Canterbury Tales and Other Poems | Page 5

much that is not essential for the enjoyment of Spencer's marvellous
allegory, will not be unappreciated.
As regards the manner in which the text of the two great works, especially of The
Canterbury Tales, is presented, the Editor is aware that some whose judgement is weighty
will differ from him. This volume has been prepared "for popular perusal;" and its very
raison d'etre would have failed, if the ancient
orthography had been retained. It has
often been affirmed by editors of Chaucer in the old forms of the language, that a little
trouble at first would render the antiquated spelling and
obsolete inflections a continual
source, not of difficulty, but of actual delight, for the reader coming to the study of
Chaucer without any preliminary acquaintance with the English of his day -- or of his
copyists' days. Despite this complacent
assurance, the obvious fact is, that Chaucer in
the old forms has not become popular, in the true sense of the word; he is not
"understanded of the vulgar." In this volume, therefore, the text of Chaucer has been
presented in nineteenth-century garb. But there has been not the slightest attempt to
"modernise"
Chaucer, in the wider meaning of the phrase; to replace his words by
words which he did not use; or, following the example of some operators, to translate him
into English of the modern spirit as well as the modern forms. So far from that, in every
case where the old spelling or form seemed essential to metre, to rhyme, or meaning, no
change has been attempted. But,
wherever its preservation was not essential, the
spelling of the monkish transcribers -- for the most ardent purist must now despair of
getting at the spelling of Chaucer himself -- has been discarded for that of the reader's
own day. It is a poor
compliment to the Father of English Poetry, to say that by such
treatment the bouquet and individuality of his works must be lost. If his masterpiece is
valuable for one thing more than any other, it is the vivid distinctness with which English
men and women of the fourteenth century are there painted, for the study of all the
centuries to follow. But we wantonly balk the artist's own purpose, and discredit his
labour, when we keep before his picture the screen of dust and cobwebs which, for the
English people in these days, the crude forms of the infant language have practically
become. Shakespeare has not suffered by
similar changes; Spencer has not suffered; it
would be surprising if Chaucer should suffer, when the loss of popular
comprehension

and favour in his case are necessarily all the greater for his remoteness from our day. In a
much smaller degree -- since previous labours in the same direction had left far less to do
-- the same work has been performed for the
spelling of Spenser; and the whole
endeavour in this department of the Editor's task has been, to present a text plain and
easily intelligible to the modern reader, without any injustice to the old poet. It would be
presumptuous to believe that in every case both ends have been achieved together; but the
laudatores
temporis acti - the students who may differ most from the plan pursued in
this volume -- will best appreciate the difficulty of the enterprise, and most leniently
regard any failure in the details of its accomplishment.
With all the works of Chaucer, outside The Canterbury Tales, it would have been
absolutely impossible to deal within the scope of this volume. But nearly one hundred
pages, have been
devoted to his minor poems; and, by dint of careful selection and
judicious abridgement -- a connecting outline of the story in all such cases being given --
the Editor ventures to hope that he has presented fair and acceptable specimens of
Chaucer's
workmanship in all styles. The preparation of this part of the volume has
been a laborious task; no similar attempt on the same scale has been made; and, while
here also the truth of the text in matters essential has been in nowise sacrificed to mere
ease of perusal, the general reader will find opened up for him a new view of Chaucer
and his works. Before a perusal of these hundred pages, will melt away for ever the
lingering tradition or prejudice that Chaucer was only, or characteristically, a coarse
buffoon, who pandered to a base and licentious appetite by
painting and exaggerating
the lowest vices of his time. In these selections -- made without a thought of taking only
what is to the poet's credit from a wide range of poems in which hardly a word is to his
discredit -- we behold Chaucer as he was; a
courtier, a gallant, pure-hearted gentleman,
a scholar, a
philosopher, a poet of gay and vivid fancy, playing around
themes of
chivalric convention, of