Chaucer's Works, Volume 3 — The House of Fame; The Legend of Good Women; The Treatise on the Astrolabe; The Sources of the Canterbury Tales

About this book

This volume gathers four of Chaucer’s lesser‑known works, The House of Fame, The Legend of Good Women, The Treatise on the Astrolabe, and the assorted source material for the Canterbury Tales, in a single scholarly edition. The opening pages explain that the editor has collated a wide range of medieval manuscripts (designated C, F, Tn, T, A, B, and others) and applied the line‑numbering system first introduced by Dr. Furnivall, which allows readers to follow the text with precision. Detailed notes describe the condition of each manuscript, from the well‑preserved vellum copies with diagrams to the imperfect paper copies of later centuries, and the editor’s decisions about which readings to privilege. The result is a carefully reconstructed text that reflects the most reliable authorities while acknowledging the gaps and errors that have plagued earlier editions.

The language is Middle English, preserving Chaucer’s original diction and spelling, though the editor supplies modern punctuation and explanatory notes to aid comprehension. Readers who enjoy literary history, manuscript studies, or the intricate poetry and scientific curiosity of the 14th‑century poet will find this collection rewarding. Its blend of poetic imagination, classical allusion, and early scientific explanation offers a rich experience for scholars and general readers alike who are interested in the texture of medieval English verse and its intellectual context.