NOTES TO GROUP C 260 THE PHISICIENS TALE 260 WORDS OF THE HOST 264 THE PARDONERES PROLOGUE 269 THE PARDONERES TALE 275
NOTES TO GROUP D 291 THE WIFE OF BATH'S PROLOGUE 291 THE TALE OF THE WYF OF BATHE 313 THE FRIAR'S PROLOGUE 322 THE FRERES TALE 323 THE SOMPNOUR'S PROLOGUE 330 THE SOMNOURS TALE 331
NOTES TO GROUP E 342 THE CLERKES PROLOGUE 342 THE CLERKES TALE 343 THE MARCHAUNTES PROLOGUE 353 THE MARCHANTES TALE 353
NOTES TO GROUP F 370 THE SQUIERES TALE 370 THE WORDS OF THE FRANKLIN 387 THE PROLOGUE OF THE FRANKLIN'S TALE 387 THE FRANKELEYNS TALE 388
NOTES TO GROUP G 401 THE SECOND NONNES TALE 401 THE CANON'S YEOMAN'S PROLOGUE 414 THE CHANOUNS YEMANNES TALE 421
NOTES TO GROUP H 435 THE MANCIPLE'S PROLOGUE 435 THE MAUNCIPLES TALE 439
NOTES TO GROUP I 444 THE PARSON'S PROLOGUE 444 THE PERSONES TALE 447
INDEX TO THE SUBJECTS, ETC., EXPLAINED IN THE NOTES 495
§ 1. In the brief Introduction to vol. iv. I have given a list of the MSS. of the Canterbury Tales; some account of the early printed editions; and some explanation of the methods employed in preparing the present edition. I propose here to discuss further certain important points of general interest. And first, I would say a few words as to the Canon of Chaucer's Works, whereby the genuine works are separated from others that have been attributed to him, at various times, by mistake or inadvertence.
This has already been considered, at considerable length, in vol. i. pp. 20-90. But it is necessary to say a few words on the whole subject, owing to the extremely erroneous opinions that are so widely prevalent.
Sometimes a poem is claimed for Chaucer because it occurs 'in a Chaucer MS.' There is a certain force in this plea in a few cases, as I have already pointed out. But it commonly happens that such MSS. (as, for example, MS. Fairfax 16, MS. Bodley 638, and others) are mere collections of poetry of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, from which nothing can safely be inferred as to the authorship of the poems which they contain, unless the scribe distinctly gives the author's name[1]. As a rule, however, the scribes not only omit to mention names, but they frequently omit the very title of the poem, and thus [x] withhold such help as, in many cases, they might easily have afforded.