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<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2014-06-16</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>TCP Staff (Michigan)</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B140423.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B24205">
<STC T="W">H2146</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99829170</BIBNO>
<VID>207102</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="illustration">
<PB REF="1">
<P><FIGURE>
<FIGDESC>printer's device for John Back</FIGDESC>
<P>J B</P>
</FIGURE></P>
<P><HI>John Back,</HI> at the <HI>Black-Boy,</HI> on <HI>London-B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">idge,</HI> Furni&s;heth any Gentlemen or Chap-M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n with all &s;orts of <HI>BOOKS, BALLADS</HI> and all other Stationary-Wares, at Rea|&s;onable Rates.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>The HISTORY of the <HI>BLIND BEGGAR</HI> Of BEDNAL-GREEN.</P>
<P><FIGURE>
<FIGDESC>woodcut panel of man with walking stick and dog</FIGDESC>
</FIGURE>
<FIGURE>
<FIGDESC>woodcut panel of two seated men and a woman</FIGDESC>
</FIGURE></P>
<LICENSE LANG="eng">
<P><HI>This may be Printed,</HI> R. P.</P>
</LICENSE>
<P>Printed for <HI>Charles Denni&s;&s;on,</HI> at the <HI>Stationers-Arms,</HI> within <HI>Aldgate,</HI> 1686.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>The HISTORY of the <HI>Blind Beggar</HI> of <HI>Bednal-Green,</HI> &amp;c.</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. I.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>How <HI>Monford</HI> the Beggar of <HI>Bednal-Green</HI> went, accompanied with his Wife, to the Wars of <HI>France,</HI> and by what means he came to loo&s;e his Sight, and &s;ave his Life, and of his Return to <HI>England,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>IN Former Days when the Ro&s;e of <HI>Eng|land</HI> Eclip&s;ed the Lillies of <HI>France,</HI> and true <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Vallour made that Nation &s;toop; among&s;t other Brave Gallants that went over to try their Fortune, <HI>Mon|ford</HI> was one, a Per&s;on well De&s;cended, who being naturally inclin'd to war, and greedy of Fame, neither the entreaty of Friends nor the Marriage he had Contracted with a Kind and beautiful woman, could alter his purpo&s;e, but taking his Wife <HI>Margaret</HI> with him, who by no means would be induced to &s;tay behind, he with many hundreds more cro&s;&s;ed the Seas, and with the help of a pro&s;perous wind arriving at <HI>Callice,</HI> Marched to the Royal Standard,
<PB REF="3"> accompanied with his Loving Wife, who in Man-like attire became his in&s;eparable Com|panion in Danger and Hazzard, and was the cau&s;e of &s;aving his Life; for many Skirmi&s;h|es happening between the <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> and <HI>French,</HI> wherein Young <HI>Monford</HI> behaved him&s;elf with wondrous Courage, and in one, following too hotly the per&s;uit, was, with divers others, in|trapped in an Ambu&s;h late in the Evening and though he manfully di&s;puted it, making great Slaughter of the Enemy, yet in &s;pight of re|&s;i&s;tance, he was beaten from his Hor&s;e by the forcible &s;tro<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">k of a Pole-Ax, given him on the Face, and left in the Field for Dead among&s;t the dead and Dying-Men, where he had un|doubtedly peri&s;hed through lo&s;s of Blood and the angui&s;h of his Wound, had not his Tender-hearted Love, upon her hearing what had hap|pened, and his not returning, ha&s;ted to the field, where among&s;t the Slain, &s;he by Moon-Light di&s;covered him &s;tripped and &s;trugling for Life, and by the help of a Servant, brought him to a Shepherds Cottage, where &s;he carefully dre&s;&s;ed his Wounds, and admini&s;tred &s;uch Cordials as brought him to him&s;elf, to her un&s;peakable joy, though this joy was &s;omewhat abated when &s;he found by the forciblene&s;s of the Blow he had lo&s;t his Sight: But true Love work|ing in her heart the alteration or disfigurement
