John Clare - The Beautiful Stranger lyrics

I cannot know what country owns thee now With France's forest lilies on thy brow When England knew thee thou wert pa**ing fair I never knew a foreign face so rare The world of waters rolls and rushes bye Nor lets me wander where thy vallies lie But surely France must be a pleasant place That greets the stranger with so fair a face The English maiden blushes down the dance But few can equal the fair maid of France I saw thee lovely and I wished thee mine And the last song I ever wrote is thine Thy country's honour on thy face attends Men may be foes but beauty makes us friends