Geoffrey Chaucer - The Canterbury Tales

Table of Contents

WORKS

INTRODUCTION

ERRATA

ADDITIONS

'THE MINOR POEMS' IN VOL. I.

XXIV. WOMANLY NOBLESSE.

XXV. COMPLAINT TO MY MORTAL FOE.

XXVI. COMPLAINT TO MY LODE-STERRE.

NOTES TO THE PRECEDING POEMS.

THE CANTERBURY TALES.

THE KNIGHTES TALE.

THE MILLER'S PROLOGUE.

THE MILLERES TALE.

THE REEVE'S PROLOGUE

THE REVES TALE.

THE COOK'S PROLOGUE.

THE COKES TALE.

INTRODUCTION TO THE MAN OF LAW'S PROLOGUE.

THE TALE OF THE MAN OF LAWE.

THE SHIPMAN'S PROLOGUE.

THE SHIPMANNES TALE.

THE PRIORESS'S PROLOGUE

THE PRIORESSES TALE.

PROLOGUE TO SIR THOPAS.

SIR THOPAS.

PROLOGUE TO MELIBEUS.

THE TALE OF MELIBEUS.

THE MONK'S PROLOGUE.

THE MONKES TALE.

THE PROLOGUE OF THE NONNE PRESTES TALE.

THE NONNE PREESTES TALE.

EPILOGUE TO THE NONNE PREESTES TALE.

THE PHISICIENS TALE.

WORDS OF THE HOST.

THE PROLOGUE OF THE PARDONERS TALE.

THE PARDONERS TALE.

THE WIFE OF BATH'S PROLOGUE.

THE TALE OF THE WYF OF BATHE.

THE FRIAR'S PROLOGUE.

THE FRERES TALE.

THE SOMNOUR'S PROLOGUE

THE SOMNOURS TALE.

THE CLERK'S PROLOGUE.

THE CLERKES TALE.

THE MERCHANT'S PROLOGUE.

THE MARCHANTES TALE.

EPILOGUE TO THE MARCHANTES TALE.

THE SQUIERES TALE.

THE FRANKLIN'S PROLOGUE.

THE FRANKELEYNS TALE.

THE SECONDE NONNES TALE.

THE CANON'S YEOMAN'S PROLOGUE

THE CHANOUNS YEMANNES TALE.

THE MANCIPLE'S PROLOGUE.

THE MAUNCIPLES TALE.

THE PARSON'S PROLOGUE.

THE PERSONES TALE.

THE TALE OF GAMELYN.

Geoffrey Chaucer

OF

EDITED BY THE Rev. WALTER W. SKEAT,

§ 1. The Present Text.

The text of the 'Canterbury Tales,' as printed in the present volume, is an entirely new one, owing nothing to the numerous printed editions which have preceded it. The only exceptions to this statement are to be found in the case of such portions as have been formerly edited, for the Clarendon Press, by Dr. Morris and myself. The reasons for the necessity of a formation of an absolutely new text will appear on a perusal of the text itself, as compared with any of its predecessors.

On the other hand, it owes everything to the labours of Dr. Furnivall for the Chaucer Society, but for which no satisfactory results could have been obtained, except at the cost of more time and toil than I could well devote to the subject. In other words, my work is entirely founded upon the splendid 'Six-text' Edition published by that Society, supplemented by the very valuable reprint of the celebrated 'Harleian' manuscript in the same series. These Seven Texts are all exact reproductions of seven important MSS., and are, in two respects, more important to the student than the MSS. themselves; that is to say, they can be studied simultaneously instead of separately, and they can be consulted and re-consulted at any moment, being always accessible. The importance of such opportunities is obvious.

§ 2. The Manuscripts.

The following list contains all the MSS. of the existence of which I am aware. As to their types, see § 7.

I. MSS. in the British Museum.

1.Harl. 7334; denoted here by Hl.By Tyrwhitt called 'C.' A MS of the B-type (see below). Printed in full for the Chaucer Society, 1885. Collated throughout.

