THE

POETICAL WORKS

OF

GEOFF. CHAUCER.

IN FOURTEEN VOLUMES.

THE MISCELLANEOUS PIECES

From Urry's Edition 1721,

THE CANTERBURY TALES

From Tyrwhitt's Edition 1775.

Grete well CHAUCER whan ye mete---

Of ditees and of fonges glade,

The which he---made,

The londe fullfilled is over all.

GOWER.

My maifter CHAUCER---chiefe poete of Bretayne----
Whom all this londe fchulde of ryght preferre,

Sith of our langage he was the lode-fierre----
That made firft to dyftylle and rayne

The gold dewe dropys of ipeche and eloquence
Into our tunge thrugh his excellence.

The honour of English tong is dede---

My mayfler CHAUCER, floure of eloquence,
Mirrour of fructuous entendement,

Univerfel fadir in fcience---

LYDGATE.

This londis verray trefour and richefe---

The firfte fynder of our fayre langage.

OCCLEVE.

Venerabill CHAUCER, principall poete but pere,

Hevinly trumpet, orlege and regulere,

In eloquence balme, copdigt and diall,
Mylky fountane, clere Arand, grú reis riall,
Of frefche endite throw, Alpicua ijand braid.

O reverend CHAUCER: role of rethouris all,
As in oure toung flour imperial

That raife in Brittane evir, quha reidis right
Thou beiris of Makers the triumphs royall,
The frefche enamilt termes celeftiall:
This mater couth haifillurninit full bricht,
Was thou nocht, of our Inglis all the light,
Surmounting every toung terrestriall
As far as Mayi's morrow dois midnight.

VOL. III.

EDINBURG:

DOUGLAS.

DUNBAR.

AT THE Apollo Press, BY THE MARTINS.
Anno 1782.

THE

POETICAL WORKS

OF

GEOFFREY CHAUCER.

VOL. III.

CONTAINING HIS

CANTERBURY TALES, viz.

THE WIF OF BATHES TALE,
THE FRERES TALE,

THE SOMPNOURES TALE,

THE CLERKES TALE,
THE MARCHANTES TALE,
THE SQUIERES TALE,

&c. &c. &c.

But natheles certain

I can right now no thrifty Tale fain,
But CHAUCER, (though he can but lewedly
On metres and on riming craftily)

Hath fayd hem in fwiche English as he can
Of olde time, as knoweth many a man ;
And if he have not fayd hem, leve brother,

In book, he hath fayd hem in another---

Who fo that wol his large Volume feke. TALES, ver. 44654
Dan CHAUCER, well of English undefil'd,

On Fame's eternal bead-roll worthy to be fil'd----
Old Dan Geffrey, in whofe gentle spright
The pure well-head of poetry did dwell....
He whilst he lived was the foveraigne head

CHAUCER, him who firft with harmony inform'd

The language of our fathers... His legends blithe

He fang of love or knighthood, or the wiles

Of homely life, thro' each eflate and age
The faihions and the follies of the world
With cunning hand portraying-----

Him who in times-----

Dark and untaught began with charming verfe

To tame the rudeness of his native land.

EDINBURG:

AXENSIDE.

AT THE Apollo Prefs, BY THE MARTINS.
Anno 1782.

Libris

1

Frederick
Lyman
Geddes