Alphonso did thereto agree,
And with Ganselo went

To see the lady which he lov'd,
Which bred his discontent:
But when he cast his crystal eyes
Upon her angel hue,

The beauty of that lady bright
Did straight his heart subdue.

His gentle heart so wounded was
With that fair lady's face,
That afterwards he daily liv'd
In sad and woful case.

And of his grief he knew not how
Therefore to make an end,
For that he knew the lady's love
Was yielded to his friend.

Thus being sore perplexed in mind,

Upon his bed he lay,

Like one whom death and deep despair

Had almost worn away.

His friend Ganselo, that did see
His grief and great distress,

At length requested for to know,
His cause of heaviness.

With much ado at length he told

The truth unto his friend,

Who did relieve his inward woe

With comfort to the end;

Take courage then, dear friend, quoth he,
Though she through love be mine,
My right I will resign to thee,

The lady shall be thine.

You know our favours are alike,
Our speech also likewise,

This day in mine apparell

You shall yourself disguise,

And unto church then shall you go
Directly in my stead;

Lo, though my friends suppose 'tis I,
You shall the lady wed.

Alphonso was so well appaid,

And as they had decreed,

He went that day, and wedded plain
The lady there indeed :

But when the nuptial feast was done,
And Phoebus quite was fled,

The lady for Ganselo took

Alphonso to her bed.

That night they spent in pleasant sport,
And when the day was come,
A post for fair Alphonso came
To fetch him home to Rome.
Then was the matter plainly prov'd
Alphonso wedded was,

And not Ganselo to that dame,
Which brought great woe, alas!

Alphonso being gone to Rome
With this his lady gay,
Ganselo's friends and kindred all
In such a rage did stay,

That they deprived him of his wealth,
His land, and rich attire,

And banished him their country quite,

In rage and wrathful ire.

With sad and pensive thoughts, alas!

Ganselo wandered then,

Who was constrained through want to beg

Relief of many men:

In this distress oft would he

To Rome I mean to go

say

To seek Alphonso, my dear friend,
Who will relieve my woe.

To Rome when

poor Ganselo came,

And found Alphonso's place,

Which was so famous, huge, and fair,

Himself in such poor case,

He was ashamed to shew himself

In that his poor array,
Saying Alphonso knows me well
If he would come this way.

Therefore he staid within the street,
Alphonso then came by,

But heeded not Ganselo poor,
His friend that stood so nigh.
Which grieved Ganselo to the heart,
Quoth he, and is it so?

Doth proud Alphonso now disdain
His friend indeed to know.

In desperate sort away he went
Into a barn hard by,

And presently he drew his knife,
Thinking thereby to die.

And bitterly in sorrow there

He did lament and weep, And being over-weighed with grief, He there fell fast asleep.

While soundly there he sweetly slept,

Came in a murdering thief,

And saw a naked knife lie by

This man so full of grief;

The knife so bright he took up straight,

And went away amain,

And thrust it in a murder'd man
Which he before had slain.

And afterwards he went with speed
And put this bloody knife
Into his hand that sleeping lay,

To save himself from strife:
Which done, away in haste he ran,
And when that search was made,
Ganselo with his bloody knife,
Was for the murder staid,

And brought before the magistrate,
Who did confess most plain,

That he indeed with that same knife
The murder'd man had slain.

Alphonso sitting with the judge,
And knowing Ganselo's face,
To save his friend did say himself
Was guilty in that case