1. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Ed. Wright, David.

New York: Random House,

1965. 334 pages.
First published in 1965, this is a prose version of the medieval classic. Wright considers
this edition as a translation of Chaucer into straightforward contemporary prose, in an attempt
to give the general reader, who might otherwise be deterred by the Middle English)
(Introduction xi). The translation is based on the text of F.N. Robinsons edition of The
Canterbury Tales while the order is based on Skeats Oxford Edition which, in Wrights words,
generally accepted as the best (xii).
Order: General Prologue, Knights Tale, Millers Tale, The Reeves Prologue, Reeves
Tale, The Cooks Prologue, The Cooks Tale, Introduction to the Sergeant-at-Laws Tale, The
Sergeant-at-Laws Prologue, The Sergeant-at-Laws Tale, Epilogue to the Sergeant-at-Laws
Tale, The Sea-Captains Tale, What the Host said to the Sea-Captain and the Lady Prioress,
Prologue of the Prioresss Tale, The Prioresss Tale, What the Host Said to Chaucer, Sir Topaz,
Here the Host Interrupts Chaucers Tale of Sir Topaz, The Tale of Melibeus, What the Host said
to the Monk, The Monks Tale, Prologue of the Nuns Priests Tale, The Nuns Priests Tale,
Epilogue to the Nuns Priests Tale, The Doctor of Medicines Tale, What the Host Said to the
Doctor of Medicince and the Parlour, The Pardoners Prologue, The Pardoners Tale, The Wife of
Baths Prologue, The Dispute between the Friar and the Summoner, The Wife of Baths Tale, The
Friars Prologue, The Friars Tale, The Summoners Prologue, The Summoners Tale, The
Scholars Prologue, The Scholars Tale, Chaucers Epilogue, What the Host Said, The
Merchants Prologue, The Merchants Tale, Epilogue to the Merchants Tale, Introduction to the
Squires Tale, The Squires Tale, What the Franklin Said to the Squire and what the Host said to
the Franklin, The Franklins Prologue, The Franklin Tale, The Second Nuns Prologue, The
Second Nuns Tale, The Canon Yeomans Prologue, The Canon Yeomans Tale, The Manciples

Prologue, The Manciples Tale, The Parsons Prologue, The Parsons Tale, The Authors
Valediction
Sample Prose Translation: When the sweet showers of April have pierced the dryness of
March to its root and soaked every vein in moisture whose quickening force engenders the
flower; when Zephyr with his sweet breath has given life to tender shoots in each wood and
field; when the young sun has run his half-course in the sign of the Ram; when, nature prompting
instincts small birds who sleep through the night with one eye open make their music---then
people long to go on pilgrimages, and pious wanderers to visit strange langs and far-off shrines
in different countries (3).
2. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Ed. Richard Morris. Collation an Additional
Notes by Walter W. Skeat. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1957. 266 pages.
Postscript to the Revised Edition by Skeat: The text of former editions of this selection from the
Canterury Tales was at first taken from the well-known MS. Harl, 7334 (in the British Museum),
which, however, is by no means free from clerical errors. It was afterwards revised throughout
bu a careful collation with the Ellesmere, Hengwrt, and Corpus MSS, printed in Dr. Furnivalls
Six-Text edition of Chaucers MSS. in the same edition were also consulted in cases of difficulty,
but did not prove of much service in correcting the blunders of the Harleian MS (l).
In this version (1888), Ellesmere was the primary sources---satisfying in the phonetic
point of view, as the spelling in Ellesmere MS is remarkable for clearness and intelligibility and
is fairly uniform in character (l).
Sample:
Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote
The droghte of Marche hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour: (1-3 p. 1)
Only contains Introducction, Prologue, Knights Tale, Th Nonne Preestes Tale, Notes, Glossary

3. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Tales of the Clerk and the Wife of Bath. Ed. By Marion WynneDavies. Routledge, London: 1992. 210 pages.
The two tales are chosen because they complement each other. As the author notes, both
the character and tale of the Clerk are appropriate antitheses to those of the Wife (6) where both
tales send a moral message (6) about the nobility of character.
Canterbury Tales shows Chaucers preference for the vernacular over Latin, [and he]
also used English sources (7). The Wife of Baths Tale he draws upon The Tale of Florent in
John Gowers work (7).
The text is based on the Hengwrt script (22) but sometimes followed Ellesmere
especially for indentation in long and complicated passages, such as may be found in the Wifes
prologue (22).
Notes/definition of terms found at the bottom of the page.
Includes a critical commentary by the editor.
Notes at the end of the book.
Includes glossary.
4. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Complete Poetical Works of Geoffrey Chaucer. Ed. John S.P.
Tatlock and Percy MacKaye. Illustrations by Warwich Goble. New York: The Macmillan
Company, 1965. 607 pages.
A. Bound copy from the UP CAL LIBRARY
We can find the Canterbury Tales from pages 1-309. The book is in modern English.
Example: When the sweet showers of April have pierced to the root the dryness of
March, and bathed every vein in moisture whose quickening brings forth the flowers; when
Zephyr also with his sweet breath has quickened the tender new shoots in holt and moor, and the
young sun has run his half-course in the Ram, and little birds make melody (1).
Includes: Prologue, The Knights Tale, the Millers Tale, The Reeves Tale, The Cooks Tale, The
Words of the Host, The Man of Laws Tale, The Shipmans Tale, The Prioress Tale, The Tale of
Sir Thopas (in prose not in poem form like the other book), Prologue to Melibeus, Monks
Prologue, The Monks Tale, Prologue of the Nuns Priests Tale, The Physicians Tale, The Words

