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 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 ryde they were seen,
Until they came near unto Bednall-green;
And as the knight lighted most courteouslìe,
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 decked 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 to see
The blind beggar's daughter a lady to be.
But first you shall promise, and have it well known,
The gold that you drop shall all be your own.
With that they replied, Contented be we.
Then here's, quoth the beggar, for pretty Bessee.
With that an angel he cast on the ground,
And dropped in angels full three thousand pound;
And oftentimes it was proved most plain,
For the gentlemen's one the beggar dropt twain:
So that the place, wherein they did sit,
With gold it was covered every whit.
The gentlemen then having dropt all their store,
Said, Now, beggar, hold, for we have no more,