THE

POETICAL WORKS

OF

GEOFF. CHAUCER.

IN FOURTEEN VOLUMES.

THE MISCELLANEOUS PIECES

From Urry's Edition 1721,
THE CANTERBURY TALES

From Tyrwbiit's Edition 1775.

Grete weil CHAUCER whan ye mete---.
Of ditees and of fonges glade,
The which he-made,
The londe fullfilled is over all.

GOWER.
My maiiter CHAUCER---chiefe poete of Bretayne----
Whom all this londe schulde of ryght preferre,
Sith of our langage he was the lode-ferre....
That made furft to dyftylle and rayne
The gold dewe dropys ofipeche and eloquence
Into our tunge thrugh his excellence.

LYDGATE,
The honour of English tong is dede...
My maysler CHAUCER, floure of eloquence,
Mirrour offructuous entendement,
Universel fadir in science----
This londis verray trefour and richesse...
The firlie fynder of our fayıclangage.

OCCLEVE.
Venerabili CHAUCER, principall poete but pere,
Hevinly trumpet, orlege and regulere,
In eloquence balme, condict and diall,
Mylky founiane, clerc Arand, rurais riall,
Of fresche endite throw albicu: ifand braid.

DOUGLAS.
O reverend CHAUCE?i roje oj, rethouris all,
As in oure toung flour imperial
That raise in Brittane evir, quha reidis right
Thou beiris of Makers the triumphs royail,
Thc fresche enamilt termies celeliiall:
This mater couth haifilluninit íull bricht,
Was thou nocht, of our Inglis all the light,
Surmounting every toung terrestriail
As far as diari's morrow dois mirinight. DUNBAR.

VOL, II!.

EDINBURG:
AT Tue Apollo Press, by THE MARTINS.

Anno 1782.

.

THE

POETICAL WORKS

OF

GEOFFREY CHAUCER.

VOL. III.

CONTAINING HIS

CANTERBURY TALES, viz.

THE WIFOF BATHES TALE, THE CLERKES TALE,
THE FRERES TALL,

THIE MARCHANTES TALE, THE SOMPNOURES TALE, THE SQUIERES TALE,

&c. &c. &c.

But patheles certain
I can right now no thrifty Tale fain,
But CHAUCER, (though he can but lewedly
On metres and on riming craftily)
Hatb fayd hem in swiche English as he can
Of olde time, as knoweth many a man;
And if he have not fayd hem, leve brother,
In a book, be bath fayd hem in another----
Woo in that wol bis large Volume sekc. TALES, ver. 4465

Dan CHAUCER, well of English undefilld,
On Fame's eternal head-roll worthy to be fil'd----
oid Dan Geffrey, in whose gentle spright
The pure well-head of poetry did dwell...-
lle whilst he lived was the foveraigne head
Of thepherds all-------

SPENSER,
Old CHAUCER, like the morning Qar,
Tous discovers day from far;
His light those mitts and clouds diffolv'd
Which our dark nation long involv'd;
But he descending to the shades
Darkness again the age invades.

DENHAM
CHAUCER, him who first with harmony inform'd
The language of our fathers... His legends blithe
He sang of love or knighthood, or the wiles
Of homely life, thro' each eflate and age
The fashions 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.

AKENSIDE.

EDINBURG:
AT THE Apoilo Press, by the MARTINS.

Anno 1782.