<PB REF="3"> of his Countenance could not alter her affecti|on; but Comforting him in the be&s;t &s;he could (though indeed) his natural Courage would not lightly admit of any dejection, &s;he with part of the money &s;he had, procur'd him a homely Suit of Apparel, and brought him (now unfit for Service) back to <HI>England,</HI> of who&s;e En|tertainment and &s;ettlement at <HI>Bednal-Green</HI> in the County of <HI>Middle&s;ex,</HI> and cour&s;e of Life, you &s;hall hear in the following Chapter.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. II. </HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>How <HI>Monfo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d</HI> arrived in <HI>England,</HI> and of the cold Entertainment he found among&s;t his Relations; how he came to <HI>Bednal-Green,</HI> and &s;ettling him&s;elf there, he continued to Begg for his Living, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P><HI>MOnford</HI> e&s;caping a Storm at Sea, in his Return Landed with his Vertuous Wife on the Coa&s;t of <HI>E&s;&s;ex,</HI> where he had &s;ome con&s;iderable Relations, to whom in this nece&s;|&s;ity they applyed them&s;elves for &s;uccour, but they either not de&s;irous of his <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ompany, who after the death of his Parents had wa&s;ted much of his Patrimony, or fearing in that condition he might be chargeable to them, would not know him, and tho&s;e that were convinced he was the &s;ame <HI>Monford</HI> that went over into <HI>France;</HI> gave him but cold Entertainment, in|&s;omuch
<PB REF="4"> that &s;corning to rely upon their Cha|rity, he told the kind Partner of his joy and &s;orrow, that he intended early in the morning to ha&s;t towards <HI>London,</HI> and that he would rather tru&s;t to Providence then to the ingrati|tude of tho&s;e who in his pro&s;perous days had Carre&s;&s;ed him in a high manner; and &s;o with|out taking Leave of any, Early in the morn|ing they departed; and in two days travelling (having &s;pent the little Money they had re&s;er|ved) nece&s;&s;ity that has no Law, &s;o far humb|led his hig<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Spirit, that he did not think it a|mi&s;s (e&s;pecially in places where he was not known) to crave the Charity of the People as he pa&s;&s;ed through &s;everal good Towns, who under&s;tanding that he came by his misfortune in Fighting for the Honour of his Country, gave very Liberally, in&s;omuch that he re&s;ol|ved to be of good chear, and thereupon con|&s;idering with him&s;elf that he was never brought up to Labour, or if he had, the Lo&s;s of his Sight had rendred him incapable of bu&s;i|ne&s;s; he re&s;o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ved to embrace what Providence had ca&s;t in his way: Which was, to live upon Charity, which he found to flow in upon him fa&s;ter then he expected: Whereupon arriving at <HI>Bednal-Green,</HI> a place near <HI>London,</HI> he with the little Money he had got, hired a &s;mall Cottage for his Wife and him&s;elf, and daily
<PB REF="4"> appearing publick to crave Alms, was from thence called the Beggar of <HI>Bednal-Green,</HI> and in a &s;hort time found it a thriveing Trade, in&s;omuch that his Bed of Straw was changed into Down, and his Earthen Platters and other Vten&s;ils into a better Sort. His Wife whil&s;t he begged abroad not being idle at home, but Laboured at the Wheel and &s;uch other mat|ters as in her younger years &s;he had learned.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. III. </HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>How <HI>Monford</HI> happened to meet with <HI>Snap</HI> an Old Experienced Beggar, who gave him an in&s;ight into the mi&s;tery of the can|ting Tribe, and how he invited him to their general Rande&s;vouze, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P><HI>MOnford</HI> re&s;olving in this kind of way to &s;pend the remainder of his Days, that he might humble him&s;elf for his former offen|ces, having plyed it with good &s;ucce&s;s in the place where he lived, by the Road &s;ide he was incountred one day by an Old Proficient at that Trade, who &s;eeing him Diligent, be|came greatly de&s;irous of his acquaintance, and to know what Gang he belonged to, and be|gan to Cant (as is u&s;ual among&s;t &s;uch &s;ea|&s;oned Sticks of that Profe&s;&s;ion) of which kind of Speech being known to none but them&s;elves,
