The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

7HE LEGEND OF GOOD WOM3IEN. 281
THE PROLOGUE TO
THE LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN.
[SOME difference of opinion exists as to the date at which Chaucer wrote "The Legend of Good
Women." Those who would fix that date at a period not long before the poet's death-who
would place the poem, indeed, among his closing labours-support their opinion by the fact
that the Prologue recites most of Chaucer's principal works, and glances, besides, at a long
array of other productions, too many to be fully catalogued. But, on the other hand, it is
objected that the "Legend" makes no mention of " The Canterbury Tales " as such; while
two of those Tales-the Knight's and the Second Nun's-are enumerated by the titles which
they bore as separate compositions, before they were incorporated in the great collection:
"The Love of Palamon and Arcite," and "The Life of Saint Cecile."l Tyrwhitt seems
perfectly justified in placing the composition of the poem immediately before that of
Chaucer's magnum opus, and after the marriage of Richard II. to his first queen, Anne of
Bohemia. That event took place in 1382; and since it is to Anne that the poet refers
when he makes Alcestis bid him give his poem to the queen " at Eltham or at Sheen," the
"Legend " could not have been written earlier. The old editions tell us that " several ladies
in the Court took offence at Chaucer's large speeches against the untruth of women; therefore the queen enjoin'd him to compile this book in the commendation of sundry maidens
and wives, who show'd themselves faithful to faithless men. This seems to have been
written after The Flower and the Leaf." Evidently it was, for distinct references to that
poem are to be found in the Prologue; but more interesting is the indication which it furnishes, that " Troilus and Cressida" was the work, not of the poet's youth, but of his maturer
age. We could hardly expect the queen-whether of Love or of England-to demand
seriously from Chaucer a retractation of sentiments which he had expressed a full generation before, and for which he had made atonement by the splendid praises of true love sung
in "The Court of Love," "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale," and other poems of youth
and middle life. But "Troilus and Cressida " is coupled with " The Romance of the Rose,"
as one of the poems which had given offence to the servants and the God of Love; therefore we may suppose it to have more prominently engaged courtly notice at a late period
of the poet's life, than even its undoubted popularity could explain. At whatever date, or
in whatever circumstances, undertaken, "The Legend of Good Women" is a fragment.
There are several signs that it was designed to contain the stories of twenty-five ladies,
although the number of the good women is in the poem itself set down at nineteen; but
nine legends only were actually composed, or have come down to us. They are, those of
Cleopatra Queen of Egypt (126 lines), Thisbe of Babylon (218), Dido Queen of Carthage
(442), Hypsipyle and Medea (312), Lucrece of Rome (206), Ariadne of Athens (340), Philomela (167), Phyllis (168), and Hypermnestra (162). Prefixed to these stories, which are
translated or imitated from Ovid, is a Prologue containing 579 lines-the only part of the
"Legend" given in the present edition. It is by far the most original, the strongest, and
most pleasing part of the poem; the description of spring, and of his enjoyment of that
season, are in Chaucer's best manner; and the political philosophy by which Alcestis mitigates the wrath of Cupid, adds another to the abounding proofs that, for his knowledge of
the world, Chaucer fairly merits the epithet of "many-sided" which Shakespeare has won
by his knowledge of man.]
A THOUSAND timls I have hearde tell, But as he hath heard said, or found it written;
That there is joy in heav'n, and pain in hell; For by assay 5 there may no man it preve.6
And I accord 2 it well that it is so; But God forbid but that men should believe
But, natheless, yet wot 3 I well als6, Well more thing than men have seen with eye I
That there is none dwelling in this country Men shall not weenen ev'ry thing a lie
That either hath in heav'n or hell y-be; 4 But if 7 himself it seeth, or else do'th;
Nor may of it no other wayes witten3 For, God wot, thing is never the less sooth,8
1 See note 19, page 171. 2 Grant agree. 5 Practical trial. 6 Prove, test.
3 Know. 4 Been. 7 Unless. 8 True.