Nonnes Preistes, the Manciples, the Parsones; at the end of which, "Explicit Fabula Rectoris." Then, "Here take Se maker of is booke his leve." To which succeeds Chaucer's Retractation, as it has been called: "Nowe prey I to hem alle &c." After which, "Here ende de boke of Se talys of Cant'buny compiled by Geffray Chaucer on whoos soul Jhū crist haue m'cy. Amen." Underneath which words, are the arms of Percy, with other bearings in the shield, encircled by the garter, on one side of which is the letter H, on the other the letter P; which were intended, as I conceive, to designate the original owner, the celebrated Henry Percy. This manuscript, on account of its age, of the attention with which it appears to have been written, of the care with which it has been preserved, and of its various readings, is entitled to the admiration as well as the nicest examination of the future editor of Chaucer.

XVI. The Canterbury Tales, and other Poems.

This is a manuscript, in quarto, on paper, preserved in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge, and numbered R. 3. 15. It is one of those, which Mr. Tyrwhitt describes as having been collated or consulted for the purpose of his publication of the Canterbury Tales, but of which he has given no particular account. It is cer

tainly deserving of further notice. It seems to have been written in the fifteenth century. These are its contents.

Eight goodlie questions with theire aunswers, fol. 1.

To the kinges most noble grace and to the

lordes and knightes of the garter, fol. 2.

Chaucer's Prophecy, (so termed in the table of contents,) fol. 3.

Which three poems are printed in Urry's edition of Chaucer's Works; the last of which, the editor says, is entitled Chaucer's Prophecie in a book in the Ashmolean Museum, No. 6986. 781. p. 162. These prophetical stanzas, printed and manuscript, present no material difference from each other; and only a slight variation in eight lines which follow them, describing the characteristicks of a gentleman. I subjoin the prophecy.

Whan faithe faileth in prestes sawes,
And lordes hestes are holden for lawes,
And robberie is holden purchase,

And lechery is holden solace;

Then shall the londe of Albion

Be brought to grete confusion.

Then follow the Prologue and the Canterbury Tales. In the Knightes and the Wif of Bathes Tales, the manuscript is a little imperfect. The Tales, throughout this manuscript, are accompanied with a marginal gloss, in red letters; sometimes ex

hibiting illustrations of no common interest. What adds to the curiosity and value of this volume, is a manuscript copy, at the close of it, of Pierce Plowmans Crede, which has hitherto escaped observation.

XVII. The Canterbury Tales.

This is also a manuscript, belonging to Trinity College, Cambridge, numbered R. 3. 3. It is in folio, on vellum, with illuminated capitals, and of the fifteenth century. This manuscript has been likewise rendered subservient to Mr. Tyrwhitt's admirable plan. In his brief notice of it, however, there is not that attention paid to the contents which seems due. After the words in the Squiers Tale,

And there I lefte I woll againe beginne,

there are here, as in other manuscripts mentioned by Mr. Tyrwhitt, two lines:

Apollo whirleth up his chaire so highe,

Till that the god Mercurius howse he flye:

Mr. Tyrwhitt reads, from the manuscripts which he consulted, and I have found it so given in other manuscripts,

Till that the god Mercurius bowse the slie:

R

This manuscript reads he flye, which Speght also follows. Yet these lines cannot belong to this place, according to Mr. Tyrwhitt, who is of opinion, "that they were originally scribbled by some vacant reader in the blank space, which is commonly left at the end of the Squier's Tale, and afterwards transcribed, as Chaucer's, by some copyist of more diligence than sagacity." In this manuscript the two lines, preceded by Explicit secunda pars et sequitur pars tertia, and followed by The reaste not to be founde though sought in divers places, are indeed the hand-writing of a scribe in the reign of Elizabeth. But they are certainly written in the same hand-writing, as the rest of a manuscript of the fifteenth century is, which I shall presently mention. See p. 129. And why might they not be the opening of the third part of the Tale? The language is Chaucer's; for thus he opens The Floure and the Leafe:

"When that Phebus his chair of gold so high

"Had whirled up the sterrie sky aloft."

Skelton, in his Crowne of Lawrell, uses the remarkable expression before us :

Item, Apollo that whirled up his chare, &c.

The Prologue of the Frankeleins Tale is thus noticed in this manuscript, fol. 108. Hic incipit Prologus de ffrankeleyn cum fabula sua de

Rokkes de Brytaine. The manuscript ends imperfect in the Persones Tale fol. 130. b.

XVIII. The Canterbury Tales, &c.

In the Publick Library at Cambridge, the folio manuscript of the Tales, numbered Dd. iv. 24, has been collated by Mr. Tyrwhitt. It is written partly on vellum and partly on paper, and is imperfect both at the beginning and end. Another folio manuscript of the Tales, on vellum, in the same collection, numbered Ii. iii. 26, engaged the attention also of the same critick. The Publick Library possesses another folio manuscript of these poems, as yet uncollated, written on vellum, and numbered Mm. ii. 5. Among the manuscripts enumerated as having been subservient to Mr. Urry's use, there is one belonging to the same collection, of which Mr. Tyrwhitt has not thought proper to take any notice, and of which the account given in Urry's Preface is defective; inasmuch as it makes no mention of fourteen folia between fol. 482 and fol. 483, in which are contained the following curious pieces of ancient English poetry, written apparently in the fourteenth century, viz. The Fragment of a romance; Horn; and Assumpçon de notre Dame, imperfect. This manuscript consists of 488 folia, and is now numbered Gg. 4. 27.

See No. XI, in the list of MSS. in the Preface to Urry's edition of Chaucer.