With that the fair bride all blushing did rise,65
With chrystal 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,70
Yet by his countenance well may we see,
His birth with his fortune could never agree.
"And 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,75
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:—80
"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,85
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;90
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,95
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.100