Opening
HENRY FROWDE, M.A. PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD LONDON, EDINBURGH, AND NEW YORK
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THE COMPLETE WORKS
OF
GEOFFREY CHAUCER
EDITED, FROM NUMEROUS MANUSCRIPTS
BY THE
REV. WALTER W. SKEAT, M.A.
LITT.D., LL.D., D.C.L., PH.D. ELRINGTON AND BOSWORTH PROFESSOR OF ANGLO-SAXON AND FELLOW OF CHRIST’S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE
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THE CANTERBURY TALES: TEXT
‘Let every felawe telle his tale aboute, And lat see now who shal the soper winne.’ The Knightes Tale; A 890
SECOND EDITION
Oxford
AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
M DCCCC
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Oxford PRINTED AT THE CLARENDON PRESS BY HORACE HART, M.A., PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY
[v]
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INTRODUCTION.—§ 1. The Present Text. § 2. The MSS.—I. In the British Museum. II. In Oxford. III. In Cambridge. IV. In other Public Libraries. V. In private hands. § 3. The Printed Editions. § 4. Plan of the present Edition. § 5. Table of symbols denoting MSS. § 6. Table showing various ways of numbering the lines. § 7. The four types of MSS.
THE CANTERBURY TALES
GROUP A. THE PROLOGUE THE KNIGHTES TALE THE MILLER’S PROLOGUE THE MILLERES TALE THE REEVE’S PROLOGUE THE REVES TALE THE COOK’S PROLOGUE THE COKES TALE
GROUP B. INTRODUCTION TO THE MAN OF LAW’S PROLOGUE MAN OF LAW’S PROLOGUE THE TALE OF THE MAN OF LAWE THE SHIPMAN’S PROLOGUE THE SHIPMANNES TALE THE PRIORESS’S PROLOGUE THE PRIORESSES TALE PROLOGUE TO SIR THOPAS SIR THOPAS PROLOGUE TO MELIBEUS THE TALE OF MELIBEUS THE MONK’S PROLOGUE THE MONKES TALE:—Lucifer; Adam; Sampson; Hercules; Nabugodonosor; Balthasar; Cenobia; De Petro Rege Ispannie; De Petro Rege De Cipro; De Barnabo de Lumbardia; De Hugelino Comite de Pize; Nero; De Oloferno; De Rege Anthiocho; De Alexandro; De Iulio Cesare; Cresus [vi] THE PROLOGUE OF THE NONNE PRESTES TALE THE NONNE PRESTES TALE EPILOGUE TO THE NONNE PRESTES TALE
GROUP C. THE PHISICIENS TALE WORDS OF THE HOST PROLOGUE OF THE PARDONERS TALE THE PARDONERS TALE
GROUP D. THE WIFE OF BATH’S PROLOGUE THE TALE OF THE WYF OF BATHE THE FRIAR’S PROLOGUE THE FRERES TALE THE SOMNOUR’S PROLOGUE THE SOMNOURS TALE
GROUP E. THE CLERK’S PROLOGUE THE CLERKES TALE THE MERCHANT’S PROLOGUE THE MARCHANTES TALE EPILOGUE TO THE MARCHANTES TALE
GROUP F. THE SQUIERES TALE WORDS OF THE FRANKLIN THE FRANKLIN’S PROLOGUE THE FRANKELEYNS TALE
GROUP G. THE SECONDE NONNES TALE THE CANON’S YEOMAN’S PROLOGUE THE CHANOUNS YEMANNES TALE
GROUP H. THE MANCIPLE’S PROLOGUE THE MAUNCIPLES TALE
GROUP I. THE PARSON’S PROLOGUE THE PERSONES TALE
APPENDIX TO GROUP A. The Tale of Gamelyn
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