ancestors are restored to us, not as phantoms from the field of battle, or the scaffold, but in the full enjoyment of their social existence. After four hundred years have closed over the mirthful features which formed the living originals of the poet's descriptions, his pages impress the fancy with the momentary credence that they are still alive; as if Time had rebuilt his ruins, and were reacting the lost scenes of existence." 1

"He speaks of what he wishes to describe with the accuracy, the discrimination, of one who relates what has happened to himself, or has had the best information from those who have been eyewitnesses of it. The strokes of his pencil always tell. He dwells only on the essential, on that which would be interesting to the persons really concerned; yet as he never omits any material circumstance, he is prolix from the number of points on which he touches, without being diffuse on any one; and is sometimes tedious from the fidelity with which he adheres to his subject, as other writers are from the frequency of their digressions from it. He is contented to find grace and beauty in truth. He exhibits, for the most part, the naked object, with little drapery thrown over it. His metaphors, which are few, are not for ornament, but use, and as like as possible to the things themselves. He does not affect to show his power over the reader's mind, but the power which his subject has over his own. There were none of the commonplaces of poetic diction in our author's time, no reflected lights of fancy, no borrowed roseate tints; he was obliged to inspect things for himself, to look narrowly, and almost to handle the object, as in the obscurity of morning we partly see and partly grope our way. The picturesque and the dramatic are in him closely blended together, and hardly distinguishable; for he principally describes external appearances as indicating character as symbols of internal sentiment."2

"I take unceasing delight in Chaucer. His manly cheerfulness is especially delicious to me in my old age. How exquisitely tender he is, and yet how perfectly free from the least touch of sickly melancholy or morbid drooping!"3

VERSIFICATION.-The versification of Chaucer has been considered, on the great authority of Dryden, rude and inharmonious; but modern researches into the rhythmical capabilities of our language have led to a different conclusion. There are some

4

(1) Campbell. "Specimens of the British Poets," p. 5, last Ed. (2) Hazlitt. "Lectures on the English Poets," p. 46, 8vo. Ed.

(3) Coleridge. "Table Talk," p. 290, 12mo. Ed.

(4) See Tyrwhitt's Essay on Chaucer's versification prefixed to his edition of the "Canterbury Tales," and also Mr. R. H. Horne's ingenious introduction to "Chaucer Modernised."

peculiarities for which it is certainly difficult to account, but in general his rhythm is highly musical. Three main principles, however, should be borne in mind :

I. He frequently introduces a foot of three syllables, where modern usage generally requires a dissyllable, thus

"And of her smiling was ful simple and coy."

-

Here "simple and" must be read by delicately blending the "ple" as a sort of appoggiatura, or grace-note, with the next syllable. This licence is of the same kind as that employed by Milton in

"To whom thus Eve, with perfect beauty adorned."

II. He makes the final e, which, as in the word "serve" is now mute, and the es of the plural, significant in the pronunciation, whenever the verse requires it, thus :

"And smalé foulés maken melodie."

III. He varies the accentuation of syllables at pleasure,' thus :

"Of which vertùe engendred is the flour."

EXTRACTS FROM THE CANTERBURY TALES.2

THE GATHERING.

WHANNE3 that April with his shourés1 sote
The droughte of March hath percéd to the rote,
And bathéd every veine in swiche7 licòur,8
Of which vertùe engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eké9 with his soté brethe
Enspiréd hath in every holt 10 and hethe

(1) Both the latter usages may be traced to the strong tincture of French which the old Saxon language had received from the Norman invasion.

(2) The extracts from Chaucer and Spenser are accented for the convenience of the reader. The acute accent (') is employed to denote that the syllable over which it is placed is to be pronounced; the grave () to denote an unusual accentuation.

(3) Whanne—When.

(4) Shoures-Showers: the old English plural, made by adding es to the singular. (5) Sote or swote-Sweet. (6) Rote-Root; so dore and mone have become door and moon. (7) Swiche, for swilke-Such. (8) In swiche licour, &c.-With such moisture, as by its virtue or efficacy gives life to the flower. (9) Eke-Also. (10) Holl-Grove.

The tendre croppés,' and the yongé sonne2
Hath in the Ram his halfé cours yronne,3
And smalé foulés maken' melodie,
That slepen allé night with open eye,
So priketh hem nature in hir coràges;"
Than longen folk to gon7 on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken strangé strondes,
To servé halwes 10 couthell in sondry londes;
And specially, from every shirés 12 ende
Of Englelond, to Canterbury they wende,14
The holy blisful martyr 15 for to seke,

14

That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seke.16.
Befelle,17 that, in that seson, on a day,

In Southwerk at the Tabard 18 as I lay,
Redy to wenden on my pilgrimage
To Canterbury with devoute corage,
At night was come into that hostelrie 19
Wel nine and twenty in a compagnie
Of sondry folk, by àventure 20 yfalle
In felawship, and pilgrimes were they alle,
That toward Canterbury wolden ride.
The chambres and the stables weren wide,
And wel we weren eséd 21 atté beste.

And shortly, whan the sonne was gon to reste,

(1) Croppes-Shoots.

