Classic Poem

In Stately Roome sometime did dwell
a man of worthy ffame,
who had a sonne of ffeatures rare,
Alphonso called by name.
when hee was growne & come to age,
his ffather thought itt best
to send his sonnes to Athens ffaire,
where wisdomes Schoole did rest.

He sent him vnto Athens towne,
good letters for to learne;
a place to boord him w i th delight
his ffreinds did well discerne;

a noble k night of Athens towne
of him did take the charge,
who had a sonne G ANSELO cald,
iust of his pitch and age

In stature & in p er son both,
in ffauor, speech, and fface,
in quality & condityon eke,
the greed in euery case;
soe like they were in all respects,
the one vnto the other,
they were not knowne, but by their names,
of ffather nor of mother.

And as in ffauor they were found
alike in all respects,
euen soe they did most deerly loue,
as proued by good effects.
G ANSELO loued a Lady faire
w hi ch did in Athens dwell,
who was in bewtye peereles found,
soe ffarr shee did excell.

vpon a time itt chanced soe,
as ffancy did him moue,
tha t hee wold visitt for delight
his Lady and his loue;
& to his true and ffaithfull ffreind
he did declare the same,
asking of him if hee wold see
tha t ffaire & comely dame.

Alphonso did therto agree,
& w i th G ANSELO went
to see the Lady whom hee loued,
w hi ch bred his discontent:
ffor when he cast his christall eyes
vpon her angells hue,
the bewty of tha t Lady bright
[Did strait] his hart subdue.

[His gentle Heart so wounded] was
w i th tha t ffaire L[ady's] face
tha t affter ward hee daylye liued
in sad & woefull case;
& of his greeffe he knew not how
therof to make an end,
ffor tha t hee knew the Ladyes loue
was yeelded to his ffreind.

Thus being sore p er plext in mind,
vpon his bed hee lay
like one w hi ch death & deepe dispaire
had almost worne away.
his ffreind G ANSELO , tha t did see
his greeffe and great distresse,
att lenght requested ffor to know
his cause of heauinesse.

w i th much adoe att lenght he told
the truth vnto his ffreind,
who did release his inward woe
w i th comfort in the end:
" take courage then, deere freind! " q uo th hee;
" though shee through loue be mine,
my right I will resigne to thee,
the Lady shalbe thine.

" You know our ffauors are alike,
our speech alike likwise;
this day in mine apparrell then
you shall your selfe disguise,
& unto church then shall you goe
directly in my stead;
soe though my ffreinds suppose tis I,
you shall the Lady wedd. "

Alphonso was ffull well apayd;
& as they had decreed,
he went next day, & weded plaine
the ladye there indeed.
But when the nuptyall feast was done,
& Phebus light was ffled,
the Lady for G ANSELO tooke
Alfonso to her bed.

That night they spent in pleasing sort,
& when the day was come,
a post ffor ffaire Alfonso came
to ffeitch him home to Roome.
then was the matter plainly proued,
Alfonso weded was,
& [not] G ANSELO , to tha t dame;
w hi ch brought great woe, alas!

Alfonso being gone to Roome
w i th this his lady gay,
Ganselos ffreinds & kinred all
in such a rage did staye
tha t they depriued [him] of his welth
his lands & rich attire,
& banisht him their country eke
in rage & wrathefull Ire.

w i th sad & pensiue thought, alas!
Ganselo wanderd then,
who was constrained through want to begg
releeffe of many men.
In this distresse oft wold he say
" to Roome I mean to goe,
to seeke Alfonso, my deere ffreind,
who will releeue my woe. "

To Roome when pore Ganselo came,
& found Alfonsoes place,
w hi ch was soe ffamous, huge, & faire,
himselfe in such poore case,
he was ashamed to shew himselfe
in tha t his poore array,
saying, " Alfonso knowes me well
if he shold come this way; "

wherfore he staid w i thin the street.
Alfonso then came by,
but heeded non Ganselo pore,
his ffreind tha t stood soe nye;
w hi ch greeued Ganselo to the hart:
q uo th hee, " and is itt soe?
doth proud Alfonso now disdaine
his freind in need to know? "

In desp er att s[ort away he went]
into a barne hard by,
& presently he drew his k[niffe,]
thinking therby to dye;
& bitterlye in sorrow there
he did lament & weepe;
& being o ue rwayd w i th greeffe,
he ffell full fast asleepe.

while soundly there he sweetly slept,
came in a murthering theeffe,
w hi ch saw a naked kniffe lye by
this man soe ffull of greeffe.
the kniffe soe bright he tooke vp straight,
& went away amaine,
& thrust itt in a murthered man
w hi ch hee beffore had slaine;

And affterward hee went w i th speede,
& put this bloody kniffe
into his hand, tha t sleeping lay,
to saue himselfe ffrom striffe.
w hi ch done, in hast away he ran;
& when tha t serch was made,
G ANSELO w i th his bloody kniffe
was ffor the murther stayde,

And brought befor the Magistrates,
who did confesse most plaine
tha t hee indeed w i th that same kniffe
the murthered man had slaine.
Alfonso sitting there as iudge,
& knowing G ANSELOS fface,
to saue his ffreind, did say himselfe
was guilty in tha t case.

" None, " q uo th Alfonso, " killed the man,
my lords, but only I;
& therfore sett this poore man ffree,
& lett me iustly dye. "
thus while for death these ffaith-ffull freinds
in striuing did p ro ceed,
the man before the senate came
w hi ch did the ffacte indeed,

Who being moued w i th remorse
their ffaith-ffull harts to see,
did proue before the judges plaine
none did the deed but hee.
thus when the truth was plainly told,
of all sids ioy was seene;
Alfonso did imbrace his freind
w hi ch had soe wofull beene.

In rich array he clothed him,
as fitted his degree,
& helpt him to his lands againe
& fformer dignitye.
the murtherrer he ffor telling truth
was p ar doned att that time,
who afterward lamented much
this foule & greiuous crime.