Title. So in F. ( but misspelt Analida); B. The complaynt of feyre Anelida on fals Arcyte; D. Litera Annelide Regine.
287. D. Cx. on; Harl. of; F. Tn. B. vpon.
( Unfinished. )
From T. (= MS. R. 3. 20 in Trin. Coll. Library, Cambridge). It also occurs in Stowe’s edition (1561).
Title; T. has —Chauciers wordes .a. Geffrey vn-to Adame his owen scryveyne; Stowe has —Chaucers woordes vnto his owne Scriuener.
From MS. I (= Ii. 3. 21, Camb. Univ. Library); also in Hh (= Hh. 4. 12, Camb. Univ. Library). I note every variation from I.
Finit Etas prima. Chaucers.
The spelling is conformed to that of the preceding poems; the alterations though numerous are slight; as y for i, au for aw, c. The text mainly follows MS. I. (= Ii. 3. 21, Camb. Univ. Library). Other MSS. are A. (Ashmole 59); T. (Trin. Coll. Camb.); F. (Fairfax 16); B. (Bodley 638); H. (Harl. 2251).
76. In I. only; the rest omit this line.
Explicit.
This excellent text is from P. (MS. Pepys 2006, p. 390). I note all variations from the MS.
Explicit.
From MS. Rawl. Poet. 163, leaf 114.
No title in the MS.
Readings.
Tregentil. Chaucer.
Title. Gg. has —Balade de bone conseyl; F. has —Balade.
The MSS. are At. (Addit. 10340, Brit. Museum); Gg. (Camb. Univ. Library, Gg. 4. 27); E. (Ellesmere MS.); Ct. (Cotton, Cleop. D. 7); T. (Trin. Coll. Camb. R. 3. 20); F. (Fairfax 16); and others. The text is founded on E.
22-28. This stanza is in At. only.
Explicit Le bon counseill de G. Chaucer.
Title; so in Harl., but spelt Chaucier; T. has —Balade by Chaucier.
The MSS. are A. (Ashmole 59); T. (Trin. Coll. R. 3. 20); Harl. (Harl. 7333); Ct. (Cotton, Cleopatra D. 7); Ha. (Harl. 7578); Add. (Additional 22139, Brit. Museum). Also Cx. (Caxton’s printed edition). I follow chiefly the last of these, and note variations.
The MSS are: Harl. (Harl. 7333); T. (Trin. Coll. R. 3. 20); Ct. (Cotton, Cleop. D. 7); F. (Fairfax 16); Add. (Addit. 22139); Bann. (Bannatyne); and others. Th. = Thynne (1532). I follow Ct. chiefly. The title Balade is in F.
Title. T. Lenvoye to Kyng Richard; F. Harl. Th. Lenvoy.
Explicit.
Title: so in F. and P.; Gg. has —Litera directa de Scogon per G. C.
The MSS. are: Gg. (Camb. Univ. Library, Gg. 4. 27); F. (Fairfax 16); P. (Pepys 2006). Th. = Thynne (1532). I follow F. mainly.
N.B. All have —.i. a Windesore, and — .i. a Grenewich opposite ll. 43, 45.
Title: so in MS. Fairfax 16. Second Title from Ju.
The authorities are: F. (Fairfax 16); Th. (Thynne’s edition, 1532); and a printed copy by Julian Notary (Ju.). I follow F. mainly.
Explicit.
Title: so in F. Ff. Ar.; see Notes.
The MSS. are: T. (Trin. Coll. Cambridge, R. 3. 20); A. (Ashmole 59); Tn. (MS. Tanner 346); F. (Fairfax 16); Ff. (MS. Ff. 1. 6. Camb. Univ. Library); Ar. (Arch. Seld. P. 24); P. (Pepys 2006); etc. Th. = Thynne (1532). I follow F. mainly.
72. See l. 56.
The MSS. are: F. (Fairfax 16); Harl (Harl. 7333); Ff. (Camb. Univ. Library, Ff. 1. 6): P. (Pepys 2006); Add. (Addit. 22139); also Cx. (Caxton’s edition); Th. (Thynne, 1532). I follow F. mainly.
Title. So in Cx. ( but with Un-to for to); F. om. empty; P. La compleint de Chaucer a sa Bourse Voide.
The MSS. are: F. (Fairfax 16); Ha. (Harl. 7578); Ad. (Addit. 16165). I follow F. mainly. Title; in F. Ha.; Ad. Prouerbe.
[ The following Poems are also probably genuine; but are placed here for lack of external evidence. ]
Title. None in Ct.; Balade in F.; ed. 1561 has —A Balade which Chaucer made agaynst woman unconstaunt.
The text is from Ct. (Cotton, Cleopatra D. 7); that in ed. 1561 is much the same, except in spelling. Another copy in F. (Fairfax 16). A third in Ha. (Harl. 7578); of less value.
Explicit.
In MS. Harl. 7333, fol. 133 b and 134. Title —And next folowyng begynnith an amerowse compleynte made at wyndesore in the laste May tofore Novembre ( sic ). Also in F. (Fairfax) and B. (Bodley 638); entitled Complaynt Damours. N. B. Unmarked readings are from Harl.
Explicit.
In MS. Addit. 16165, fol. 256, back; headed Balade of compleynte.
The French text, a portion of which is given in the lower part of pp. 93-164, is reprinted from Le Roman de la Rose, ed. Méon, Paris, 1814.
This poem is a rather free translation of a similar poem by Guillaume de Deguileville, as pointed out in the Preface, p. 60. The original is quoted beneath the English text.
Explanations of the harder words should, in general, be sought for in the Glossarial Index, though a few are discussed in the Notes.
The language of this translation is, for the most part, so simple, that but few passages call for remark. I notice, however, a few points.
Chaucer has not adhered to the complex metre of the original, but uses a stanza of eight lines of five accents in place of de Deguileville’s stanza of twelve lines of four accents.
Title. In MS. B., the poem is entitled, ‘The Complaynte vnto Pyte,’ which is right. In MS. Trin., there is a colophon—‘Here endeth the exclamacioun of the Deth of Pyte’; see p. 276. In MS. Sh. (in Shirley’s handwriting) the poem is introduced with the following words—‘And nowe here filowing [ following ] begynnethe a complaint of Pitee, made by Geffray Chaucier the aureat Poete that euer was fonde in oure vulgare to-fore hees [ for thees?] dayes.’ The first stanza may be considered as forming a Proem; stanzas 2-8, the Story; and the rest, the Bill of Complaint. The title ‘A complaint of Pitee’ is not necessarily incorrect; for of may be taken in the sense of ‘concerning,’ precisely as in the case of ‘The Vision of Piers the Plowman.’ As to the connection of this poem with the Thebaid of Statius, see notes to ll. 57 and 92.