¹ Root, Robert K., The Poetry of Chaucer, p. 33.

² Kittredge, George Lyman, Chaucer and His Poetry, p. 19.

³ Lounsbury, Thomas R., Studies in Chaucer, His Life and Writings, p. 339. Lounsbury continues that these references “show that the matter was constantly before his thots,” a statement which we doubt in its applicability to the early works.

⁴ Only Fragment A of the Romaunt of the Rose is considered here, as “Fragment B is by a Northerner … whilst Fragment C is of doubtful origin.” Walter W. Skeat, The Student's Chaucer, p. 1.

⁵ Written before 1370.—For the chronology followed in this paper, see French, Robert Dudley, A Chaucer Handbook, pp. 75–132 and 384–386.

⁶ Skeat, p. 14, ll. 1275–1276.

⁷ For this and the subsequent enumeration see Skeat, p. 15, ll. 1355–1386, and p. 8, ll. 657–665.

⁸ Skeat, p. 16, ll. 1501 and 1528.

⁹ Probably this phrase merely provides a convenient rhyme for “welle.” In the course of Fgt. A the “elle” end-rhyme occurs once in telle-helle, once in welle-dwelle, and six times in welle-telle, five of the latter occurring in parenthetical phrases.

¹⁰ Known date, 1369–70. See French, p. 384.

¹¹ Skeat, p. 86, ll. 326–331; p. 89, ll. 567–572; p. 90, ll. 724–739; pp. 93–94, ll. 1054–74; p. 94, ll. 1080–86 and 1117–23.

¹² Skeat, p. 84, l. 68; p. 85, ll. 189–190 and 215–220, quoted.

¹³ Time of writing uncertain, but “a date between 1374–82 may be accepted with some confidence.” French, p. 123.

¹⁴ Skeat, pp. 338–40, ll. 1177–1348.

¹⁵ Skeat, p. 340, ll. 1354–55; and 1417–18; p. 341, ll. 1503–1506 and 1451–54.

¹⁶ Skeat, p. 346, ll. 1956–76.

¹⁷ Skeat, p. 329, ll. 311–314.

¹⁸ Dated 1382. French, p. 384.

¹⁹ Thirteen trees are named in seven lines in the Parlement of Foules as against thirty-four in thirty lines in the Romaunt, and seven lines concerning wells and flowers against thirty. Cf. also Skeat, P. F., p. 103, ll. 183–189 with R. R. pp. 2–6, ll. 147–478; and P. F. pp. 104–105, ll. 211–284 with R. R. pp. 8–14, ll. 729–1302.

²⁰ See Skeat, p. 101, l. 26 and ll. 34–35; p. 105, l. 279; p. 106, ll. 365 and 372; p. 107, l. 481; and p. 109, l. 620.

²¹ Written 1382–85. French, p. 384.

²² It is an amusing fact that, rather than providing historical authority in this manner, Chaucer has succeeded only in dangling before scholars another enigma in the person of “Lollius,” who as yet has not been convincingly identified. See French, pp. 188–189.

²³ Skeat, pp. 313–314, ll. 1037–38, 1040, 1050, 1093–94, 1097–99.

²⁴ Skeat, p. 324, ll. 1789–92.

²⁵ Skeat, p. 311, D. 946–947; p. 285, ll. 801–805; and p. 244, ll. 1595–96.

²⁶ Skeat, p. 244, ll. 1564–66.

²⁷ For this and the subsequently mentioned passage see Skeat, p. 243, ll. 1541–45; p. 320, ll. 1485–1512.

²⁸ Dated 1385–95. Prologue, B-text, written probably in 1385–86. French, p. 385.

²⁹ Of the nine, four tales—three of which are the final ones—are entirely lacking in authority, and three more cite only one source.

³⁰ Skeat, p. 372, ll. 1020–22.

³¹ For these three enumerations, Skeat, A-text, p. 356, ll. 203–223; p. 362, ll. 405–420; and p. 374, ll. 1114–25.

³² Skeat, p. 392, ll. 2490–92.

³³ The plan of grouping into five periods, here followed, is believed to be “not inconsistent with any of the known facts, or with any theory generally accepted by Chaucerian scholars.” French, p. 386.

³⁴ In the first period, to the year 1387, are included those “written, in whole or in part, before the scheme of the Canterbury Tales was conceived.” Of these the “Knightes Tale” and the “Monkes Tale” have a bearing on this study.

³⁵ Skeat, p. 442, ll. 1881–83.

³⁶ For these three passages, Skeat, pp. 443–445, ll. 1918–66; ll. 1970–2050; and ll. 2051–88.

³⁷ Skeat, p. 455, ll. 2919–66.

³⁸ Skeat, p. 533, ll. 3288–3302.

³⁹ Skeat, p. 533, ll. 3317–19.

⁴⁰ Skeat, p. 424, ll. 429–434; and pp. 419–420, ll. 51–66.

⁴¹ This period, 1387–88, includes the tales of the miller, reeve, shipman, and prioress, in addition to the prologue, all undertaken when Chaucer had the idea for the Tales fresh in mind. French, p. 385.

⁴² “There is no means of dating the ”Prioresses Tale“ with any exactitude, but the perfect workmanship of the poem indicates a date fairly late in Chaucer's career.” French, p. 242.

⁴³ The third period, 1389–91. French, p. 385.

⁴⁴ Skeat, p. 476, ll. 57–76; and p. 478, ll. 197–202.

⁴⁵ For these three enumerations see Skeat, p. 481, l. 419; p. 485, ll. 703–707; and p. 479, ll. 246–255, quoted.

⁴⁶ Skeat, p. 490, ll. 1086–92.

⁴⁷ Dated 1392–94. French, p. 386.

⁴⁸ For these two digressions, Skeat, p. 559, ll. 573–637; and p. 574, ll. 713–771.

⁴⁹ For these three enumerations, Skeat, p. 573, ll. 669–681; p. 576, ll. 865–871; and p 582, ll. 1300–10.

⁵⁰ Skeat, p. 633, ll. 401–405.

⁵¹ For the entire passage, Skeat, pp. 645–646, ll. 1366–1456.

⁵² Skeat, p. 580, ll. 1165–70, 1208–12.

⁵³ For this and the subsequent passage see Skeat, p. 581, ll. 1275–77 and p. 585 ll. 1517–20.

⁵⁴ Skeat, p. 613, ll. 1293–95, 1309–10.

⁵⁵ For this and the following two quotations see Skeat, p. 616, ll. 1567–71; p. 618, ll. 1657–58; and p. 625, ll. 2238–41.

⁵⁶ Skeat, p. 633, ll. 479–482.

⁵⁷ Dated “after 1394.” French, p. 386.

⁵⁸ Skeat, p. 504, ll. 2105–2107.

⁵⁹ Skeat, p. 543, ll. 4045–48.

⁶⁰ Skeat, p. 545, ll. 4160–69.

⁶¹ For the two most lengthy digressions, Skeat, p. 548, ll. 4416–40; and pp. 549–550, ll. 4528–64.

⁶² Skeat, p. 661, ll. 860–861.