Canterbury tales; with an essay upon his language and versification, an introductory discourse, notes, and a glossary

Robarts - University Of Toronto, Geoffrey Chaucer, Thomas Tyrwhitt

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• Publié par: foom
• Nombre de lectures: 16
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 19 Mo

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FROM A M.S. OF HOCCLETES POEMS.IK THE HABLEIAN ilBRARY.THE CANTERBURY TALES CHAUCER; WITH AN ESSAY UPON HISLANGUAGEAND VERSIFICATION, AN INTRODUCTORY DISCOURSE, NOTES, AND A GLOSSARY, BY T. ESQ.TYRWHITT, VOL. i. LONDON : PRINTED LINCOLN'S-INN FIELDS;FOR W. 31,PICKERING, AND R. AND S, STRAND.PftOWETT, 269, MDCCCXX1I.T. WHITE & Co Prinun, 14, Ecu Alley, ICONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME. The Preface iPage to the Preface.App^adix Account of former Editionsof the Tales x(A.) Canterbury List of MSS. or with theAbcollated, consulted,(B.) breviations which are cited xxviby they Abstract of the Historical of the Life of(C.) Passages Chaucer xxix Au Account of the Works of Chaucer to which the Glossary is and of those other Pieces which have beentadapted j intermixed with his in the Editions xliimproperly An on the and Versification of Chaucer. ... 1Essay Language An Discourse to the Tales 96Introductory Canterbury The * 163Prologue 164Character ofthe Knight the 166Squier the Yeman 167Knightes the Prioresse ibid. the Monk 169 171theFrere 173the Marchant the 174Clerk of Oxenforde the 175ofLaweSergeantVI CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME. Character ofthe Frankeleiu 176Page the Haberdasher, Webbe,Carpenter, Deyer, and 177Tapiser the Coke 178 the ibid.Sbipman the Doctour of 179Physike the WifofBathe 181 the Persone 182 the 184Ploughman the Miller ibid. the 185Manciple 186the.Reve the 188Sompnour the Pardoner 189 The Tale 197Knightes To the Binder. The Portrait of toChaucer face Title, Vol. I. The Vol. I.Canterbury Pilgrimage, p. 163,THE PREFACE.* THE first of this was toobject publication give the text of THE CANTERBURY TALES as correct as the Mss. within the reach of the Editor would enable him to make it. The account of former in theEditions, Appendix to this Preface will that this had(A), shew, object hitherto been either or at leastentirely neglected, The Editor therefore very imperfectly pursued. ifhas as his author had never beenproceeded pub before. He has formed the textlished throughout from the Mss. and has little to the readpaid regard of the two eachedition, Caxton,ings any except by ofwhich now be considered as amay Manuscript. the thisA List of Mss. orcollated, consulted, upon occasion is subjoined (B). to make theIn order use ofthese toMss.,proper unravel the confusions of their and to orthography, between a number of variousjudge great readings, it was to into the state ofour lan necessary enquire and versification at the time when Chaucerguage and as much as was into thewrote, also, possible, To the Edition of 17758. bVOL. I.11 PREFACE. ofhis and ofmannerpeculiarities style composition. Nor was it less to examine with some atnecessary the work now intended to betention ;republished to draw a line between the whichimperfections, be left in it theto have been aumay supposed by and those which have into it since tothor, ;crept the where the author as andistinguish parts appears from those where he is a translainventor, merely or imitator and the whole to tracetor, ; throughout his allusions to a of books and ob variety forgotten solete customs. As a certain of informadegree tion all these will be found to be necesupon points even for the of the talesreadingsary Canterbury with and the Editorintelligence satisfaction, hopes be for that thehe shall excused supposing, majo of his readers will not be with hisdispleasedrity the labour of their ento shorten at leastattempt before them such of the repartsquiries, by laying as he will besult of his own researches, judges most conducive to that He has thereforepurpose. AN ESSAY* ON THE LAN-added to the 1.text, * 62. is a short view of EnIn this 39 containedESSAY, p. to the time of the trouble ofChaucer,Poetry compilingglish the Editor have saved if he hadwhich himself,might perhaps that Mr. Warton's HISTORY OF ENGLISH POETRYforeseen, have so soon. Both the and the Introwould appeared Essay Discourse were before Mr. Warton's book wasductory printedPREFACE. Ill GUAGE VERSIFICATION OFAND CHAUCER <2. ANJ INTRODUCTORY DISCOURSE TO THE CANTERBURY and 3.TALES; into which he has thrownNOTES, an account of the most material various ;readings illustrations of and;particular passages explana tions of the most uncommon words and phrases, such as are or ill inomitted,especially explained, to andthe Edition, does not reGlossary Urry's collect to have deviated from the Mss. (except, final nthe to a fewperhaps, by adding very words) in one of which the reader is not adinstance,any vertised in the notes. With to a life of he afterChaucer, found,respect a reasonable waste of time and inpains searching that he coud add few tofor materials, facts those, inwhich have several lives of thatalready appeared he was not either to theand;poet disposed, repeat comments and which formerinventions, by biogra to thehave endeavoured ofphers supply deficiency or to substitute of his own for the samefacts, any laudable Instead therefore of a formalpurpose. towhich is not so much obviate; mentioned,published any of as to for whatever defects there suspicion plagiarism, apologize be in either ofthose from a want of the whichtreatises,may lights, has thrown all of thisthat learned and writer upon partselegant subject.IV .PREFACE. life of his these mustauthor, which, upon principles, a he has addedhave been narration,very meagre to this Preface a short ABSTRACT OF THE HIS(C) TORICAL PASSAGES OF THE LlFE OF CHAUCER, with which serve to for theremarks, may separate future those from which haveothers,passages to recommend them to but the sinnothing credit, circumstance of been oftengle having repeated. TheGLOSSARY is intended to facilitate the read inof our lanChaucer,ing by explaining, present such of his words and as are nowphrasesguage, become difficult to be either from aunderstood, or from smaller alterations of ortotal disuse, any or inflexion. of these words andManythography been in the Notesphrases having already explained of this it has been sufficient inedition, thought refer the reader to those Notes. Forthat case to the it is that this work be of use inrest, hoped may the most materialsome of difficulties,removing not in thewhich occur, only Tales,Canterbury but also in the other ofgenuine* compositions * At the end of this advertisement I shall add a short Account workswhat I conceive to be the and of thosegenuine ofChaucer,of have been either ascribed to orwhich him, infalsely improperly termixed with in the Editions. Those under the two latterhis, of use to illustrate the works of hutbe Chaucer, descriptions may not be confounded with them.should