<PB REF="5"> <HI>Monford</HI> being ignorant, could make him no direct an&s;wer; which the other, who&s;e Name was <HI>Snap,</HI> perceiving, and thereby knowing him to be a young beginner&punc; invited him to their Fea&s;ts or rende<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">vouze in <HI>White-Chappel,</HI> whi|ther he having promi&s;ed to come, and they be|tween them tip'd off four Black Pots of Hum they at that time parted.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. IV. </HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>How <HI>Monford</HI> went to the Beggars Fea&s;t, and of his Entertainment as al&s;o of the Pre&s;ent they made him, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P><HI>MOnford</HI> upon his coming home, declared to his Wife what a merry Companion he had met with, and what di&s;cour&s;e they had, as likewi&s;e what he had promi&s;ed, entreating her to get things in a readine&s;s, that &s;he might be at lea&s;ure to conduct him thither, where ap|peared, in&s;tead of a ragged Regiment of Lame, Blind, and Dumb, there was a rout of jovial Dancers, as gay as the Spring, and as merry as the Maids; which made them imagine they were either mi&s;taken in the place, or had been impo&s;ed upon, and therefore were about to re|tire, had not <HI>Snap</HI> who knew <HI>Monford</HI> at the fir&s;t Blu&s;h, &s;tarted from his Chair where he &s;at Supervizor in all his Gallantry, and ta|king
<PB REF="5"> him by the hand, let him know who he was, and afterward pre&s;ented him to the whole A&s;&s;embly, who received him as a Bro|ther or Member of their Society, each (by the order of <HI>Snap</HI>) paying him a Complement: and that for the future he might not want a Guide on all occa&s;ion, <HI>Snap</HI> in the name of the re&s;t pre&s;ented him with a Dog and a Bell train|ed to the Bu&s;ine&s;s, and had before been the Companion of an Eyele&s;s Beggar decea&s;ed; and &s;o having Fea&s;ted him and his Spou&s;e in a Spl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ndid manner, they di&s;mi&s;&s;ed him, upon his promi&s;e that he would not be wanting at that yearly meeting; and being di&s;mi&s;&s;ed, he trudged home with his tractable Guide, which ever after proved &s;erviceable to him.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. V. </HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>What &s;ucce&s;s he had in his Begging Trade, and how a Daughter was born to him, and Chri&s;tned by the name of <HI>Elizabeth.</HI></P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THe Blind Beggar by the&s;e Fortunate ad|ventures, being in a manner Ma&s;ter of his Trade, &s;corned to be confined to his former plying places, but by the help of his Dog trud|ged often to <HI>London;</HI> and having the perfect Tone, had for the mo&s;t part the luck to return with his Pockets well Lined with Chink, and
<PB REF="6"> by long practice, his way of begging became &s;o plea&s;ing to him, that he would often profe&s;s it the happye&s;t part of his Life, and thus Tune his Pipes upon occa&s;ion.</P>
<Q><TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="song">
<HEAD>His SONG.</HEAD>
<L>A Beggar lives a merry Life,</L>
<L>he hath both wealth and ea&s;e,</L>
<L>His days are free from care and &s;trife,</L>
<L>he does what e're he plea&s;e</L>
<L>Whil&s;t others Labour &s;weat &amp; toil,</L>
<L>his tongue doth get him pelf,</L>
<L>He travels with his Dog and bell,</L>
<L>and brings home &s;tore of Wealth.</L>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT></Q>
<P>He being by this time in a warm condition, to add further to his joy, and make him amends for his lo&s;s of Sight, his Loving and careful Wife fell in Labour, and brought forth the Lovelie&s;t Girl imaginable, who&s;e birth made him quite forget his former misfortunes, and think him&s;elf the happie&s;t man alive; an hun|dred times he ki&s;&s;ed her, and dandled her in his arms, and at her Chri&s;tening (which was man|naged with decency and prudence) cau&s;ed her to be Named <HI>Elizabeth,</HI> from whence &s;he was afterward de&s;ervedly called pretty <HI>Betty;</HI> for as &s;he grew up &s;he exceeded in Beauty to a de|gree of wonder, and courteous and &s;eemly be|haviour
