not medlinge withe the seconde editione to one inferior personne then my fathers editione was. [Sidenote: Also vexed at a side blow at his father’s edition, and justifies him as editor.] Ffyrste in yo{ur} forespeche to the reader, yo{u} saye “secondly the texte by written copies corrected” by whiche worde corrected, I maye seme to gather, that yo{u} imagine greate imperfect{i}one in my fathers editione, whiche peraduenture maye move others to saye (as some unadvisedlye have sayed) that my father had wronged Chaucer: wherefore to stoppe that gappe, I will answere, that Chaucers woorkes haue byn sithens printed twyce, yf not thrice, and therfore by oure carelesse (and for the most p{ar}te unlerned) printers of Englande, not so well performed as yt ought to bee: so that of necessytye bothe in matter, myter and meaninge, yt must needes gather corrupt{i}one, passinge throughe so manye handes, as the water dothe the further yt run{n}ethe from the pure founteyne. To enduce me and all others to iudge his edit{i}one (whiche I thinke yo{u} neuer sawe wholye together, beinge fyrst printed but in one coolume in a page, whereof I will speake hereafter) was the p{er}fectest: ys the ernest desire and love my father hadde to have Chaucers woorkes rightlye to be publy{s}hed. for the performance whereof, my father not onlye used the helpe of that lerned and eloquent kn[i]ghte and antiquarye Sir Briane Tuke, but had also made greate serche for copies to p{er}fecte his woorkes, as apperethe in the ende of the squiers tale, in his edit{i}one printed in the yere 1542; [Sidenote: His father’s collection of MS. Chaucers and their curiosity.] but further had comiss{i}one to serche all the liberaries of Englande for Chaucers works, so that oute of all the Abbies of this Realme (whiche reserved anye monumentes thereof) he was fully furnished w{i}th multitude of Bookes. emongst w{hic}he one coppye of some p{ar}te of his woorkes came to his handes subscribed in diuers places withe “examinatur Chaucer.” By this Booke, and conferringe manye of the other written copies together, he deliuered his edit{i}one, fullye corrected, as the amendementes under his hande, in the fyrst printed booke that euer was of his woorkes (beinge stamped by the fyrste impress{i}one that was in Englande) will well declare, at what tyme he added manye thinges w{hi}che were not before printed, as you nowe haue donne soome, of whiche I ame p{er}swaded (and that not w{i}thoute reasone) the originall came from mee. [Sidenote: The Pilgrime’s Tale telling forth the evil lives of churchmen.] In w{hi}che his edit{i}one, beinge printed but w{i}th one coolume in a syde, there was the pilgrymes tale, a thinge moore odious to the Clergye, then the speche of the plowmanne; that pilgrimes tale begynnynge in this sorte; “In Lincolneshyre fast by a fenne, Standes a relligious howse who doth yt kenne,” &c.