farfel_n03_190_222

During the 2 centuries after Chaucer's death the language
underwent the so called " great vowel shift" in which the
pronunciation of each of the long vowels was shifted towards the
front of the mouth. Soon after Chaucer's death The Middle
English works see + do (pronounced in Chaucer's time
say + doh) took on their modern sounds. This change in
pronunciation reduced Chaucer's language + spelling
progressively more archaic sounding + less intelligible.
-Chaucer employed the London speech of his time. It is
even doubtful if Chaucer had any important part in making
the East Midland the dominant dialect. The speech of the
capital would have necome standard English if he had
never written a line. But he did add greatly to its prestige
+ distinction. Chaucer's language, then, is late Middle
English of the South East Midland type.

In 1526 Pynson printed 3 Chaucer volumes which are
bibliographically distinct + are not connected by general
title nor any other link except similarity of forms + identity of
date. That 1st collected ed. contains the Canterbury Tales
Troilus + Cressida, The House of Fame, Parliment of Fools
+ several non Chaucerian pieces. The present is, however,
the earliest 'critical' attempt at an edition of Chaucer's Works
(i.e. Thynne 1532.)

Thomas Godfrey - we know little except that almost all of his 30
odd books were of a religious or controversial nature + that he
rarely dated them.

Devotia Moderna" - (a name applied collectively to the Brethren of the Common
Life, the Sisters of the Common Life, +the Augustinian CanonsRegular
of the Congregation of Windesheim.) All 3 divisions can be traced back
to Gerard Groote of Deventer in the Netherlands.
(d. 1384).