p E N q u I kim] c l\a~s^ I c s ;• GeoArb^ GriAUcM THECAKf^EI^BURY cS^^^E PENGUIN / l> CLASSICS THE CANTERBURY TALES Geoffrey Chaucer was-born in London, the son of a vintner, in about 1342. HeisknowntohavebeenapagetotheCountessofUlster in 1357, and Edward HIvaluedhimhighlyenoughtopayapartofhis ransom in 1360, after he had been captured fightingin France. It was probably in France that Chaucer'sinterestinpoetrywasfirst aroused. Certainly he soon began totranslatethelongallegoricalpoem of courtly love, the Roman de la Rose. His literary experience was further increased by visits to the Italy of Boccaccio on the King's business, and he was well-read in several languages and on many topics, such as astronomy, medicine, physics and alchemy. Chaucerroseinroyalemployment, andbecameaknightoftheshire for Kent (1385-6) and a Justiceofthe Peace. A lapseoffavourduring thetemporaryabsenceofhissteadypatron,JohnofGaunt(towhomhe was connected by hismarriage), gavehimtime tobeginorganizinghis unfinished Canterbury Tales. Later his fortunes revived, and at his death in 1400 he was buried inWestminster Abbey. Theorderofhisworksisuncertain, buttheyinclude TheBookofthe Duchess, The House ofFame, The Parliament ofFowls, Troilus and Criseyde and a translation ofBoethius' De ConsolationePhilosophiae. • Professor Nevill Coghill held many appointments at Oxford University, wherehewasMertonProfessorofEnghsh Literaturefrom 1957 to 1966, andlaterbecame Emeritus FellowofExeterandMerton Colleges. Hewas bom in 1899and educated at Haileyburyand Exeter College, Oxford, and served in the Great War after 1917. He wrote several bookson Enghsh Literature, andhadakeeninterestindrama, particularly Shakespearean. For manyyears hewas astrong supporter of the Oxford University Dramatic Society, and produced plays in London and Oxford. The book ofthe musical play, Canterbury Tales, which ran at thePhoenixTheatre, London, from 1968 to 1973wasco- writtenbyNevillCoghillincollaborationwith MartinStarkiewhofirst conceived the idea and presented the original production. His trans- lation of Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde into modem Enghsh is also pubhshed in the Penguin Classics. Professor Coghill, who died in November 1980, will perhaps be best remembered for this translation which has become an enduring bestseller. GEOFFREY CHAUCER 'The Canterbury Tales TRANSLATED INTO MODERN ENGLISH BY NEVILL COGHILL PENGUIN BOOKS PENGUIN BOOKS PublishedbythePenguinGroup PenguinBooksLtd,27WrightsLane,LondonW85TZ,England PenguinBooksUSAInc.,375HudsonStreet,NewYork,NewYork 10014,USA PenguinBooksAustraliaLtd,Ringwood,Victoria,Australia PenguinBooksCanadaLtd, 10AlcornAvenue,Toronto,Ontario,CanadaM4V3B2 Penguin Books(NZ)Ltd, 182-190WairauRoad,Auckland 10,NewZealand PenguinBooksLtd,RegisteredOffices: Harmondsworth,Middlesex,England Thistranslationfirstpublished 1951 Revised 1958 Reprintedwithrevisions 1960 Reprintedwithrevisions 1975 Reprintedwithrevisions 1977 25 27 29 30 28 26 Copyright 1951 byNevillCoghill © Copyright NevillCoghill, 1958, 1960, 1975, 1977 Allrightsreserved PrintedinEnglandbyClaysLtd,StIvespic ExceptintheUnitedStatesofAmerica,thisbookissoldsubject totheconditionthatitshallnot,bywayoftradeorotherwise,belent, re-sold,hiredout,orotherwisecirculatedwithoutthepublisher's priorconsentinanyformotbindingorcoverotherthanthatin whichitispublishedandwithoutasimilarconditionincludingthis conditionbeingimposedonthesubsequentpurchaser FOR RichardFreeman Brian Ball Glynne Wickham Peter Whillans Graham Binns . . . . . / have translated some parts of his zvorksj only that I might perpetuate his memoryyoratleastrefreshit^amongstmy countrymen. IfI have altered him any- wherefor the bettery I must at the same time acknowledgey that Icouldhave done nothing without him. . JOHNDRYDENontranslatingChaucer Preface to the Fables 1700 Andsuch as Chaucerisy shallDrydenbe. ALEXANDER POPE Essay on Criticism 1711