemen all, that this treasure had seene,
Admired the beggar of Bednall-greene:

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And all thofe, that were her fuitors before,
Their fleshe for very anger they tore.

Thus was faire Beffy mate for the knight,
And then made a ladye in others defpite:

A fairer ladye there never was feene,

Than the blind beggars daughter of Bednall-greene.

But of their fumptuous marriage and feast,

What brave lords and knights thither were preft,

The SECOND FIT
* fhall fet forth to your fight
With marvellous pleafure, and wifhed delight.

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135

The word FIT, for PART, often occurs in our ancient ballads and metrical romances; which being divided into everal parts for the convenience of finging them at public entertainments, were in the intervals of the feaft fung by

FITS,

* See the Essay on the word Fen at the End of the Second Part