Chaucer's Works (ed. Skeat) Vol. I

by Geoffrey Chaucer

Vol. I. Frontispiece

Vol. I. Frontispiece.
GEOFFREY CHAUCER: FROM MS. HARL. 4866

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THE COMPLETE WORKS

OF

GEOFFREY CHAUCER

EDITED, FROM NUMEROUS MANUSCRIPTS

BY THE

Rev. WALTER W. SKEAT, M.A.
Litt.D., LL.D., D.C.L., Ph.D.
ELRINGTON AND BOSWORTH PROFESSOR OF ANGLO-SAXON
AND FELLOW OF CHRIST'S COLLEGE,
CAMBRIDGE

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*

ROMAUNT OF THE ROSE

MINOR POEMS

——'blanda sonantibus
Chordis carmina temperans.'
Boethius, De Cons. Phil. Lib. III. Met. 12.

'He temprede hise blaundisshinge songes by resowninge strenges.'
Chaucer's Translation.

SECOND EDITION

Oxford

AT THE CLARENDON PRESS

MDCCCXCIX

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CONTENTS

^*_*^* The Portrait of Chaucer in the frontispiece is noticed at p. lix.

General Introduction
Life of Chaucer
List of Chaucer's Works
Errata and Addenda
Introduction to the Romaunt of the Rose.—§ 1. Why (the chief part of) the Romaunt of the Rose is not Chaucer's. § 2. The English Version of the Romaunt. § 3. Internal evidence. § 4. Dr. Lidner's opinion. § 5. Dr. Kaluza's opinion. The three Fragments. § 6. Discussion of Fragment B. Test. I.—Proportion of English to French. § 7. Test II.—Dialect. § 8. Test III.—The Riming of -y with -yë. § 9. Test IV.—Assonant Rimes. § 10. Result: Fragment B is not by Chaucer. § 11. Discussion of Fragment C. § 12. Rime-tests. § 13. Further considerations. § 14. Result: Fragment C is not by the author of Fragment B, and perhaps not by Chaucer. § 15. Discussion of Fragment A. (1) Rimes in -y. (2) Rimes in -yë § 16. No false rimes. § 17. The three Fragments seem to be all distinct. § 18. Fragment A is probably Chaucer's. § 19. Summary. § 20. Probability of the results. § 21. The external evidence. § 22. The Glasgow MS. § 23. Th.—Thynne's Edition; 1532. § 24. Reprints. § 25. The Present Edition. § 26. Some corrections. § 27. The French Text. §§ 28, 29. Brief Analysis of the French Poem: G. de Lorris. § 30. Jean de Meun; to the end of Fragment B. § 31. Gap in the Translation. § 32. Fragment C. § 33. Chaucer's use of 'Le Roman.' § 34. Méon's French text
Introduction to the Minor Poems.—§ 1. Principles of selection. § 2. Testimony of Chaucer regarding his Works. § 3. Lydgate's List. § 4. Testimony of Shirley. § 5. Testimony of Scribes. § 6. Testimony of Caxton. § 7. Early Editions of Chaucer. § 8. Contents of Stowe's Edition (1561): Part I.—Reprinted Matter. § 9. Part II.—Additions by Stowe. § 10. Part I. discussed. § 11. Part II. discussed. § 12. Poems added by Speght. § 13. Poems added by Morris. § 14. Description of the MSS. List of the MSS. § 15. Remarks on the MSS. at Oxford. § 16. MSS. at Cambridge. § 17. London MSS. § 18. I.—A. B. C. § 19. II.—The Compleynt unto Pitè. § 20. III.—The Book of the Duchesse. § 21. IV.—The Compleynt of Mars. § 22. V.—The Parlement of Foules. § 23. VI.—A Compleint to his Lady. § 24. VII.—Anelida and Arcite. § 25. VIII. Chaucers Wordes unto Adam. § 26. IX.—The Former Age. § 27. X.—Fortune. § 28. XI.—Merciless Beauty. § 29. XII.—To Rosemounde. § 30. XIII.—Truth. § 31. XIV.—Gentilesse. § 32. XV.—Lak of Stedfastnesse. § 33. XVI—Lenvoy to Scogan. § 34. XVII.—Lenvoy to Bukton. § 35. XVIII.—Compleynt of Venus. § 36. XIX.—The Compleint to his Purse. § 37. XX.—Proverbs. § 38. XXI.—Against Women Unconstaunt. § 39. XXII.—An Amorous Complaint. § 40. XXIII.—Balade of Compleynt. § 41. Concluding Remarks
The Romaunt of the Rose.
Fragment A. (with the French Text)
Fragment B. (containing Northern forms)
Fragment C.
The Minor Poems.
I.	An A. B. C. (with the French original)
II.	The Compleynte unto Pitè
III.	The Book of the Duchesse
IV.	The Compleynt of Mars
V.	The Parlement of Foules
VI.	A Compleint to his Lady
VII.	Anelida and Arcite
VIII.	Chaucers Wordes unto Adam
IX.	The Former Age
X.	Fortune
XI.	Merciles Beautè
XII.	Balade to Rosemounde
XIII.	Truth
XIV.	Gentilesse
XV.	Lak of Stedfastnesse
XVI.	Lenvoy to Scogan
XVII.	Lenvoy to Bukton
XVIII.	The Compleynt of Venus (with the French original)
XIX.	The Compleint of Chaucer to his empty Purse
XX.	Proverbs of Chaucer
XXI.	Appendix: Against Women Unconstaunt
XXII.	An Amorous Complaint
XXIII.	A Balade of Compleynt
Notes to the Romaunt of the Rose
Notes to the Minor Poems
I.	An A. B. C.
II.	The Compleynte unto Pitè
III.	The Book of the Duchesse
IV.	The Compleynt of Mars
V.	The Parlement of Foules
VI.	A Compleint to his Lady
VII.	Anelida and Arcite
VIII.	Chaucers Wordes unto Adam
IX.	The Former Age
X.	Fortune
XI.	Merciles Beautè
XII.	Balade to Rosemounde
XIII.	Truth
XIV.	Gentilesse
XV.	Lak of Stedfastnesse
XVI.	Lenvoy to Scogan
XVII.	Lenvoy to Bukton
XVIII.	The Compleynt of Venus
XIX.	The Compleint of Chaucer to his empty Purse
XX.	Proverbs of Chaucer
XXI.	Against Women Unconstaunt
XXII.	An Amorous Complaint
XXIII.	A Balade of Compleynt