THE WOORKES OF GEOFFREY CHAUCER newly printed with diverse addicions, whiche were never in print before: With the seige and destruction of the worthy citee of Thebes, compiled by Jhon Lidgate, Monke of Berie. As in the table more playnly dothe appere.

The First Edition to have been edited by John Stowe. [Colophon: Imprinted at London by Ihon Kyngston for Ihon White, 1561] Black letter, double-column, title within woodcut border, section titles for the Canterbury Tales and The Romaunt of the Rose within a full-page woodcut border Folio. [Text 323 x 212 mm], 18th-century English blind-ruled calf, morocco lettering-piece, endleaves renewed. A pleasing and handsome copy, well preserved and complete, some restoration to title-page, first four leaves with marginal repaired tears, section title for the Canterbury Tales with portion of lower margin renewed, several other smaller marginal repairs, occasional minor stains, some marginal worming at end, occasionally affecting text, a bit of rubbing.

Edizione: this is the first stowe edition of chaucer and includes a number of first printings. it is arguably the first complete chaucer. included here are: chaucer's wordes to adam his own scrivener; a balade against unconttant women; and compleint to his lady. also represented are the first printings of these apocryphal texts: the craft of lovers; the court of love (compiled by chaucer); the dream of chaucer. other apocryphal texts included here are: the assembly of ladies; the cuckoo and the nightingale; the plowman's tale; and la belle dame sans merci.<br> it is also interesting to note that 'the seige of thebes' by john lydgate is also published in this volume of chaucer's works--interesting not just because the two were contemporaries, but also because of inter-textual references in their work. in chaucer's 'troilus and creseida' we read of creseida quietly reading at home in troy ludgate's 'seige of thebes,' surrounded by her maidens. despite the loss of her loving husband, lydgate's text brings her partial happiness.<br> chaucer's work is the cornerstone of english poetry. next to shakespeare's folio, it is probably the most influential work in english. the importance of chaucer's role in the development of vernacular english would take (and has taken) volumes to describe. a remarkable text, book, and artifact. <br> the edition of chaucer's works which was probably used by shakespeare as a source for the story of "troilus and cressida" (see bartlett).<br> there were two recorded issues of this date, one (stc 5075) with the title within a woodcut border (mckerrow and ferguson 67) and another (stc 5076, as here) omitting the preliminary woodcuts (so with the preliminaries collating a6) and with the title above a large woodcut of chaucer's arms. the traditional view was that the illustrated issue was printed first, and then the cuts omitted in the second issue when the blocks were worn out. recently however (see david r. carlson, "the woodcut illustrations in early printed editions of chaucer's canterbury tales," in chaucer illustrated: five hundred years of the canterbury tales in pictures, british library, 2003) it has been contested that the printer came into possession of the cuts belatedly, and the unillustrated issue appeared first. <br><br>estc s107207; stc 5075; pforzheimer 176 (variant title)<br><br>early inscriptions on title, one dated 1612 — university college london (ink stamps on title)