8 The Works of Alfred Tennyson.  London:  Stranham & Co., 1872. 6 vols.

9.  Selections from the Poetical Works of Robert Browning.  London:  Smith, Elder & Co., 1880. 2 vols.

APPENDIX.

GEOFFREY CHAUCER.

THE PRIORESS.

[From the general prologue to the Canterbury Tales.]

  There was also a nonne, a prioresse,
  That of hire smiling was ful simple and coy;
  Hire gretest othe n’as but by Seint Eloy;
  And she was cleped[23] madame Eglentine. 
  Ful wel she sange the service devine,
  Entuned in hire nose ful swetely;
  And Frenche she spake ful fayre and fetisly[24]
  After the scole of Stratford-atte-Bowe,[25]
  For Frenche of Paris was to hire unknowe. 
  At mete was she wel ytaught withalle;
  She lette no morsel from hire lippe falle,
  Ne wette hire fingres in hire sauce depe. 
  Wel coude she carie a morsel, and wel kepe,
  Thatte no drope ne fell upon hire brest. 
  In curtesie was sette ful moche hire lest.[26]
  Hire over lippe wiped she so clene
  That in hire cuppe was no ferthing[27] sene
  Of grese, whan she dronken hadde hire draught. 
  Ful semely after hire mete she raught.[28]
  And sikerly[29] she was of grete disport
  And ful plesant and amiable of port,
  And peined hire to contrefeten chere
  Of court,[30] and ben estatelich of manere
  And to ben holden digne[31] of reverence. 
  But for to speken of hire conscience,
  She was so charitable and so pitous,
  She wolde wepe if that she saw a mous
  Caughte in a trappe, if it were ded or bledde. 
  Of smale houndes hadde she, that she fedde
  With rested flesh and milk and wastel brede.[32]
  But sore wept she if on of hem were dede,
  Or if men smote it with a yerde[33] smert:[34]
  And all was conscience and tendre herte.

[Footnote 23:  Called.] [Footnote 24:  Neatly.] [Footnote 25:  Stratford on the Bow (river):  a small village where such French as was spoken would be provincial.] [Footnote 26:  Delight.] [Footnote 27:  Farthing, bit.] [Footnote 28:  Reached.] [Footnote 29:  Surely.] [Footnote 30:  Took pains to imitate court manners.] [Footnote 31:  Worthy.] [Footnote 32:  Fine bread.] [Footnote 33:  Stick.] [Footnote 34:  Smartly.]

PALAMON’S FAREWELL TO EMELIE.

[From the Knightes Tale.]

  Naught may the woful spirit in myn herte
  Declare o[35] point of all my sorwes smerte
  To you, my lady, that I love most. 
  But I bequethe the service of my gost
  To you aboven every creature,
  Sin[36] that my lif ne may no lenger dure. 
  Alas the wo! alas the peines stronge
  That I for you have suffered, and so longe! 
  Alas the deth! alas min Emelie! 
  Alas departing of our compagnie! 
  Alas min hertes quene! alas my wif!