<PB REF="6"> no le&s;s obliging, &s;o that in her very Childhood &s;ome began to dote upon her admira|ble Perfections, and the better to qualifie her, gave her &s;uch Learning as was &s;uitable to her Degree, which &s;he improved to the height, &s;o that her Beauty and Wit, her skill in Sing|ing, Dancing, and playing on In&s;truments of Mu&s;ick, procured her the envy of the Vir|gins thereabout; who &s;uppo&s;ing them&s;elves much &s;uperiour in Birth and Fortune, could ill endure to hear her prai&s;es every where &s;poken of, e&s;pecially by the Young Men, whil&s;t they &s;tood neglected, in&s;omuch that not knowing other|ways how to vent their Spleen, they would of|ten take an occa&s;ion openly to affront her in the Street, and at Merry-making, calling her Beggars Brat, (and uttering many other un|&s;eemly Speeches) which &s;he bore as long as &s;he could endure with a becoming patience, and &s;trove by gentle per&s;wa&s;ions and reproofs to win them to a reconcilement, and often with tears in her lovely eyes, &s;he would be apt to &s;ay, you &s;hould not methinks envy me at this rate, who never injured you, but &s;trive to do you all the good Offices I can. What if my Parents are as you &s;uppo&s;e them, mean, and I not &s;o well De&s;cended as your &s;elves, though in that you may be mi&s;taken; it might have been your Ca&s;e had Heaven &s;een fit, and had it been &s;o,
<PB REF="7"> tell me which of you would not have been aflict|ed to have been u&s;ed as you unkindly u&s;e me? The&s;e or the like Expre&s;&s;ions being uttered in vain, and many ways being contrived by her Ill-willers to di&s;courage tho&s;e Suitors that &s;ought her Love; &s;he being by this time Fif|teen years of Age, wherefore to end the &s;trife, and in hopes to be kindly u&s;ed among&s;t Stran|gers, &s;he re&s;olved to make it her Reque&s;t to her Parents, that &s;he might take her Lot in &s;earch of her Fortune&punc; The which &s;he did with tears in her eyes, telling them the cau&s;e, but they long time oppo&s;ed it; u&s;ing many arguments to per&s;wade her to the contrary: But finding the rea&s;ons &s;he urged weighty, and tending to her advantage, they left it to her di&s;cretion.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. VI. </HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>How the Blind-Beggars Daughter Left her Fathers Hou&s;e to &s;eek her Fortune, the rea&s;on why &s;he did it, and the Entertain|ment &s;he found.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THe Day being come that Pretty <HI>Betty</HI> the Blind Beggars Daughter &s;hould depart, being furni&s;hed with Cloaths, Money, &amp; other nece&s;&s;aries, &s;he fell upon her knees and craved her Parents Ble&s;&s;ing, which b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ing given, with many Prayers to Heaven for her Pro&s;perity, they took a &s;ad Farewell, and each betook them
<PB REF="7" MS="y"> <HI>viz. Monford</HI> to his Mumping Trade, his Wife to her Wheel, and the Daughter to &s;eek her Fortune.</P>
<P>Pretty <HI>Betty</HI> having left her Fathers Hou&s;e or rather Smoak-Loft, went pen&s;ive along the Road towards <HI>Stratford,</HI> as one not re&s;olved whether to go, but rather tru&s;ting Fortune and her good Angel to direct her; and &s;o travelling all night by the Light of the Moon, by Sun-Ri&s;e &s;he came to <HI>Rumford</HI> in <HI>E&s;&s;ex,</HI> where finding her &s;elf Faint, &s;he betook her &s;elf to an Inn, and there &s;itting down, called for &s;ome|what wherewith to refre&s;h her, looking pen&s;ive and &s;ad, and often &s;ighing at her hard fortune; which the Mi&s;tri&s;s of the hou&s;e percieving, as al&s;o her neat Guarb and mode&s;t Behaviour, be|gan to que&s;tion her, from whence &s;he was, or whether &s;he was bound? who told her &s;he was one that had been well educated by Indulgent Parents, but was now contrary to her former expectation, forced to &s;eek her Fortune; and that &s;he was Born near <HI>London:</HI> Vpon this the good woman being more and more taken with her Carriage, demanded if &s;he would be content to &s;tay with her till &s;he could better pro|vide for her advantage, and that &s;he would u&s;e her as a Daughter rather then a Servant; to this after a while having weighed and con&s;ider|ed it&punc; &s;he con&s;ented, and in the performance of
