Transcriber's note: A few typographical errors have been corrected: they are listed at the end of the text. * * * * * In this text [*e] represents the "schwa" or unvoiced vowel, printed as inverted-e, and [gh] represents the Middle English letter "yogh", similar to the numeral 3. [=a] signifies "a macron"; [)u] "u breve"; [o,] "o with Ogonek"; and so forth. * * * * * 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 * * * * * NOTES TO THE CANTERBURY TALES 'hit oghte thee to lyke; For hard langage and hard matere Is encombrous for to here At ones; wost thou not wel this?' _Hous of Fame_; 860 SECOND EDITION Oxford AT THE CLARENDON PRESS M D CCCC * * * * * Oxford PRINTED AT THE CLARENDON PRESS BY HORACE HART, M.A., PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY * * * * * CONTENTS. PAGE INTRODUCTION.--§ 1. Some points for discussion. § 2. Canon of Chaucer's Works. Thynne's edition of 1532. § 3. Later reprints. § 4. Tyrwhitt's edition; and his endeavours to establish a canon. § 5. The same; continued. § 6. Chalmers' edition. § 7. The anonymous edition of 1845; published by Moxon. § 8. This edition due to Tyrwhitt's suggestions. § 9. Later work; results arrived at by Prof. Lounsbnry. § 10. Some of The Minor Poems in The present edition. § 11. The Poem no. XXIV. § 12. Poems numbered XXIII, XXV, and XXVI. § 13. The text of the Canterbury Tales; lines 'clipped' at The beginning. § 14. The Harleian MS. § 15. The Ellesmere MS. § 16. The old black-letter editions. § 17. Stowe's edition in 1561. § 18. Dryden's remarks on Chaucer's verse. § 19. Brief rules for scansion. § 20. Accentuation. § 21. Examples. § 22. Old pronunciation. § 23. Modernising of spelling. § 24. Sources of The Notes; acknowledgments ix NOTES TO GROUP A 1 THE GENERAL PROLOGUE 1 THE KNIGHTES TALE 60 THE MILLER'S PROLOGUE 95 THE MILLERES TALE 96 THE REVE'S PROLOGUE 112 THE REVES TALE 116 THE COOK'S PROLOGUE 128 THE COKES TALE 129