Geoffrey Chaucer Modernized." Of this volume, when it was first
projected, Wordsworth wrote to Moxon, his publisher, on the 24th of
February 1840: "Mr. Powell, my friend, has some thought of
preparing for publication some portion of Chaucer modernised, as far
and no farther than is done in my treatment of 'The Prioress' Tale.'
That would, in fact, be his model. He will have coadjutors, among
whom, I believe, will be Mr. Leigh Hunt, a man as capable of doing
the work well as any living writer. I have placed at my friend Mr.
Powell's disposal three other pieces which I did long ago, but
revised the other day. They are 'The Manciple's Tale,' 'The Cuckoo
and the Nightingale,' and twenty-four stanzas of 'Troilus and
Cressida.' This I have done mainly out of my love and reverence for
Chaucer, in hopes that, whatever may be the merits of Mr. Powell's
attempt, the attention of other writers may be drawn to the subject;
and a work hereafter produced, by different persons, which will
place the treasures of one of the greatest of poets within the reach
of the multitude, which now they are not. I mention all this to you
because, though I have not given Mr. Powell the least encouragement
to do so, he may sound you as to your disposition to undertake the
publication. I have myself nothing further to do with it than I
have stated. Had the thing been suggested to me by any number of
competent persons twenty years ago, I would have undertaken the
editorship and done much more myself, and endeavoured to improve the
several contributions where they seemed to require it. But that is
now out of the question."

Wordsworth had made his versions of Chaucer in the year 1801. "The
Prioress's Tale" had been published in 1820, so that only the three
pieces he had revised for his friend's use were available, and of
these the Manciple's Tale was withdrawn, the version by Leigh Hunt