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.

Gloria vero quam fallax saepe, quam turpis est; Unde non injuria tragicus exclamat. O gloria, gloria, millibus mortalium nihil aliud facta, nisi aurium inflatio magna, &c.

BUt glory, how deceiuable & how foule is it oft? For which thynge, not vnskilful∣ly, a tragedian, y^t is to saine, maker of dities, y^t highten tragedies, cried and said: O glo∣ry, glory, qd. he, thou nart nothing els to thousands of folkes, but a sweller of eares. For many haue full great renome by the false opinion of the people.

And what thing may been thought fouler than suche praysing? For thilke folke that been praysed falsely, they moten needes haue shame of her praysing. And if that folke haue getten hem thank or praising by her deserts, what thing hath thilk prise eched or encreased to the conscience of wise folke, that measured her good, nat by the rumour of y^e people, but by y^e soothfastnesse of conscience? And if it seme a fair thing, a man to haue encreased & sprad his name, then followeth it, y^t it is deemed to ben a foule thing, if it ne be ysprad and en∣creased. But as I said a little here before, y^t sith there mote needes been many folkes, to which folke the renome of a man ne may nat commen, it befalleth, that he that thou wenest be glorious and renomed, semeth in the next part of the erthes to ben without glory and without renome. And certes a∣mongs these things, I ne trow nat that the prise and the grace of the people nis neither worthy to ben remembred, ne commeth of wise judgement, ne is ferme perdurably. But now of this name of gentilesse: what man is it that ne may well seene how vaine and flitting it is? For if the name of genti∣lesse be referred to renome and clereness of linage, then is gentil name but a forain thing, that is to say, to hem that glorifien hem of her linage: For it semeth that gentilnes is a manner praising that commeth of the de∣serts of auncesters. And if praising maketh gentilnesse, then moten they needes been gentill that ben praised. For which thing it followeth, that if thou ne have no gentilnes of thy self, that is to sain, prise, that cometh of thy desert, forraine gentilnesse ne maketh thee nat gentill. But certes, if there be any good in gentilnesse, I trowe it be all onely this: that it semeth as that a manner necessi∣te be imposed to gentilmen, for that they ne should nat outragen or forleauen fro the ver∣tues of her noble kinred.