Playful Poems

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Playful Poems, by Henry Morley
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Title: Playful Poems
Author: Henry Morley
Release Date: August, 2004 [EBook #6332]
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Edition: 10
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0. START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, PLAYFUL

POEMS ***
This etext was produced by Les Bowler, St. Ives, Dorset.
PLAYFUL POEMS, (by various authors)
EDITED AND WITH AN
INTRODUCTION BY HENRY MORLEY.
CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION
CHAUCER'S MANCIPLE'S TALE OF PHOEBUS AND THE
CROW
Modernised by LEIGH HUNT.
CHAUCER'S RIME OF SIR
THOPAS
Modernised by Z. A. Z.
CHAUCER'S FRIAR'S TALE; OR, THE
SUMNER AND THE DEVIL
Modernised by LEIGH HUNT.
CHAUCER'S REVE'S TALE
Modernised by R. H. HORNE.
CHAUCER'S POEM OF THE
CUCKOO AND THE NIGHTINGALE
Modernised by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH.
GOWER'S
TREASURE TROVE
Modernised from the fifth book of the CONFESSIO AMANTIS.
LYDGATE'S LONDON LICKPENNY
LYDGATE'S BICORN AND CHICHEVACHE
DUNBAR'S BEST TO BE BLYTH
DRAYTON'S DOWSABELL
DRAYTON'S NYMPHIDIA

POPE'S RAPE OF THE LOCK
COWPER'S JOHN GILPIN
BURNS'S TAM O'SHANTER
HOOD'S DEMON SHIP
HOOD'S TALE OF A TRUMPET
GLOSSARY
NOTES
THE GAME OF OMBRE
INTRODUCTION
The last volume of these "Companion Poets" contained some of
Chaucer's Tales as they were modernised by Dryden. This volume
contains more of his Tales as they were modernised by later poets. In
1841 there was a volume published entitled, "The Poems of Geoffrey
Chaucer Modernized." Of this volume, when it was first projected,
Wordsworth wrote to Moxon, his publisher, on the 24th of February
1840: "Mr. Powell, my friend, has some thought of preparing for
publication some portion of Chaucer modernised, as far and no farther
than is done in my treatment of 'The Prioress' Tale.' That would, in fact,
be his model. He will have coadjutors, among whom, I believe, will be
Mr. Leigh Hunt, a man as capable of doing the work well as any living
writer. I have placed at my friend Mr. Powell's disposal three other
pieces which I did long ago, but revised the other day. They are 'The
Manciple's Tale,' 'The Cuckoo and the Nightingale,' and twenty-four
stanzas of 'Troilus and Cressida.' This I have done mainly out of my
love and reverence for Chaucer, in hopes that, whatever may be the
merits of Mr. Powell's attempt, the attention of other writers may be
drawn to the subject; and a work hereafter produced, by different
persons, which will place the treasures of one of the greatest of poets
within the reach of the multitude, which now they are not. I mention all

this to you because, though I have not given Mr. Powell the least
encouragement to do so, he may sound you as to your disposition to
undertake the publication. I have myself nothing further to do with it
than I have stated. Had the thing been suggested to me by any number
of competent persons twenty years ago, I would have undertaken the
editorship and done much more myself, and endeavoured to improve
the several contributions where they seemed to require it. But that is
now out of the question."
Wordsworth had made his versions of Chaucer in the year 1801. "The
Prioress's Tale" had been published in 1820, so that only the three
pieces he had revised for his friend's use were available, and of these
the Manciple's Tale was withdrawn, the version by Leigh Hunt (which
is among the pieces here reprinted) being used. The volume was
published in 1841, not by Moxon but by Whitaker. Wordsworth's
versions of "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale" (here reprinted), and of a
passage taken from "Troilus and Cressida," were included in it. Leigh
Hunt contributed versions of the Manciple's Tale and the Friar's Tale
(both here reprinted), and of the Squire's Tale. Elizabeth A. Barrett,
afterwards Mrs. Browning, contributed a version of "Queen Annelida
and False Arcite." Richard Hengist Horne entered heartily into the
venture, modernised the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, the Reve's
Tale, and the