And noght only fro fer contree
That ther no tyding comth to thee
But of thy verray neyghebores,
That dwellen almost at thy dores,
Thou herest neither that ne this;
For whan thy labour doon al is,
Thou gost hoom to thy hous anoon,
Thou sittest at another boke,
Til fully daswed is thy loke,
And livest thus as an hermyte.
"Hous of Fame," book ii. l. 647; "Complete Works," iii. p. 20.
[486] All these dates are merely approximative. Concerning the chronology of Chaucer's works, see Ten Brink, "Chaucer Studien," Münster, 1870, 8vo; Furnivall, "Trial Forewords," 1871, Chaucer Society; Koch, "Chronology," Chaucer Society, 1890; Pollard, "Chaucer," "Literature Primers," 1893; Skeat, "Complete Works of Chaucer," vol. i., "Life" and the introductions to each poem. "Boece" is in vol. ii. of the "Complete Works" (cf. Morris's ed., 1868, E.E.T.S.). The "Lyf of Seinte Cecile" was transferred by Chaucer to his "Canterbury Tales," where it became the tale of the second nun. The good women of the "Legend" are all of them love's martyrs: Dido, Ariadne, Thisbe, &c.; it was Chaucer's first attempt to write a collection of stories with a Prologue. In the Prologue Venus and Cupid reproach him with having composed poems where women and love do not appear in a favourable light, such as "Troilus" and the translation of the "Roman de la Rose," which "is an heresye ageyns my lawe." He wrote his "Legend" to make amends.
[487] "Parlement of Foules," ll. 272, 225, "Complete Works," vol. i.
[488] "Hous of Fame," l. 133 ibid., vol. iii.
[489] "Hous of Fame," l. 518.
[490] "Complete Works, "vol. i. p. 365. This beginning is imitated from Boccaccio's "Teseide."
[491] "Parlement of Foules," in "Complete Works," vol. i. p. 336. Chaucer alludes here to a book which "was write with lettres olde," and which contained "Tullius of the dreme of Scipioun."
[492] "Legend of Dido," in "Complete Works," vol. iii. p. 117.
[493] Book v. st. 256.