CHAUCER THE SQUIERES TALE WITH LIFE, GRAMMAR, NOTES, AND AN W. & R. CHAMBERS 27976.f.2 And kisse the steps whereas thou seest pace In English, and in writing of our tong, That thou be understond, I God beseech. CHAUCER, Troilus and Creseide, Bk. v., 1798-1810. PREFACE. THE study of Chaucer is now generally recognised as one of the best means of introduction to a knowledge of the English language and of English literature. In him there first appeared a standard English language, and his superiority over his predecessors is as much in the substance of his poetry as in his style. He is the father of all succeeding English poetry, the 'well of English undefiled,' the maker of an epoch and the founder of a poetical tradition continued and handed down to us by Spenser, Shakspeare, and Milton. The present volume contains the Squieres Tale, a fragment of rare poetical excellence, which serves as an excellent introduction to Chaucer's verse. It is the only one of the Canterbury Tales which borrows its subject from Eastern romance, and it is written throughout in an elevated strain of poetry which we know to have exercised a spell over the imagination of Milton. A Life of the poet has been given, as well as a brief account of Chaucer's grammar and versification. The notes deal with the difficulties which occur in the poem, and the Glossary has been constructed so as not merely to give the meanings and etymology of words, but to serve as an index to the line in which the word occurs. The basis of the present text is the Ellesmere MS. as printed in Mr Furnivall's SixText Edition for the Chaucer Society, with a few readings adopted from the other five MSS., and from the Harleian MS. as printed by Dr Morris in the Aldine edition of Chaucer's works. The orthography has been improved in some instances by collation with the other MSS. on the principle of making as few changes as possible, so that the present edition may be accepted as substantially a transcript of the Ellesmere MS., which is now generally accepted as the most satisfactory of the seven, and the spelling of which is upon a tolerably uniform system. THE LIFE OF CHAUCER. 1. His Time.-CHAUCER'S LIFE AND WORKS belong to one of the greatest epochs of English History. The Elizabethan period, when England was strong both at home and abroad, and when the English drama was at its best; and the present Victorian period, when there exists everywhere unexampled activity both in literature and in science-are the only two epochs that can be compared with it. His life lay within the reigns of Edward III., Richard II., and one year of Henry IV. In the reign of Edward III. the nation-which consisted of two elements, the Norman and the Saxon-grew into one people; and the language, which had been gradually absorbing as much Norman-French as it could hold, became the ready and powerful instrument of a new literature. The year 1362 marks an important point in the history of the English Language. For in that year Edward III. passed an act of parliament authorising the use of English instead of French in courts of law, in schools, and in other public places. This is sufficient proof that the nation had become truly English. In 1380, the Bible was translated into English by Wicliffe; and this translation had a permanent effect on the character of English prose. Moreover, great events of all kinds were lifting men's minds, enlarging their ideas, and inspiring their souls: the battles of Crecy (1346) and Poitiers (1356) had been fought; the art of weaving cloth was introduced from Flanders; Windsor Castle was growing into the most splendid pile in the west of Europe; gunpowder had lately been invented; Londoners had seen two kings, the king of Scotland and the king of France, prisoners in their capital; and everywhere new powers and new ideas were stirring throughout the kingdom. And then the time was quite ready to welcome the 'ditties and songës glad,' with which Chaucer fulfilled the land over all'* even in the flower of his youth. 2. His Birth and Parentage.-GEOFFREY CHAUCER was born * Everywhere. |