of the Host, Prologue of the Pardoners Tale, The Pardoners Tale, Prologue of the Wife of Baths
Tale, The Friars Tale, The Sumners Tale, The Clerks Tale, The Merchants Tale, The Squires
Tale, The Franklins Tale, The Second Nuns Tale, The Canon Yeomans Prologue, The Canon
Yeomans Tale, The Manciples Prologue, The Manciples Tale, The Parsons Tale, [no clear
break or ending except Here is ended the book of the Tales of Canterbury, complied by
Geoffrey Chaucer, of whose sould Jesu Christ have mercy. Amen. (p. 309)
Illustrations:
Pardoners Tale:
The Three Revellers and the Gold (between pp. 154-155)
The Wife of Baths Tale
The Knight and the Old Woman (between pp. 172-173)
The Knight and the Old Woman at the Court (between pp. 174-175)
The Clerks Tale
Griselda and the Duke (between pp. 202-203)
Griselda Robed in Cloth of Gold (between pp. 204-205)
January helping May into the Tree (between pp. 236-237)
Canacee and the Falcon (between pp. 246-247)
Dorigen Pledging Aurelius (between pp. 256-257)
The Angel Presenting the Crowns to Cecily and Velekian (between pp. 272-273)
5. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales: A Selection. Ed. By Donald Howard with the
assistance of James Dean. The Signet Classic Poetry Series. Gen. Ed. John Hollander.
Penguin, New York: 1969. 399 pages.
Donald Howard claims that Chaucer is the father of English literature (vii) because he
was the initiator of an English literary tradition (vii).
The work is meant for readers and hearers---by which they mean, probably, that their
work would more often than not be read aloud (viii).
Chaucer begins his descriptions of the pilgrims with the Knight, ad begins the tales with
the Knights Tale. Both choices are appropriate----the man of the highest rank should come first.
But in the General Prologue this proper order by rank quickly falls apart; and in the tales the
Hosts good intentions are foiled when the drunken Miller butts in to quite the Knights tale.
(xiv-xv).

The General Prologue begins with the Knight, groups the pilgrims roughly by their
livelihood, and ends with the most awesomely depraved of the pilgrims, the Summoner and
Pardoner (xv).
6. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Portable Chaucer. Selected, Translated and Ed. By Theodore
Morrison. Cambridge: The Colonial Press, 1965. 61-359.
Chaucer used English as it was spoken in those days unlike his contemporary like John
Gower who wrote poems in Latin, French, and English (6).
I have tried to represent Chaucers simplicity as faithfully as I was able, his plain
diction, his active, simple, but often highly idiomatic predicates, his looseness of syntax, even his
freedom with pronouns, which often wander about with happy disregard for the logic of
ambiguous reference (51).
Lines 1-6:
As soon as April pierces to the root
The drought of March, and bathes each bud and shoot
Through every vein of sap with gentle showers
From whose engendering liquor spring the flowers;
When zephyrs have breathed softly all about
Inspiring every wood and field to sprout (61)
Black rebounded copy by UP CAL lib

Libraries That Contain Canterbury Tales (Manuscript):

A. Bodleian Library
B. The British Library
C. The University of Glasgow
D. John Rylands Library
E. National Library of Wales
Anthologies
11.
A. The Riverside Chaucer. Gen. ed. Larry D. Robinson. Based on The Works of
Geoffrey Chaucer. Ed. By F.N. Robinson. Oxford University Press. 3rd ed. 2008.
a. The Canterbury Tales is from page 3-328.

b. The stories are grouped by the label Fragment (10 fragments)

c. Fragment 1: The Knights Tale, The Millers Prologue and Tale, The Reeves
Prologue and Tale, The Cooks Prologue and Tale
Fragment 2: The Man of Tales Introduction, Prologue, Tale, and Epilogue
Fragment 3: The Wife of Baths Prologue and Tale, The Friars Prologue and Tale,
The Summoners Prologue and Tale
Fragment 4: The Clerks Prologue and Tale; Merchants Tale, Prologue, Tale and
Epilogue
Fragment V: The Squires Introduction and Tale; The Franklins Prologue and Tale
Fragment VI: The Physicians Tale, The Pardoners Introduction, Prologue and Tale
Fragment VII: The Shipmans Tale; The Prioress Prologue and Tale; The Prologue and
the Tale of Sir Thopas; The Tale of Melibee; The Monks Prologue and Tale; The Nuns
Priests Prologue, Tale, and Epilogue
Fragment VIII: The Second Nuns Prologue and Tale; The Canons Yeoman Prologue and
Tale;
Fragment IX: The Manciples Prologue and Tale;
Fragment X: The Parsons Prologue and Tale; Chaucers Retraction

12. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Notes and Glossary of Thomas Tyrwhitt.
Illustrated by Edward Corbould. New York: G. Routledge, 1854. Web.
A. Book digitized by Google from the library of University of California
B. E-book is available at google books and other web sources like the internet archive
C. Tyrwhitt notes in his Introduction to The Canterbury Tales that while some consider
Chaucer that he is the well of English undefiled, according to the other he has defiled
the English idiom by an immoderate mixture of French words (ii).
D. Whanne that April with his shoures sote
The drought of March had perched to the rote (1-2)
E. Link: https://archive.org/details/canterburytales09tyrwgoog