(2) Sonne-Sun. (3) Fronne-Run. The past participle in old English frequently has the prefix y (which is the same as the Anglo-Saxon ge), as ycleped, called; yclad, clothed. (4) Maken-Make. The old English plural of the verb ends in en for all persons, as we maken, ye maken, they maken. The n is however frequently dropt. (5) So priketh hem, &c.-i. e. they sleep all night with open eyes, because nature prompts or stirs them so much in their spirits, or makes them so cheerful and lively; hem is them, and hir their. (6) Corage from the French cœur, heart-mind, spirit. (7) Gon-To go. The old English infinitive usually ended in en or n, which however was frequently dropt. Sometimes the infinitive sign to and the termination were both used. (8) Strange strondes-Foreign shores. (9) To serve halwes, &c.-i. e. to pay homage to sacred shrines (halwes) known or famous in different countries. (10) Halwes-Halloweds-i. e. hallowed or holy places. (11) Couthe-Known, is from the old English connen, to know, the past participle of which is conned= connde conde-coude-couthe. (12) Shires-shire's. This is the old possessive case, which was formed by adding se or s. (13) Englelond-Anglesland, England. (14) Wende-Go. (15) Martyr-Thomas-à-Becket. (16) Seke (17) Befelle-It befel, happened. (18) Tabard-Now the Talbot Inn. A tabard was a jacket, or sleeveless coat, worn by heralds. (19) Hostelrie-An inn or lodging-house. (20) By aventure, &c.-By accident fallen into company. (21) Wel we weren, &c.-i. e. we were well accommodated with the best.

Sick.

So hadde I spoken with hem everich1 on,
That I was of hir felawship anon,2
And madé forword3 erly for to rise,
To take oure way ther as I you devise.*

THE KNIGHT.

A KNIGHT ther was, and that a worthy man,
That fro the timé that he firste began
To riden out, he lovéd chevalrie,5

Trouthe and honòur, fredom and curtesie.
Ful worthy was he in his Lordés werre,"
And thereto had he ridden, no man ferre,7
As wel in Cristendom as in Hethenesse,
And ever honoured for his worthiness.

At mortal battailles hadde he ben fiftene,
And foughten for our faith at Tramissene
In listés 10 thriés," and ay slain his fo.
This ilké 12 worthy knight hadde ben also
Somtimé with the Lord of Palatie,13
Agen 14 another hethen in Turkie:
And evermore he hadde a sovereine pris.15
And though that he was worthy he was wise,
And of his port as meke as is a mayde.
He never yet no vilanie 16 ne 17 sayde
In alle his lif, unto no manere wight: 18
He was a veray parfit gentil 19 knight.
But for to tellen you of his araie,
His hors was good, but he ne was not gaie.

20

(1) Everich-Every.

mise or engagement.

(2) Anon-Soon.
(4) Devise-Relate.

(3) Forword-i.e. foreword; pro

exploits of a

(7) Ferre

(11) Thries Asia Minor.

(5) Chevalrie―chivalry-" the manners, exercises, and valiant knight." (6) His Lordes werre-his Lord's war-the Holy war. further, comparative of fer, far. (8) Hethenesse-country of heathens. (9) Tramissene-a city in Barbary. (10) Listes-See note 5, p. 27. --thrice. (12) Ilke-same. (13) Palatie-Palathia, a city in (14) Agen-against. (15) Sovereine pris-the highest praise. The words prize, price, and praise, are nearly identical in original signification. (16) Vilanie -"anything unbecoming a gentleman." (17) Never, ne-Double negatives were used by Chaucer as they now are in French. (18) No manere wight-no sort of person. (19) Gentil-nobly born, gentlemanlike. (20) Araieequipment.

presse.

WITH him ther was his sone a yonge SQUIER,
A lover, and a lusty bacheler,
With lockés crull as they were laide in
Of twenty yere of age he was I gesse.
Of his stature he was of even lengthe,
And wonderly deliver,10 and grete of strengthe.
And he hadde be somtime in chevachie,"1
In Flaundres, in Artois, and in Picardie,
And borne him wel, as of so litel space,'
In hope to stonden in his ladies grace.

12

Embrouded 13 was he, as it were a mede 14
Alle ful of fresshé flourés, white and rede.
Singing he was, or floyting 15 alle the day,
He was as fresshe as is the moneth of May.
Shorte was his goune, with slevés long and wide.
Wel coude he sitte on hors, and fayré 16 ride.
He coudé songés make, and wel endite,17
Juste 18 and eke dance, and wel pourtraie 19 and write.
So hote he loved, that by nightertale 20
He slep no more than doth the nightingale.
Curteis he was, lowly, and servisable,21
And carf 22 before his fader at the table.

(1) Wered-wore. (2) Gipon a short cassock or frock: it is the French jupon, and Scotch jupe. (3) Besmotred-smutted, soiled. (4) Habergeon-a coat of mail; a diminutive of hauberk. (5) Viage-voyage, journey. to do, perform.

(6) Don,

(7) Lusty-strong, stout. (8) Lockes crull, &c.-Locks curled as if they had been laid in a press. (9) Even-middle, common. (10) Wonderly deliver-remarkably nimble; deliver, from the French libre, free. (11) Chevachie-from the French cheval, a horse-military expedition. (12) As of so litel spaceconsidering the short time that he had been a soldier. (13) Embroudedembroidered. (14) Mede-meadow. (15) Floyting-fluting, playing on the flute. (16) Fayre skilfully. (17) Endite-compose or dictate. (18) Juste -joust or tilt at tournaments. (19) Pourtraie-portray, draw. ertale-night time. (21) Servisable-disposed to do services, obliging. -carved.

(20) Night

(22) Carf