<PB REF="8"> what ever &s;he undertook, di&s;charged her &s;elf &s;o well that &s;he gained the love and applau&s;e of all that ob&s;erved her, in&s;omuch that her Name for Beauty and Ingenuity began to &s;pread, and a|bundance of Young men re&s;orted to the Hou&s;e, which created a great Trade, on purpo&s;e to &s;ee her, who generally took a likeing, for Nature had made her &s;o Lovely and Charming that &s;he could not but be admired, in&s;omuch that many of them as they found opportunity began to buz Love-Stories in her Ears, to which &s;he gave but little heed, till four Suitors of greater worth beat off the&s;e little A&s;&s;ailants, and layed a clo&s;er Siege, as the following Chapter will appear.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. VII. </HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>How Pritty <HI>Betty</HI> the Blind Beggers Daugh|ter Living in an Inn at <HI>Rumford,</HI> was cour|ted by divers per&s;ons of Good Birth and Fortune, &amp;c.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>IT being by this time &s;ecretly whi&s;pered that pretty <HI>Betty</HI> mu&s;t be more then &s;he &s;eemed as to her Parentage, it made her Reputation grow higher, in&s;omuch that the Inn-Keepers Son, a <HI>London</HI> Merchant, a Gentleman of a Good E&s;tate, and a Rich Knight, Courted her Favour; again&s;t who&s;e importunities &s;he ur|ged the meanne&s;s of her Birth, and inequality
<PB REF="8" MS="y"> of Fortune; intreating them if they were in <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">e&s;t as &s;he could not otherways imagine, to &s;pare the Blu&s;hes of an Innocent Maid, or if in earne&s;t, to con&s;ider how much whoever of them had her, would impair him&s;elf by &s;o une|qual a Match, and place his affection el&s;e where, lea&s;t he not meeting in her his expectation, his love after Marriage &s;hould decay and turn to Reproach, which &s;he &s;aid would break her poor Heart. This mode&s;t objection po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed them with further thoughts of her concealing the worth of her Birth and Parentage, and gave more Fuel to their pa&s;&s;ion; &s;o ea&s;ie is man to believe the thing he would have, in&s;omuch that they began to renew their prote&s;tations of Love <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">ndintire affection, offering her Rings, gloves <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nd Iewels, but &s;he would not accept them, <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">ea&s;t the taking the Gift without the Man might be prejudicial to her Fame; for all of <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">hem &s;he well knew &s;he could not have, or whe|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">her any of them, when they came to know <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">hat her Father was a Beggar would have her, <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">he could not well believe, though they &s;everally <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">romi&s;ed to Love her as dear as Life, and maintain her in the hight of Gallantry; who&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">ddre&s;&s;es her Ma&s;ter and Mi&s;tris &s;uffered for <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">he &s;ake of their Profit; yet &s;he growing con|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">cious of the injury &s;he might do them by hin|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1+ letters">ring their Fortunes, made a Re&s;olution to
