THENEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 85765 ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS. 1897. . LENOX LIBRARY NEW YORK PREFACE N this edition of Chaucer's poetical works Tyrwhitt's text has been replaced by one based upon manuscripts where such are known to exist. The various manuscript collections in the library of the British Museum, and in the University libraries of Oxford and Cambridge were carefully examined and compared before any special selection was made. No better manuscript of the Canterbury Tales could be found than the Harleian manuscript, 7334, which is far more uniform and accurate than any other I have examined; it has, therefore, been selected, and faithfully adhered to throughout as the text of the present edition. Many clerical errors and corrupt readings have been corrected by collating it, line for line, with the Lansdowne MS. 851, which, notwithstanding its provincial peculiarities, contains many excellent readings, some of which have been adopted in preference to those of the Harl. MS. In all doubtful or difficult passages reference has been made to the manuscripts consulted by Tyrwhitt, as well as to some few others in the British Museum collections. By this means many errors of the original scribe have been avoided, and some few lines have had a little additional light thrown upon them; among which we may instance the following: 1. "In goth the speres ful sadly in arest." Knigtes Tale, ii. 80, 1744." The MS. reads In goth the speres into the rest;" and Tyrwhitt reads "In gon the speres sadly in the rest."2 2. "Povert is hatel good, and, as I gesse A ful gret brynger out of busynesse." The Wyf of Bathes Tale, ii. 242, Il. 339, 340. The MS. reads "Povert is hateful, and, &c." Tyrwhitt reads Povert is hateful good." These lines occur, in a well-known passage in praise of poverty, which the Poet says "maketh a man his God, and eke himself to know." The reading hateful, therefore, does not strike one as very appropriate and in the text "hatel" has been adopted from the Lansdowne manuscript as more suitable to the context; hatel good corresponds to our expression a bitter sweet," hatel signifying sharp, severe, a word not at all uncommon in early English writers. Tyrwhitt, who exhibits great judgment in the readings adopted in his text, seems to have been unable to deal with the following passage, which The arest the support for the spear. 2 In the "Flower and the Leaf," Speght reads 66 and lightly laid a spere In the rest; and so justes began." I have not hesitated to print (iv. 96. 282.) "In the | arest | and so | justes | began." |