Was fell'd by a blow he received in the fight:
A blow that deprived him for ever of sight.

9. 'Among the dead bodies all lifeless he lay,
Till evening drew on of the following day;
When by a young lady discovered was he;
And this was thy mother, my pretty Bessee!

5o. 'A baron's fair daughter stept forth in the night To search for her father, who fell in the fight, And seeing young Montfort, where gasping he lay,

Was moved with pity, and brought him away

61. 'In secret she nurst him, and swagèd his pain, While he through the realm was believed to be

slain:

At length his fair bride she consented to be,
And made him glad father of pretty Bessee.

62. 'And now, lest our foes our lives should betray, We clothed ourselves in beggars' array;

Her jewels she sold, and hither came we:

All our comfort and care was our pretty Bessee.

63. 'And here have we lived in fortune's despite, Though poor, yet contented with humble delight: Full forty winters thus have I been

A silly blind beggar of Bednall-green.

64. 'And here, noble lords, is ended the song

Of one that once to your own rank did belong:
And thus have you learnèd a secret from me,
That ne'er had been known, but for pretty
Bessee.'

65. Now when the fair company every one,

Had heard the strange tale in the song he had
shown,

They all were amazèd, as well they might be,
Both at the blind beggar, and pretty Bessee.

66. With that the fair bride they all did embrace, Saying, 'Sure thou art come of an honʼrable race; Thy father likewise is of noble degree,

And thou art well worthy a lady to be.'

67. Thus was the feast ended with joy and delight, A bridegroom most happy then was the young

Knight,

In joy and felicitie long livèd he,

All with his fair lady, the pretty Bessee.

THE LOVING BALLAD OF LORD
BATEMAN

A Broadside Version of 'Young Beichan'

1. LORD BATEMAN was a noble lord,
A noble lord of high degree;

He shipp'd himself all aboard of a ship,
Some foreign country for to see.

He sailèd east, he sailèd west,

Until he came to famed Turkey,
Where he was taken and put to prison,
Until his life was quite weary.

. All in this prison there grew a tree,
O there it grew so stout and strong!
Where he was chain'd all by the middle,
Until his life was almost gone.

This Turk he had one only daughter,
The fairest my two eyes e'er see;
She stole the keys of her father's prison,
And swore Lord Bateman she would let
go free.

5. O she took him to her father's cellar,

And gave to him the best of wine;

And every health she drank unto him

Was, 'I wish, Lord Bateman, as you was mine.' 5. 'O have you got houses, have you got land, And does Northumberland belong to thee? And what would you give to the fair young lady As out of prison would let you go free?'

7. 'O I've got houses and I've got land,

And half Northumberland belongs to me;

And I will give it all to the fair young lady

As out of prison would let me go free.’—

8. 'O in seven long years, I'll make a vow

For seven long years, and keep it strong,
That if you'll wed no other woman,

OI will wed no other man.'

9. O she took him to her father's harbour, And gave to him a ship of fame,

Saying, 'Farewell, farewell to you, Lord Bate

man,

I fear I never shall see you again!'

10. Now seven long years is gone and past, And fourteen days, well known to me;

She packed up all her gay clothing,

And swore Lord Bateman she would go see.

II. O when she arrived at Lord Bateman's castle, How boldly then she rang the bell!

'Who's there? who's there?' cries the proud young porter,

'O come unto me pray quickly tell.'

12. 'O is this here Lord Bateman's castle, And is his lordship here within?'— 'O yes, O yes,' cries the proud young porter, 'He's just now taking his young bride in.’—

3. 'O bid him to send me a slice of bread, And a bottle of the very best wine, And not forgetting the fair young lady

As did release him when close confine.'

4. O away and away went this proud young porter
O away and away and away went he,
Until he came to Lord Bateman's chamber,
When he went down on his bended knee.

5. 'What news, what news,my proud young porter? What news, what news? Come tell to me.'— 'O there is the fairest young lady

As ever my two eyes did see.

6. 'She has got rings on every finger,

And on one finger she has got three;
With as much gay gold about her middle
As would buy half Northumberlee.

17. 'O she bids you to send her a slice of bread,
And a bottle of the very best wine,
And not forgetting the fair young lady
As did release you when close confine.'

18. Lord Bateman then in passion flew,

And broke his sword in splinters three,
Saying, 'I will give half of my father's land,
If so be as Sophia has crossed the sea.'