<PB REF="9"> di&s;cover her Parents, and that way try the &s;incerity of their affections, and accordingly did it.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. VIII. </HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>How pretty <HI>Betty</HI> being Wooed by her Ma&s;ters Son, a Merchant, a Gentleman, and a Knight, upon her declaring her Pa|rentage, was Slighted by all but the Kt. and of the agreement &s;he made.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>OVr Beautiful Virgin being hardly pre&s;&s;ed for Love and enjoyment, found her &s;elf oblieged to take a cour&s;e that might rid her of her Lovers, or allot one of them to her &s;hare; wherefore &s;he told them &s;he was not really at her own di&s;po&s;al her Parents being alive, there|fore if they Loved her as they &s;aid, and &s;eeing but one could enjoy her, &s;he was contented her Father &s;hould choo&s;e for her, of who&s;e choice &s;he would approve.</P>
<P>This &s;et them in a manner at Daggers-Drawing who &s;hould get thither fir&s;t, but whither to go they knew not: Therefore de&s;i|red to be informed, every ones heart being fil|led with joy, not doubting to carry the prize; when thus &s;he began.</P>
<P><HI>My Parents Worthy Sirs, Live on <HI>Bednal-Green,</HI> my Father is the Beggar that is lead with a Dog and a Bell, Living upon the cha|rity
<PB REF="9"> of good people; and my Mother a poor Woman that Spins for bread, yet the&s;e are my Parents, therefore I will not be induced by any means, to Marry without their Con|&s;ent.</HI></P>
<P>This &s;truck our Gallants for a while as mute as a Mou&s;e in a Chee&s;e, after which they made &s;ome difficulty to believe it, &s;aying, it could not be, that &s;uch home-&s;pun Creatures could be the Parents of &s;o Beautiful a Maid; but &s;he in&s;i&s;ting on it, and giving them an ac|count of the Leaving them, and the rea&s;on, they began to &s;cratch their Noddles, and &s;tamp on the ground, drawing in their Horns fa&s;ter then they had put them out, the Merchant, the Gentleman, and the Inn-Keepers Son, &s;wear|ing if &s;o, it was no Wife for them, for they would not be No&s;ed with one of a Beggars de|gree, and &s;o they troopt off. But the Young Knight who was inflamed with Love, and ha|ving a great E&s;tate, &s;tood not upon intre&s;t &s;o much as plea&s;ing his Fancy; after he had pau|&s;ed a while, took the Blu&s;hing Maid by the hand, and &s;aid, <HI>you &s;ee my deare&s;t, how tho&s;e that Courted you in hopes you were a great Fortune, are vani&s;hed now they find their mi&s;take: Say, will you yield to one more con&s;tant, who truly loves you for your beau|ty and good Parts, and you &s;hall be without
<PB REF="10"> delay, &s;ole Mi&s;tris of him, and all that is his.</HI></P>
<P>To which &s;he an&s;wered with a Sigh, alas, Sir, I dare not expect &s;o great a happine&s;s, or if I dur&s;t, I would not di&s;po&s;e of my &s;elf even to you, who (though blu&s;hing) I mu&s;t confe&s;s I ever e&s;teemed above the re&s;t, without con&s;ent of my Parents, for though they are poor, they are my Parents &s;till.</P>
<P>This mode&s;ty kindled his pa&s;&s;ion more and more, wherefore after much di&s;cour&s;e, and ma|ny vows of Con&s;tancy, it was agreed that he &s;hould be ready with a Hor&s;e and Servants the next Morning early, and that &s;he would come to him, that they might Ride to <HI>Bednal-green</HI> to require the Old Man's con&s;ent; yet this was not carried &s;o &s;ecretly, but Spies being abroad <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">covered it, not onely to the Knights Vncl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> who managed his E&s;tate, to mo&s;t of the Young-Men of <HI>Rumford,</HI> who <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">e her admirers.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. IX. </HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>How pritty <HI>Betty</HI> Rode behind the Knight to her Fathers Hou&s;e, and what befell by the way, as al&s;o when &s;he arrived there, how her Father dropt Angels with the Knights Uncle that oppo&s;ed the Match.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>OVr Beautiful Virgin meeting her cour|teous Knight at the time and place ap|pointed,
<PB REF="10"> relying upon his Fidelity, made no &s;cruple to u&s;e his Servants help in &s;etting her behind him; but &s;carcely were they out of the Town, but the Knights Vncle coming to the Inn and finding neither of them there, &s;u&s;pected what had been told him to be true, and there|upon he followed to prevent the March, as al&s;o did divers Young-men who were deeply in love with her, to re&s;cue her from the Knight, whom they &s;uppo&s;ed had carried her away by force.</P>
