Our countryman, in the end of his characters, before the _Canterbury Tales_, thus excuses the ribaldry, which is very gross in many of his novels: But first, I pray you of your courtesy, That ye ne arrete[26] it nought my villany, Though that I plainly speak in this mattere To tellen you her[27] words, and eke her chere: Ne though I speak her words properly, For this ye knowen as well as I, Who shall tellen a tale after a man, He mote rehearse as nye as ever he can: Everich word of it been in his charge, _All speke he never so rudely ne large._ Or else he mote tellen his tale untrue, Or feine things, or find words new: He may not spare, altho he were his brother, He mote as well say o word as another.
Christ spake himself full broad in holy writ, And well I wote no villany is it.
Eke Plato saith, who so can him rede, The words mote[28] been cousin to the dede.[29] Yet if a man should have enquired of Boccace or of Chaucer, what need they had of introducing such characters, where obscene words were proper in their mouths, but very undecent to be heard; I know not what answer they could have made: for that reason such tales shall be left untold by me.

You have here a specimen of Chaucer's language, which is so obsolete that his sense is scarce to be understood; and you have likewise more than one example of his unequal numbers, which were mentioned before.

Yet many of his verses consist of ten syllables, and the words not much behind our present English: as for example, these two lines, in the description of the carpenter's young wife: Wincing she was, as is a jolly colt, Long as a mast, and upright as a bolt.
I have almost done with Chaucer, when I have answer'd some objections relating to my present work.

I find some people are offended that I have turn'd these tales into modern English; because they think them unworthy of my pains, and look on Chaucer as a dry, old-fashion'd wit, not worth reviving.

I have often heard the late Earl of Leicester say that Mr.Cowley himself was of that opinion; who having read him over at my lord's request, declar'd he had no taste of him.