A MS. of great importance, but difficult to understand or describe. For the greater clearness, I shall roughly describe the MSS. as being of the A-type, the B-type, the C-type, and the D-type (really a second C-type). Of the A-type, the best example is the Ellesmere MS.; of the B-type, the best example is the Harleian MS. 7334; of the C-type, the Corpus and Lansdowne MSS.; the D-type is that exhibited by Caxton and Thynne in the early printed editions. They may be called the 'Ellesmere,' 'Harleian,' 'Corpus,' and 'Caxton' types respectively. These types differ as to the arrangement of the Tales, and even MSS. of a similar type differ slightly, in this respect, among themselves. They also frequently differ as to certain characteristic readings, although many of the variations of reading are peculiar to one or two MSS. only.

MS. Hl. contains the best copy of the Tale of Gamelyn, for which see p. 645; this Tale is not found in MSS. of the A-type. Moreover, Group G here precedes Group C and a large part of Group B, whereas in the Ellesmere MS. it follows them. In the Monk's Tale, the lines numbered B 3565-3652 (containing the Tales called the 'modern instances') immediately follow B 3564 (as in this edition), whereas in the Ellesmere MS. these lines come at the end of the Tale.

The 'various readings' of this MS. are often peculiar, and it is difficult to appraise them. I take them to be of two kinds: (i) readings which are better than those of the Six-text, and should certainly be preferred, such as halfe in A 8, cloysterlees in A 179, a (not a ful) in A 196, and the like; and (2) readings due to a terrible blundering on the part of the scribe, such as fleyng for flikeringe in A 1962, greene for kene in A 1966, and the like. It is, in fact, a most dangerous MS. to trust to, unless constantly corrected by others, and is not at all fitted to be taken as the basis of a text. For further remarks, see the description of Wright's printed edition at p. xvi.

As regards age, this MS. is one of the oldest; and it is beautifully written. Its chief defect is the loss of eight leaves, so that ll. 617-1223 in Group F are missing. It also misses several lines in various places; as A 2013-8, 2958, 3721-2, 4355, 4358, 4375-6, 4415-22; B 417, 1186-90, 1355, 1376-9, 1995, 3213-20, 4136-7, 4479-80; C 299, 300, 305-6, 478-9; D 575-584, 605-612, 619-626, 717-720; E 2356-7; F 1455-6, 1493-8; G 155, 210-216; besides some lines in Melibee and the Persones Tale. Moreover, it has nine spurious lines, D 2004 b , c , 2012 b , c , 2037 b , c 2048 b , c , F 592. These imperfections furnish an additional reason for not founding a text upon this MS.

2.Harl. 7335; by Tyrwhitt called 'A.' Of the B-type. Very imperfect, especially at the end. A few lines are printed in the Six-text edition to fill up gaps in various MSS., viz. E 1646-7, F 1-8, 1423-4, 1433-4, G 158, 213-4, 326-337, 432-3, 484. Collated so far.

3. Harl. 7333; by Tyrwhitt called 'E.' Of the D-type. One of Shirley's MSS. Some lines are printed in the Six-text edition, viz. B 4233-8, E 1213-44, F 1147-8, 1567-8, G 156-9, 213-4, 326-337, 432. It also contains some of the Minor Poems; see the description of MS. 'Harl.' in the Introduction to those poems in vol. i. [1]

4. Harl. 1758, denoted by Harl. at p. 645; by Tyrwhitt called 'F.' In Urry's list, i. Of the D-type, but containing Gamelyn. Many lines are printed in the Six-text, including the whole of 'Gamelyn.' It is freely used to fill up gaps, as B 1-9, 2096-2108, 3049-78, 4112, 4114, 4581-4636, &c.

5.Harl. 1239; in Tyrwhitt, 'I.' In Urry's list, ii. Imperfect both at beginning and end.

6.Royal 18 C II; denoted by Rl.; in Tyrwhitt, 'B.' In Urry, vii. Of the D-type, but containing Gamelyn. Used to fill up gaps in the Six-text; e.g. in B 1163-1190 (Shipman's Prologue, called in this MS. the Squire's Prologue), 2109-73, 3961-80, E 65, 73, 81, 143, G 1337-40, I 472-511. The whole of 'Gamelyn' is also printed from this MS. in the Six-text.

7.Royal 17 D xv; in Tyrwhitt, 'D.' In Urry, viii. Of the D-type, but containing Gamelyn. Used to fill up gaps in the Six-text; e.g. in B 2328-61, 3961-80, 4112, 4114, 4233-8, 4637-51, D 609-612, 619-626, 717-720, E 1213-44, F 1423-4, 1433-4, H 47-52; and in the Tale of Gamelyn.