The works of our ancient, learned, & excellent English poet, Jeffrey Chaucer as they have lately been compar'd with the best manuscripts, and several things added, never before in print : to which is adjoyn'd The story of the siege of Thebes, by John Lidgate ... : together with The life of Chaucer, shewing his countrey, parentage, education, marriage, children, revenues, service, reward, friends, books, death : also a table, wherein the old and obscure words in Chaucer are explained, and such words ... that either are, by nature or derivation, Arabick, Greek, Latine, Italian, French, Dutch, or Saxon, mark'd with particular notes for the better understanding of their original.

Foelix nimium prior aetas, Contenta fidelibus ar∣vis. Nec inerti perdita luxu. Facilique sera so∣lebat Jejunia solvere glande. Nec bacchia mu∣nera norat liquido confundere melle. Nec lu∣cida vellera serum, &c.

BLisful was the first age of men, they held hem apayed with the meats that the true fields broughten forth: they ne de∣stroyed nor deceived not hemselfe with out∣rage: they weren woont lightly to slaken her hunger at even with Achornes of Okes: they ne coude not medell the yefte of Bac∣chus to the cleare honey, that is to sain, they could make ne piemente or clarre: Ne they could not medell the bright fleeces of the Countrey of Syrians with the venime of Tirie: this is to saine, they coude not dy∣en white fleeces of Syrian countrey, with the blood of a manner Shell-fish that men finden in Tyrie, with which blood men dyen Purple.

They slepten holsome sleeps vpon y^e grasse, and dronken of the renning waters, & lien vnder y^e shadows of y^e high Pine trees. Ne no gheste or straunger ne carfe yet y^e high sea with oares or with shippes: ne they ne had∣den seine yet no new stronds to leaden Mar∣chandise into divers Countreys. Tho we∣ren the cruell clarions full hust, and full still. Ne blood y••••ad by eagre hate, ne had dyed yet armures. For whereto would woodnesse of enemies first mouen armes, when they saw∣en cruel wounds, ne none meedes be of blood yshad? I would that our times should tourne ayen to the old manners. But the anguish∣ous loue of having, in folke, burneth more cruelly than the mountain of Ethna, that aye brenneth. Alas, what was he that first dalfe up the gobbets or the weights of gold, couered under earth, and the precious stones that woulden haue be hid? * He dalfe up precious perils, that is to sain, that he hem first up dalfe, he dalfe up a precious peril, for why, for the preciousnesse of such thing hath many man ben in peril.