<P>So that great was the hurry and confu&s;ion, and the Towns-Men taking the nearer way, got before him e're he arrived at <HI>Bednal-green,</HI> and fell upon him without giving <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">im leave to &s;pe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">k for him&s;elf, or &s;uffering hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Mi&s;tri&s;s to excu&s;e it; &s;o that there began a &s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="4 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">onflict, till &s;uch ti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">as divers per&s;ons that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">e tra|vell <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"> Road came in and parted them, where<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">y they came to a right under&s;tanding; which made tho&s;e that had mi&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ed him bee his Pardon, which he granted, and di&s;mi&s;&s;ing them, kept on his way, till coming to the Old Man's Door they allighted; which made h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">m upon the hearing of Hor&s;es trample, (being a thing very unu&s;ual) &s;tart from the Fire, and put <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">is head out of his Window, and not un|der&s;tanding the meaning of it, e're the Knights Vnckle came puffing and blowing at a &s;trange rate; <HI>Crying why how now Nephew, what's
<PB REF="11"> this I hear of you, are you mad to di&s;grace your family by marrying a Beggars-Brat, for &s;hame, for &s;hame, con&s;ider better then to make your &s;elf a Laughing-&s;tock to the World, by &s;uch an un&s;eemly Match: Pray how came this about you Baggage you? But however, I &s;ay Nephew, leave her, and I will provide you a Fortune, Rich, and Suit|table to your Condition.</HI></P>
<P>To this the Young Knight would have re|plyed, but the Begger growing Cho&s;terick to hear his Daughter &s;o u&s;ed, interrupted him.</P>
<P>I cannot &s;ays the Old man, &s;ee you at all, but Sir, (what ever you are) I hear you too much, and more then becomes a Civil Gentle|man; nor do I count my Girl &s;o mean, to &s;uffer her to be Railed on at my own Door; therefore pray Sir hold your pra<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ing, or I &s;hall feel for you, with my Staff: I have known the day, when a Taller Fellow then you, dur&s;t not have put me in a pa&s;&s;ion; If your Kin&s;-man does not think my Child a fit Match for him, let her alone, and welcome: But I think in Beauty, and good Breeding &s;he is not wanting. And as for Money, be it known to you, her Father is ready to drop Angels with you for his Girl, if you have any of your own; d'ye mark me there?</P>
<P>This &s;mart &s;peech, put the Gentlemen to
<PB REF="11"> a Non-plu&s;s for a while; but coming to mil|der terms, the dropping bui&s;ines was conclu|ded on.</P>
<P>And the Gentleman imediately &s;ending his Servants, to fetch what Gold he had, whil&s;t the Beggar from under a heap of Raggs, and Old-Shooes, pull'd out a Cats-kin or two &s;tuffed with Gold, whereby it appeared his Trade had been very advantageous; and each party being ready, they rained a golden &s;hower &s;o plentifully, that the Gentleman's Stock failed him, and the Begger not hearing it Chink, fell into a Laughter, and &s;aid, how now Sir, is your Money done &s;o &s;oon? I thought at fir&s;t you had more words then Mo|ney; pray for your Credits &s;ake, try your friends; for I have three or four Cats-kins with Golden Puddings in their Bellys yet: Indeed, &s;aid the Gentleman, I am content to own you have out-done me; and think you have the <HI>Philo&s;ophers-Stone,</HI> or keep a Fami|liar, to bring it you from the Golden-Moun|tains; But &s;eeing the World goes &s;o well with you. I &s;hall no further go about to per|&s;wade my Nephew from being your Son-in-Law; but begg pardon for what I have done: O do you &s;o, &s;aid the Begger; then things may be better perhaps then you expect; when turning to the Knight, gather up &s;aid he, the
