| NOW of my sweet Betty I must speak in praise; | |
| I never did see such a lass in my days: | |
| She is kind and loving, and constant to me: | |
| Wherefore I will speak of my pretty Betty. | |
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| Betty is comely, and Betty is kind; | 5 |
| Besides, she is pretty, and pleaseth my mind: | |
| She is a brave bonny lass, lovely and free; | |
| The best that ere was is my pretty Betty. | |
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| Her hair it doth glister like to threads of gold; | |
| All those that do meet her admire to behold: | 10 |
| Her they take for Juno, so glorious seems she, | |
| More brighter than Luna is pretty Betty, | |
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| Her eyes they do twinkle like stars in the sky: | |
| She is without wrinkle; her forehead is high: | |
| Fair Venus for beauty the like cannot be; | 15 |
| Thus I show my duty to pretty Betty. | |
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| She hath fine cherry cheeks and sweet coral lips: | |
| There is many one seeks, love with kisses and clips; | |
| But she, like Diana, flies their company; | |
| She is my Tytana, my pretty Betty. | 20 |
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| Her chin it is dimpled, her visage is fair; | |
| She is finely templed; she is neat and rare; | |
| If Helen were living she could not please me; | |
| I joy in praise giving, my pretty Betty. | |
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| Her skin white as snow, her breast soft as down, | 25 |
| All her parts below they are firm and sound; | |
| She’s chaste in affection as Penelope. | |
| Thus ends the complexion of pretty Betty. | |
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| THE SECOND PART Now of her conditions something I’ll declare, | |
| For some have suspicions, she’s false, being fair: | 30 |
| But she’s not falsehearted in any degree; | |
| I’m glad I consorted with pretty Betty. | |
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| Her words and her actions they are all as one, | |
| And all her affection is on me alone: | |
| She hates such as vary from true constancy; | 35 |
| Long I must not tarry from pretty Betty. | |
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| “Well met, my sweet honey, my joy and delight! | |
| Oh how hath my cony dove ere since last night? | |
| Oh what says my dearest,—what sayest to me?” | |
| Of all maids the rarest is pretty Betty. | 40 |
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| SHE: | “Kind love, thou art welcome to me day and night; | |
| Why came you not home? I did long for your sight: | |
| My joy and my pleasure is only in thee: | |
| Thou art all the treasure of pretty Betty. | |
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| “Hadst thou not come quickly I think I should die; | 45 |
| For I was grown sickly, and did not know why. | |
| Now thou art my doctor and physic to me; | |
| In love thou art proctor for pretty Betty. | |
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| “Sweet, when shall we marry and lodge in one bed? | |
| Long I cannot carry, not my maidenhead: | 50 |
| And there’s none shall have the same, but only thee; | |
| ’Tis thee that I crave to love pretty Betty.” | |
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| HE: | “Bess, be thou contented, we’ll quickly be wed; | |
| Our friends are consented to all hath been said: | |
| Thou shalt be my wife ere much older I be, | 55 |
| And I’ll lead my life with pretty Betty.” | |
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| These lovers were married and immediately; | |
| And all was well carried; they lived lovingly: | |
| Let fair maids prove constant, like pretty Bessy, | |
| Fine Bess hath the praise on’t and worth it is she. | 60 |
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