Chaucer, Geoffrey | The edition of Chaucer's works which was probably used by Shakespeare

From the Library of Clayre and Jay Michael Haft

Chaucer, Geoffrey

The Woorkes... Newlie Printed, with Divers Addicions, which were Never in Print Before... [Edited by John Stow]. [London: John Kingston for John Wight], 1561

Folio (323 x 212 mm.), Black letter, double-column, title within woodcut border, section titles for the Canterbury Tales and The Romaunt of the Rose within a full-page woodcut border, woodcut initials and illustrations; restoration to title-page, first four leaves with marginal repaired tears, section title for the Canterbury Tales with large portion of lower margin renewed, several other smaller marginal repairs, occasional minor stains, mostly marginal worming at end, occasionally affecting text. 18^th-century English blind-ruled calf, morocco lettering-piece; endpapers renewed, some rubbing and wear.

The edition of Chaucer's works which was probably used by Shakespeare as a source for the story of "Troilus and Cressida" (see Bartlett).

There were two recorded issues of this date, one (STC 5075) with the title within a woodcut border (McKerrow and Ferguson 67) and another (STC 5076, as here) omitting the preliminary woodcuts (so with the preliminaries collating A6) and with the title above a large woodcut of Chaucer's arms. The traditional view was that the illustrated issue was printed first, and then the cuts omitted in the second issue when the blocks were worn out. Recently however (see David R. Carlson, "The Woodcut Illustrations in Early Printed Editions of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales," in Chaucer Illustrated: Five Hundred Years of the Canterbury Tales in Pictures, British Library, 2003) it has been contested that the printer came into possession of the cuts belatedly, and the unillustrated issue appeared first. 

REFERENCE:

ESTC S107207; STC 5075; Pforzheimer 176 (variant title)

PROVENANCE:

Early inscriptions on title, one dated 1612 — University College London (inkstamps on title)