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Transcriber's note: A few typographical errors have been corrected: they are listed at the end of the text.
In this text [*e] represents the "schwa" or unvoiced vowel, printed as inverted-e, and [gh] represents the Middle English letter "yogh", similar to the numeral 3. [=a] signifies "a macron"; [)u] "u breve"; [o,] "o with Ogonek"; and so forth.
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
'hit oghte thee to lyke; For hard langage and hard matere Is encombrous for to here At ones; wost thou not wel this?' _Hous of Fame_; 860
PRINTED AT THE CLARENDON PRESS BY HORACE HART, M.A., PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY
INTRODUCTION.--§ 1. Some points for discussion. § 2. Canon of Chaucer's Works. Thynne's edition of 1532. § 3. Later reprints. § 4. Tyrwhitt's edition; and his endeavours to establish a canon. § 5. The same; continued. § 6. Chalmers' edition. § 7. The anonymous edition of 1845; published by Moxon. § 8. This edition due to Tyrwhitt's suggestions. § 9. Later work; results arrived at by Prof. Lounsbnry. § 10. Some of The Minor Poems in The present edition. § 11. The Poem no. XXIV. § 12. Poems numbered XXIII, XXV, and XXVI. § 13. The text of the Canterbury Tales; lines 'clipped' at The beginning. § 14. The Harleian MS. § 15. The Ellesmere MS. § 16. The old black-letter editions. § 17. Stowe's edition in 1561. § 18. Dryden's remarks on Chaucer's verse. § 19. Brief rules for scansion. § 20. Accentuation. § 21. Examples. § 22. Old pronunciation. § 23. Modernising of spelling. § 24. Sources of The Notes; acknowledgments ix
NOTES TO GROUP A 1 THE GENERAL PROLOGUE 1 THE KNIGHTES TALE 60 THE MILLER'S PROLOGUE 95 THE MILLERES TALE 96 THE REVE'S PROLOGUE 112 THE REVES TALE 116 THE COOK'S PROLOGUE 128 THE COKES TALE 129
NOTES TO GROUP B 132 INTRODUCTION TO THE MAN OF LAWES TALE 132 PROLOGUE TO THE MAN OF LAWES TALE 141 THE TALE OF THE MAN OF LAWE 145 THE SHIPMAN'S PROLOGUE 165 THE SHIPMANNES TALE 168 THE PRIORESS'S PROLOGUE 173 THE PRIORESSES TALE 174 PROLOGUE TO SIR THOPAS 182 THE TALE OF SIR THOPAS 183 PROLOGUE TO MELIBEUS 201 THE TALE OF MELIBEUS 201 THE MONK'S PROLOGUE 224 THE MONKES TALE 227 THE NONNE PRESTES PROLOGUE 247 THE NONNE PREESTES TALE 248 EPILOGUE 258