The Rarest Ballad that ever was seen,  
Of the Blind beggars Daughter of Bednal-green.   
IT was a Blind beggar that long lost his sight,  
He had a fair daughter most pleasant and bright,  
And many a gallant brave Suitor had she,  
For none was so comely as pretty Bessee.  
And though she was of favour most fair,  
Yet seeing she was but a beggar his heir  
Of ancient house-keepers despised was she,  
Whose Sons came as Suitors to pretty Bessee.  
Wherefore in great sorrow fair Bessee did say,  
Good Father and Mother let me go away,  
To seek out my fortune where ever it be;  
This svit was then granted to pretty Bessee.  
Then Bessee that was of beauty most bright,  
They clad in gray Russet and late in the night,  
From Father and Mother alone partend she,  
Who sighed and sobbed for pretty Bessee.  
She went till she came at Stratford at Bow,  
Then knew she not whether nor which way to go  
With tears she lamented her hard destiny,  
So sad and so heavy was pretty Bessee.  
She kept on her journey until it was day,  
And went unto Rumford along the high-way,  
And at the Kings-arms entertained was she,  
So fair and well-favoured was pretty B●s●ee.  
She had not been there one month to an end,  
But Master, and Mistress and all was her friend,  
And every brave Gallant that once did her see  
Was straight-way in love with pretty B s ee.  
Great gifts they did sand her of silver and gold,  
And in their Songs daily her love they extolled,  
Her beauty was blazed in every degree,  
So fair and so comely was pretty Bessee.  
The young men of Rumford in her had their joy,  
She shew'd her self courteous but never too coy,  
And at their commandment still would she be,  
So fair and so comely was pretty Bessee.  
Four Suitors at once unto her did go,  
They craved her favour but still she said no  
I would not wish Gentlemen to mary with me,  
Yet ever they honoured pretty Bessee.  
The one of them was a gallant young Knight,  
And he came to her disguised in the night,  
The second a Gentleman of good degree,  
Who wooed and sued for pretty B●s ee.  
A Merchant of land whose wealth was not small  
Was then the third Suitor, and proper withal,  
Her Masters own Son the fourth man must be,  
Who swore he would die for pretty Bessee.  
And if thou wilt mary with me, qd. the Knight,  
I'll make thee a Lady with joy and delight,  
My heart is enthralled by thy beauty,  
Then grant me thy favour my pretty Bessee.  
The Gentleman said, come mary with me,  
In silks and in Velvet my Bessee shall be,  
My heart lives distressed, O hear me, quoth he,  
And grant me thy love my pretty Bessee.  
Let me be thy Husband the Merchant did say,  
Thou shalt live in London most gallant and gay  
My ships shall bring home rich jewels for thee,  
●nd I will for ever love pretty Bessee.  
Then Bessee she sighed, 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,  
And where dwells thy Father my pretty Bessee,  
My Father, quoth she, is plain to be seen,  
The silly blind beggar of Bednal-green,  
That daily sits begging for charity,  
He is the good father of pretty Bessee.  
His marks and his tokens are known full well,  
He always is lead 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 Inholder my Wife shall not be,  
I loathe( quoth the Gentleman) a beggars degree,  
Therefore fare you well 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 to me my pretty Bessee,  
With thee to thy Father forthwith will I go,  
Nay soft( quoth his Kinsman) it must not be so,  
A beggars daughter no Lady shall be,  
Then take thy adieu of pretty Bessee.  
And soon after this by break of the day,  
The Knight had from Rumford stolen Bessee away,  
The young men of Rumford so sick as may be,  
road after to fetch again pretty Bessee.  
As swift as the wind to ride they were seen,  
until they came near to Bednal-green,  
And as the Knight lighted most courteously,  
They fought against him for pretty Bessee.  
But rescue came presently ov r the Plain,  
Or else the Knight for his love there had been slain  
The fray being ended then strait he did see,  
His Kinsman come railing for pretty B●ssée.  
Then spake the blind beggar, although I be poor,  
Rail not against my child at mine own door,  
Though she be not decked with Velvet and Pearl,  
Yet will I drop Angels with thee for my Girl:  
And then if my Gold will better her birth,  
And equal the Gold that you lay on the earth,  
Then neither rail nor grudge you to see  
The blind beggars daughter a Lady to be:  
But first I will hear and have it well known,  
The gold that you drop shall be all your own.  
With that they replied contented we be,  
Then there's( quoth the beggar) for pretty B●ssee  
With that an Angel be cast on the ground,  
And dropped in Angels full three thousand pound,  
And oftentimes it proved most plain.  
For the gentlemans one the beggar dropped twain:  
So as the place whereas he did sit,  
With gold was covered every whit:  
The Gentleman having dropped all his store,  
Said, beggar hold, for I have no more,  
Thou hast fulfilled thy promise aright,  
Then mary my Girl, quoth he to the knight,  
And here, quoth he, I'll throw you down,  
A hundred pound more to buy her a Gown;  
The Gentlemen all that this treasure had seen,  
Admired the beggar of Bednal-gréen,  
And those that were her Suitors before,  
Their flesh for very anger they tore:  
Thus was their Bessée matched to a Knight,  
And made a Lady in others despite,  
A fairer Lady there never was seen,  
Then the beggars daughter of Bednal-green:  
But of her sumptuous Marriage and Feast,  
And what brave Lords and Kts. thither was prest,  
The second part shall set forth to your sight,  
With marvelous pleasure and wished delight  

