Transcriber's note: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). [=a] signifies "a with macron"; [)a] "a with breve"; and so forth. [gh] represents yogh, [*e] the schwa. A carat character is used to denote superscription: a single character following the carat is superscripted (example: 4^o). Project Gutenberg has Volume VI of Skeat's edition, which contains a Glossary covering the two texts in this volume. See: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43097 * * * * * [Illustration: MS. CORP. CHR. COLL., CAMBRIDGE. Troil. iv. 575-588 _Frontispiece**_] 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 * * BOETHIUS AND TROILUS 'Adam scriveyn, if ever it thee befalle Boece or Troilus to wryten newe, Under thy lokkes thou most have the scalle, But after my making thou wryte trewe.' _Chaucers Wordes unto Adam._ SECOND EDITION Oxford AT THE CLARENDON PRESS M DCCCC * * * * * * Oxford PRINTED AT THE CLARENDON PRESS BY HORACE HART, M.A. PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY * * * * * * CONTENTS. PAGE INTRODUCTION TO BOETHIUS.--§ 1. Date of the Work. § 2. Boethius. § 3. The Consolation of Philosophy; and fate of its author. § 4. Jean de Meun. § 5. References by Boethius to current events. § 6. Cassiodorus. § 7. Form of the Treatise. § 8. Brief sketch of its general contents. § 9. Early translations. § 10. Translation by Ælfred. § 11. MS. copy, with A.S. glosses. § 12. Chaucer's translation mentioned. § 13. Walton's verse translation. § 14. Specimen of the same. § 15. His translation of Book ii. met. 5. § 16. M. E. prose translation; and others. § 17. Chaucer's translation and le Roman de la Rose. § 18. Chaucer's scholarship. § 19. Chaucer's prose. § 20. Some of his mistakes. § 21. Other variations considered. § 22. Imitations of Boethius in Chaucer's works. § 23. Comparison with 'Boece' of other works by Chaucer. § 24. Chronology of Chaucer's works, as illustrated by 'Boece.' § 25. The Manuscripts. § 26. The Printed Editions. § 27. The Present Edition vii