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--se

Of ditees and of fonges glade,

The which he---made,

The londe full filled 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 firfl to dyftylle and rayne

The gold dewe dropys of speche 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 rieheffe-...

The firfte fynder of our fayre langage.

OCCLEVE.

Venerabill CHAUCER, principall poete but pere,
Hevinly trumpet, orlege and regulere,

In eloquence balme, condict and diall,
Mylky fountane, clete frand, and rois riall,
Of frefche endite throw Alpiopa iland braid.

O reverend CHAUCER! rofe of rethouris all,
As in oure toung flourimperial

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

VOL. I.

EDINBURG:

DOUGLAS.

DUNBAR.

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

'

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. 4465.
Dan CHAUCER, wel of English undefil'd,

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

Old CHAUCER, like the morning flar,
To us difcovers day from far

His light thofe mifts and clouds diffolv'd
Which our dark nation-long involv'd;
But he defcending to the fhades

Darkacfs again the age invades.

SPENSER.

DENHAM.

CHAUCER, him who firft with harra ny inform'd
The language of our fathers. His legends blithe

He fang of love or knighthood, or the wiles

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