‘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.
XXVIII
‘But first you shall promise, and have it well known,
The gold that you dropt shall all be your own.’
With that they replied, ‘Contented be we.’
‘Then here’s,’ quoth the beggar, ‘for pretty Bessee!’
XXIX
With that an angel he cast on the ground,
And dropped in angels full three thousand pound;
And oftentimes it was provèd most plain,
For the gentlemen’s one the beggar dropt twain:
XXX
So that the place, wherein they did sit,
With gold it was coverèd every whit.
The gentlemen then, having dropt all their store,
Said, ‘Now, beggar, hold, for we have no more,
XXXI
‘Thou hast fulfilled thy promise aright.’—
‘Then marry,’ quoth he, ‘my girl to this Knight;
And here,’ added he, ‘I will now throw you down
A hundred pounds more to buy her a gown.’