The Problem of the Two Prologues to Chaucer's Legend of Good Women

Excerpt from The Problem of the Two Prologues to Chaucer's Legend of Good WomenThe Prologue to Chaucer's Legend of Good Women has come down to us in two distinct versions. That these versions go back to distinct originals, and not to a common original greatly distorted in the course of transmission, is shown by large variations both in subject matter and form. That they are very closely related to each other is no less evident from the fact that a large number of lines, more than half of the shorter version, are exactly identical in both. Moreover, the lines which are peculiar to One version or to the other and those which are common to both, bear alike the unmistakable stamp Of Chaucerian authorship. It may at once be taken for granted, therefore, - for the conclusion is irresistible, that one of these versions is a revised or rewritten form Of the other, and that the revision was made by the poet himself.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.