POOR BLACK BESS by ANONYMOUS

When fortune, blind goddess, she fled my abode,
Old friends proved ungrateful, I took to the road,
To plunder the wealthy to aid my distress,
I bought thee to aid me, my poor Black Bess.

When dark sable night its mantle had thrown
O'er the bright face of Nature how oft have we gone
To fam'd Hounslow Heath, tho' an unwelcome guest
To the minions of fortune, my poor Black Bess.

How silent thou stood when a carriage I've stopt,
And their gold and their jewels its inmates have dropt,
No poor man I plunder'd or e'er did oppress
The widow or orphan, my poor Black Bess.

When Argus-eyed justice did me hotly pursue,
From London to York like lightning we flew,
No toll-bar could stop thee, thou the river didst breast,
And in twelve hours reached it, my poor Black Bess.

But fate darkens o'er us, despair is my lot,
The law does pursue us, through a cock which I shot,
To save me, poor brute, thou didst do thy best,
Thou art worn out and weary, my poor Black Bess.

Hark the bloodhounds approach, they never shall have
A beast like thee noble, so faithful and brave,
Thou must die, my dumb friend, tho' it does me distress,
There, there, I have shot thee, my poor Black Bess.

And in after ages, when I'm dead and gone,
This tale will be handed from father to son,
My fate some may pity, but all will confess,
'Twas in kindness I killed thee, my poor Black Bess.

No one can say that ingratitude dwelt
In the bosom of Turpin, 'twas a vice he ne'er felt,
I shall die like a man, and soon be at rest,
Then farewell for ever, my poor Black Bess.

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