<PB REF="12"> loo&s;e Corns I have &s;cattered, and here's a Cat-skin to make that up three Thou&s;and Pounds, be&s;ides a hundred more to buy her a Gown. Take this as her pre&s;ent Portion, and as you behave your &s;elf, expect more here|after: Remember I give her you, and with her my Ble&s;&s;ing; go to Church, and be Mar|ried, a Gods Name: Vpon which the Kt. and his fair Mi&s;tri&s;s falling on their Knees, gave him twenty thanks, and departed, whil&s;t tho&s;e that had been Suitors, hearing what had happened, were ready to Hang them&s;elves for madne&s;s.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. X. </HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>How pretty <HI>Betty</HI> was Married to the Kt. &amp; her true Pedigree di&s;covreed, together, with the Fe&s;tival and Joy that in&s;ued.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THings being come to this pa&s;s, great preperations were made for the Wed|ding; to which re&s;orted many worthy per&s;ona|ges, no co&s;t being &s;pared, either in ri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">h Ap|parel or &s;umptuous fare, whil&s;t the lovely Bride was led to Church by her worthy Bridegroom, fea&s;ting the Eyes of the b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hol|ders with her Beau<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">y; and when the &s;acred bands were ty'd, they return'd with the like Splendor to the place of Fe&s;tival, Excel|lently becoming and gracing what they
<PB REF="12"> wore, as if Nature had made her the mo&s;t exact pattern of Beauty; being arrived and the Tables &s;p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ead, the Bride now of a beg|gers Daughter made a Lady took her place, out-&s;hining other Beautys that were there as far as the Moon is out &s;hone by the Sun: and now nothing but the old Beggar and his Wife wanting, when they &s;oon came richly dre&s;&s;ed in &s;ilk and Velvet Imbroidered with Gold, &s;o that all things went on in Ioy and Merriment, and great was the &s;at|isfaction the company received in their re|pa&s;t, but more in the Mu&s;ik, Dancing, Ma&s;|querading, and the like; while the old Man had prepared to celebrate the happy Nup|tials, and in the end, craving attention, he Sung this SONG,
<Q><LG>
<L>You Gallants all that here are come,</L>
<L>to make this day more happy prove,</L>
<L>Know, though i'm blind I am not Dumb,</L>
<L>but wi&s;h you happine&s;s and Love:</L>
<L>The Bride, though her Birth &s;eem but mean</L>
<L>de&s;cended of a worthy Race;</L>
<L>Her Ance&s;tors they great have been,</L>
<L>if you her Pedigree do Trace.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Know, &s;he is <HI>Monfords</HI> Daughter fair,</L>
<L>who lo&s;t his &s;ight i'th Wars of <HI>France;</HI></L>
<L>Who ever &s;ince in begging here</L>
<L>did take his happy thriving chance:</L>
<PB REF="13">
<L>Con&s;ider Bridegroom, then her Birth,</L>
<L>whom &s;ome do think but mean and low</L>
<L>As much of Honour can bring forth</L>
<L>as you have power to &s;how.</L>
</LG></Q></P>
<P>The Name of <HI>Monford</HI> which had been held &s;o famous for Vertue and Valour in tho&s;e days, did not a little cau&s;e wonder in the hearers, who de&s;iring him to explain him|&s;elfe, he p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ainly told them his adventures in <HI>France</HI> and <HI>England,</HI> and how he took up the trade of Begging and the like, which c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">u&s;ed a general joy, &s;ince all that had formerly known him by that name, &s;uppo&s;ed him to be dead; and the Bridegroom was pronoun|ced now more happy then ever. So his <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ove|ly Bride, who&s;e birth and fortune equal<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ed his in all degrees; and &s;o old <HI>Monford</HI> pro|mi&s;ing, for the credit of his Daughter, to leave of the Beging trade, and live upon what he had got. The day was concluded, to the Ioy and &s;atisfaction of all Partys.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="13">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