 woodcut of blind beggar with dog OF a blind beggars daught most fair & bright,  
That late was betrothed to a young Knight  
All the discourses thereof you may see,  
But now comes the Wedding of pretty Bessee.  
Within a gallant palace most brave,  
Adorned with all the cost they could have,  
This Wedding was kept most sumtuously,  
And all for the love of pretty Bessee.  
All kind of dainties and delicates sweet,  
Was brought to their banquet as was thought meet,  
Patride, Plover, and Venison most free,  
Against the brave Wedding of pretty Bessee.  
This wedding through Engl. was spread by report,  
So that a great number thereto did resort,  
Of Nobles and Gentiles of every degree,  
And all for the famed of pretty Bessee.  
To Church then went this gallant young Kt.  
His Bride followed after like a Lady most bright,  
With troops of Ladies the like was ne'er seen,  
As went with sweet Bessee of Bednal-green.  
This wedding being solemnized then,  
With music performed by skilful men,  
The Nobles and Gentiles sat down at that tide,  
Each one beholding the beautiful bride.  
But after this sumptuous dinner was done,  
To talk and to reason a number begun,  
Of the blind beggars daughter most bright,  
And what with his daughter he gave to the Kt.  
Then speak the Nobles much marvel have we,  
The jolly blind beggar we cannot here see:  
My Lords, quoth the Bride, my fathers so base,  
He's loth with his presence these states to disgrace,  
the praise of a woman in question to bring,  
Before her own face were a flattering thing.  
We think thy fathers baseness, quoth they,  
Might by thy beauty be clean put away,  
They had no sooner these pleasant words spoken,  
But in comes the beggar with a silken cloak,  
A velvet Cap and a Feather had he,  
And now a musician forsooth he would be,  
And being lead in from catching of harm,  
He had a dainty Lute under his arm;  
Said, please you hear any music of me,  
A Song I will sing you of pretty Bessee.  
With that his Lute he twang'o strait way,  
And thereon began most sweetly to play,  
And after a lesson was played two or three,  
He strained out this song most delicately.   

A beggars Daughter did dwell on the green,  
Who for her beauty may well be a Queen,  
A blithe bonny Lass and dainty was she,  
And many a one called her pretty Bessee.  
Her Father 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 hath somewhat for pretty Bessee.  
And if any one her birth do disdain,  
Her Father is ready with might and with main,  
To prove she is come of a Noble degree,  
Therefore let none flout at my pretty Bessee.  
With that the Lords and company round,  
With hearty Laughter was ready to sound,  
At last, said the Lords, full well we may see,  
The Bride and the beggars beholding to thee,  
With that the Bride all blushing did rise  
With the salt water within her fair eyes?  
Pardon my Father, grave Nobles( quoth she)  
That through blind affection thus doteth on me:  
If this be thy Father the Nobles did say,  
Well may he be proud of this happy day,  
Yet by his Countenance well we may see,  
His Birth with his fortune did never agree;  
And therefore Blind Beggar we pray the bewray,  
And look that the truth to us thou do say;  
Thy Birth and thy Parentage what it might be  
Even for the love thou hearest to pretty Bessee.  
Then give me leave you Gentiles each one  
A song more to sing and then i'll be gone;  
And if that I do not win good report,  
Then do not give me a groat for my sport:   

WHen first our King his famed did advance,  
And fought for his title in delicate France  
In many places great perils past he,  
But then was not born my pretty Bessee.  
And in 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 oth face  
Lose both his eyes in a very short space,  
His life also had been gone with his sight,  
Had not a young woman come forth i'th night,  
Amongst 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 hands of good people we then did require;  
At last in to England as now it is seen,  
We came and remained at Bednal-green.  
And thus we have lived in fortunes despite,  
Though poor, yet contented with humble delight  
And in my old years a comfort to be,  
God sent me a Daughter called pretty Bessee.  
And thus you Nobles my Song I do end;  
Hoping the same no man doth offend;  
Full forty long Winters thus have I been,  
A silly blind beggar of Bednal-green.  
Now when the company every one,  
Did hear the strange tale in song he had shown  
They were all amazed, as well they might be,  
Both at the blind beggar and pretty Bessee.  
With that the fair Bride, they then did embrace  
Saying you are come of an honourable race,  
Thy Father likewise of a high degree  
And thou as worthy a Lady to be:  
Thus was the Feast ended with joy and delight  
A happy Bride-groom was made the young Kt.  
Who lived in joy and felicity  
With his fair Lady pretty Bessee.    

Printed for F. coals, T. Vere, and I. Wright.