Manciple's Tale, which I myself modernised many years ago; but
though I much admire the genius of Chaucer as displayed in this
performance, I could not place my version at the disposal of the
editor, as I deemed the subject somewhat too indelicate for pure
taste to be offered to the world at this time of day. Mr. Horne has
much hurt this publication by not abstaining from the Reve's Tale.
This, after making all allowance for the rude manners of Chaucer's
age, is intolerable; and by indispensably softening down the
incidents, he has killed the spirit of that humour, gross and
farcical, that pervades the original. When the work was first
mentioned to me, I protested as strongly as possible against
admitting any coarseness and indelicacy, so that my conscience is
clear of countenancing aught of that kind. So great is my
admiration of Chaucer's genius, and so profound my reverence for
him. . . for spreading the light of Literature through his native
land, that, notwithstanding the defects and faults in this
publication, I am glad of it, as a means for making many acquainted
with the original, who would otherwise be ignorant of everything
about him but his name."

Wordsworth's objection to the Manciple's Tale from Ovid's
Metamorphoses was an afterthought. He had begun by offering his
version of it for publication in this volume. His objection to
Horne's treatment of the Reve's Tale was reasonable enough. The
original tale was the sixth novel in the ninth day of the Decameron,
and probably was taken by Chaucer from a Fabliau by Jean de Boves,
"De Gombert et des Deux Clercs." The same story has been imitated
in the "Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles," and in the "Berceau" of La
Fontaine. Horne's removal from the tale of everything that would
offend a modern reader was designed to enable thousands to find