The dialect of Chaucer does not materially differ from that which has become the standard literary language; that is to say, it mainly represents the East-Midland, as spoken in London and by the students of Oxford and Cambridge. This dialect, as is well known, is not wholly pure, but is of a comprehensive nature, admitting several forms that strictly belong to other dialects, chiefly Northern. Remarkable examples occur in the words _they_, _their_, _them_, and the verbal form _are_, all of which were originally Northern. Chaucer, however, does not employ the forms _their_ and _them_, though he admits the nominative _they_; instead of _their_, he has _her_, _hir_, _here_, or _hire_ (always monosyllabic); and for _them_ he invariably has _hem_[13]. Examples of _are_ occur here and there in Chaucer (see _Are_, _Arn_ in the Glossary), but are remarkably rare; his usual form is _been_ or _ben_. We even find the Southern _beth_ (F 648). In fact, the Midland dialect, from its intermediate position, was the one which was most widely understood; and, in extending its dominion over the other dialects, occasionally admitted forms that did not originally belong to it. s. 17. KENTISH FORMS. It is, however, well worth notice that Chaucer was at one time resident at Greenwich, perhaps during the whole period between 1385 and 1399 (see vol. i. pp. xxxviii, xlii, xlv); and was even chosen a member of parliament for Kent. The effect of this upon his writings is rather plainly marked, and has been clearly shewn in my paper on this subject printed for the Chaucer Society, from which some examples are here extracted.