Abstract
When writers such as Spenser or scholars such as Skinner talk of ‘old words’ they generally have Chaucer in mind. As we shall see, Speght and seventeenth-century English lexicographers promoted the idea that ‘Chaucer’ means ‘old’ and ‘old’ means ‘Chaucer’. It will therefore be useful to look at Chaucer’s reputation and to consider in general the comprehensibility of Middle English in the period we are concerned with.
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Notes to Chapter Two
For a description of these see Caroline F.E. Spurgeon, Five Hundred Years of Chaucer Criticism and Allusion 1357–1900,(Cambridge, 1925), New York, 1960, vol.1, pp. cxv - cxix; W.W. Skeat, The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer,7 vols., Oxford, 1894–1897, pp. 27–46 and Geoffrey Chaucer, The Works 1532 with supplementary material from the Editions of 1542, 1561, 1598 and 1602,The Scolar Press, Menston, 1969, Introduction. See also Alice S. Miskimin, The Renaissance Chaucer,New Haven and London, 1975, chapter VIII.
More early criticism on, and allusions to Chaucer may be found in William L. Alderson and Arnold C. Henderson, Chaucer and Augustan Scholarship,Berkeley, Los Angeles, London, 1970, p. 189 ff. and in Derek Brewer (ed.), Chaucer The Critical Heritage vol.1 1385–1837,London, Henley and Boston, 1978.
Until now it has always been assumed that the 1687 edition of Chaucer’s works was the last one in the seventeenth century. However, the Royal Library in The Hague has a copy of Chaucer’s works dated 1689, a reprint of the 1687 edition. The only earlier reference to this edition may be found in N.E. Osselton, ‘Bilderdijk and Chaucer’, in: Jan van Dorsten (ed.), Ten Studies in Anglo-Dutch Relations,Leiden, London, 1974, pp. 231–245, p. 236, note 15.
F.B. to his very loving friend T.S. in Speght’s 1598 edition of Chaucer (reprinted in the Scolar Press facsimile edition of Chaucer’s Works, see note 1 above). According to Spurgeon, op.cit., vol.1, p. 146, ‘this letter, somewhat expanded, appeared again in Speght’s edition of 1602, though Beaumont died in 1598.’ Derek Brewer, op.cit., p. 135,, puts the death of Francis Beaumont ’Master of Charterhouse, who was at Peterhouse, Cambridge, 1565–70, at the same time as Thomas Speght’ at 1624.
See Thomas R. Lounsbury, Studies in Chaucer, 1892, reissued New York, 1962, vol. III, pp. 33–34.
op.cit., vol.I, pp. 65–97.
F.J. Furnivall and G.H. Kingsley (eds.) Francis Thynne’s Animadversions, EETS, OS 9, 1865, repr. 1965, p. 10.
op.cit., vol.Ill, p. 35.
Peter Betham, The Prefatory Epistle to The preceptes of Warre,set forth by James the Erle of Purlilia and translated into Englysh by Peter Betham, London, 1544; cited by Spurgeon, op.cit., vol.I, p. 86.
George Puttenham, The Arte of English Poesie,London, 1589, facs. edition Scolar Press, Menston, 1968, p. 120. The Arte of English Poesie has also been edited by Gladys Doidge Willcock and Alice Walker, Cambridge, 1936, repr. 1970, with a useful introduction in which the problem of the authorship of the book is discussed (The Arte of English Poesie was published anonymously). Only the last part of this quotation is cited by Spurgeon, op.cit., vol.I, p. 126.
From: Timber: or, Discoveries, ? 1637, as in W.F. Bolton, The English Language,Cambridge, 1966, p. 40.
Johan Kerling, ‘English Old-Word Glossaries 1553–1594’, Neophilologus 63, 1979, pp. 136–147.
Old-Word Glossaries’, p. 146. See also Alice S. Miskimin, op.cit., (note 1 above), p. 232. She mistakenly identifies P.Gr. as P. Greenwood.
Quotations from Spurgeon (ed.), op.cit., vol.I, p. 144. See also Miskimin, op.cit., pp. 254–55.13. C.F.E. Spurgeon (ed.) hard Rrathwait’a comments, In 1665, upon Chauc=er’u Talpn of tho Mtitor and tho Wifo of Rath,London, 1901, pp. xii - xiii.
A lettor sont by F.A. touehyny tho prodings in a privat€3 quarol1 and unkindnoano, botwoone Arthur Hall, and Molehisodooh Mallorio.., With an admonition to the Fathor of F.A. to him Loing a Rurgeaae of the Farliament, for hta bettor behaviour therein. Cited by Spurgeon, op.oit., vol. 1, p. 112.
John Marston, The Scourge of Vittanio, Throo Bookoo of Satyres, 1598. Cited by Spurgeon, op.cit., vol., I, p. 158.
An edition of this MS glossary (together with Junius’ glossary to Douglas) are being prepared by me. Spurgeon quotes Mark Liddell’s reference to this glossary (op.cit., vol.1, p. 253).
Herbert C. Wright (ed.), A Seventeenth-Century ModoTnlìation of the r1rat Throe Books of Chaucor’a “Troiluo and Griaoydo”,Bern, 1960. Cited by Spurgeon, op.cit., vol.1, p, 203.
Cited by Spurgeon, op.cit., vol.1, p. 2071 vol.111, p. 68.
Spurgeon, broth wait’s commonts (see note 13 above), p. 98.
Edward Phillips, Thoatrum Footarum,London, 1675, sign. **2r. Part of this quotation may be found in Spurgeon, op.cit., vol.1, p. 250.
The title page does not give the editor’s name, but according to the British Library Catalogue it is Sir E. Hrydges. The copy consulted by me in the Morel’ Library at York University contains a note on the title page ‘by Sir Egerton Hrydges’.
Quoted on p. vi of the 1800 edition. The first quotation is ascribed to Warton in hie edition of ‘Milton’s juvenile poems’, which is Warton’s edition of Milton’s pauffis upon aoveral Occasions, London, 1755, p. 601 the second is from Warton’s ftlatorv of English Poptry, vol. III, 1781, p. 440.
Phillips may have owed his interest in Chaucer and old wards to Milton: Milton himself was interested in Chaucer and archaisms. According to Dryden
His [Milton’s] Antiquated words were his Choice, not his Necessity; for therein he imitated Spancor,as sporwor did Chaucer.
Cited by Spurgeon, op. cit., vol,i, pp. 264–65.
Cf. Samule Cobb’s Sunk in a Sea of Ignorance we lay, Till Chaucor roso, and pointed out the Day, A joking Bard, whose Antiquated Muse In mouldy Words could solid Sense produco. (a. 1700) Cited by Spurgeon, op. cit., vo l l, p. 271.
op.cit., vol.I, p. xliii.
Brewor, op. cit., (note 1 above), p. 20.
Urewer, op. cit., p. 20.
See Brewer, op. cit., pp. 13, 14.
See Kerling, ‘Old-Word Glossaries’, pp. 144–44.
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Kerling, J. (1979). Chaucer’s Fame and His ‘Old Language’ in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. In: Chaucer in Early English Dictionaries. Germanic and Anglistic Studies of the University of Leiden, vol 18. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7024-8_2
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