The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• General Introduction.
• Life of Geoffrey Chaucer.
• List of Chaucer’s Works.
• Errata and Addenda.
• Introduction.: the Romaunt of the Rose.
• Introduction: the Minor Poems.
• The Romaunt of the Rose.
• Fragment A.: Le Roman De La Rose.
• Fragment B.
• Fragment C.
• The Minor Poems.
• I.: An A. B. C.
• II.: The Compleynte Unto Pite.
• III.: The Book of the Duchesse.
• IV.: The Compleynt of Mars.
• V.: The Parlement of Foules.
• VI.: A Compleint to His Lady.
• VII.: Anelida and Arcite.
• VIII.: Chaucers Wordes Unto Adam, His Owne Scriveyn.
• IX.: The Former Age.
• X.: Fortune.
• XI.: Merciles Beaute: a Triple Roundel.
• XII.: To Rosemounde. a Balade.
• XIII.: Truth.
• XIV.: Gentilesse.
• XV.: Lak of Stedfastnesse.
• XVI.: Lenvoy De Chaucer a Scogan.
• XVII.: Lenvoy De Chaucer a Bukton.
• XVIII.: The Compleynt of Venus.
• XIX.: The Compleint of Chaucer to His Empty Purse.
• XX.: Proverbs.
• Appendix.
• XXI.: Against Women Unconstant.
• XXII.: An Amorous Compleint. (compleint Damours.)
• XXIII.: A Balade of Compleynt.
• Notes to the Romaunt of the Rose.
• Notes to the Minor Poems.

VIII.

CHAUCERS WORDES UNTO ADAM, HIS OWNE SCRIVEYN.

From T. (= MS. R. 3. 20 in Trin. Coll. Library, Cambridge). It also occurs in Stowe’s edition (1561).

Title; T. has—Chauciers wordes .a. Geffrey vn-to Adame his owen scryveyne; Stowe has—Chaucers woordes vnto his owne Scriuener.

• Adamscriveyn , if ever it thee bifalle
• Boece or Troilus to wryten newe ,^[ ]
• Under thy lokkes thou most have the scalle,^[ ]
• But after my making thou wryte trewe .
• So ofte a daye I mot thy werk renewe ,5
• Hit to correcte and eek to rubbe and scrape;
• And al is through thy negligence and rape.

[1. ]T. scryveyne; byfalle.

[2. ]T. Troylus for to; nuwe.

[3. ]T. thy long lokkes (see note); thowe.

[4. ]T. affter; makyng thowe wryte more truwe (see note).

[5. ]T. offt; renuwe.

[6. ]T. It; corect; Stowe has correcte. T. eke.

[7. ]T. thorugh; neclygence.

[2.]Boece, Chaucer’s translation of Boethius. Troilus, Chaucer’s poem of Troilus and Creseyde; in 5 books, all in seven-line stanzas. See vol. II.

[3.]‘Thou oughtest to have an attack of the scab under thy locks, unless thou write exactly in accordance with my composition.’