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The Canterbury Tales
  
THE BOOK OF THE DUCHESS
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THE HOUSE OF FAME
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ANELIDA AND ARCITEThe Compleynt of feire Anelida and fals Arcite.
  
THE PARLIAMENT OF FOWLS
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BOECEIncipit Liber Boecii de Consolacione Philosophie.
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Troilus and Criseyde
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THE LEGEND OF GOOD WOMEN
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THE SHORT POEMS
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[work]
  
A TREATISE ON THE ASTROLABE
  
Here begynneth the descripcioun of thin Astralabie.
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[conclusion]
  
To fynde the degre in which the sonne is day by day, after his cours aboute.
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To knowe the altitude of the sonne or of othre celestial bodies.
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To knowe every tyme of the day by light of the sonne; and every tyme of the nyght by the sterres fixe; and eke to knowe by nyght or by day the degre of eny signe that ascendith on the est orisonte, which that is clepid comounly the ascendent, or ellis horoscopum.
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A special declaracioun of the ascendent.
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To knowe the verrey equacioun of the degre of the sonne yf so be that it falle bitwene thyn almykanteras.
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To knowe the spryng of the dawenyng and the ende of the evenyng, the whiche ben called the two crepuscules.
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To knowe the arch of the day, that some folk callen the day artificiall, fro sonne arisyng tyl it go to reste.
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To turne the houres inequales in houres equales.
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To knowe the quantite of the day vulgar, that is to seyn fro spryng of the day unto verrey nyght.
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To knowe the quantite of houres in equales by day.
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To knowe the quantite of houres equales.
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Special declaracioun of the houres of planetes.
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To knowe the altitude of the sonne in myddes of the day that is clepid the altitude meridian.
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To knowe the degre of the sonne by thy ryet, for a maner curiosite.
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To knowe which day is lik to which day as of lengthe.
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This chapitre is a maner declaracioun to conclusiouns that folewen.
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To knowe the verrey degre of eny maner sterre, straunge or unstraunge, after his longitude; though he be indetermynat in thin Astralabye, sothly to the trouthe thus he shal be knowe.
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To knowe the degrees of longitudes of fixe sterres after that they be determynat in thin Astrelabye, yf so be that thei be trewly sette.
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To knowe with which degre of the zodiak eny sterre fix in thin Astrelabie arisith upon the est orisonte, all though his dwellyng be in another signe.
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To knowe the declinacioun of eny degre in the zodiak fro the equinoxiall cercle.
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To knowe for what latitude in eny regioun the almykanteras of eny table ben compowned.
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To knowe in speciall the latitude of oure countre, I mene after the latitude of Oxenford, and the height of oure pool.
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To prove evidently the latitude of eny place in a regioun by the preve of the height of the pool artik in that same place.
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Another conclusioun to prove the height of the pool artik fro the orisonte.
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Another conclusioun to prove the latitude of the regioun.
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Declaracioun of the ascensioun of signes.
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This is the conclusioun to knowe the ascensions of signes in the right cercle, that is circulus directus.
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To knowe the ascensions of signes in the embelif cercle in every regioun, I mene, in circulo obliquo.
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To knowe justly the 4 quarters of the world, as Est, West, North, and South.
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To knowe the latitude of planetes fro the wey of the sonne, whethir so they be north or south fro the forseide wey.
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To knowe the cenyth of the arising of the sonne, this is to seyn, the partie of the orisonte in which that the sonne arisith.
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To knowe in which partie of the firmament is the conjunccyoun.
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To knowe the cenyth of the altitude of the sonne.
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To knowe sothly the degre of the longitude of the mone, or of eny planete that hath no latitude for the tyme fro the ecliptik lyne.
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This is the worchinge of the conclusioun to knowe yf that eny planete be direct or retrograd.
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The conclusioun of equaciouns of houses after the Astrelabie.
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Another maner of equaciouns of houses by the Astrelabye.
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To fynde the lyne meridional to dwelle fix in eny certeyn place.
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Descripcion of the meridional lyne, of longitudes and latitudes of citees and townes, as wel as of climates.
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[section]
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SUPPLEMENTARY PROPOSITIONS
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THE ROMAUNT OF THE ROSE

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THE CLERK'S PROLOGUE
Heere folweth the Prologe of the Clerkes Tale of Oxenford.

"Sire Clerk of Oxenford," oure Hooste sayde,
"Ye ryde as coy and stille as dooth a mayde
Were newe spoused, sittynge at the bord;
This day ne herde I of youre tonge a word.
I trowe ye studie aboute som sophyme;
But Salomon seith "every thyng at tyme."
"For Goddes sake, as beth of bettre cheere!
It is no tyme for to studien heere.
Telle us som myrie tale, by youre fey!
For what man that is entred in a pley,
He nedes moot unto the pley assente.
But precheth nat, as freres doon in Lente,
To make us for oure olde synnes wepe,
Ne that thy tale make us nat to slepe.
"Telle us som murie thyng of aventures.
Youre termes, youre colours, and youre figures,
Keepe hem in stoor til so se ye endite
Heigh style, as whan that men to kynges write.
Speketh so pleyn at this tyme, we yow preye,
That we may understonde what ye seye."
This worthy clerk benignely answerde:
"Hooste," quod he, "I am under youre yerde;
Ye han of us as now the governance,
And therfore wol I do yow obeisance,
As fer as resoun axeth, hardily.
I wol yow telle a tale which that I
Lerned at Padowe of a worthy clerk,
As preved by his wordes and his werk.
He is now deed and nayled in his cheste;
I prey to God so yeve his soule reste!
"Fraunceys Petrak, the lauriat poete,
Highte this clerk, whos rethorike sweete
Enlumyned al Ytaille of poetrie,
As Lynyan dide of pilosophie,
Or lawe, or oother art particuler;
But Deeth, that wol nat suffre us dwellen heer,
But as it were a twynklyng of an ye,
Hem bothe hath slayn, and alle shul we dye.
"But forth to tellen of this worthy man
That taughte me this tale, as I bigan,
I seye that first with heigh stile he enditeth,
Er he the body of his tale writeth,
A prohemye, in the which discryveth he
Pemond and of Saluces the contree,
And speketh of Apennyn, the hilles hye,
That been the boundes of West Lumbardye,
And of Mount Vesulus in special,
Where as the Poo out of a welle smal
Taketh his firste spryngyng and his sours,
That estward ay encresseth in his cours
To Emele-ward, to Ferrare, and Venyse,
The which a long thyng were to devyse.
And trewely, as to my juggement,
Me thynketh it a thyng impertinent,
Save that he wole conveyen his mateere;
But this his tale, which that ye may heere."
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