Renaissance Editions of Chaucer

Chaucer's works were, in one form or another, in print through most of the Renaissance and beyond. Unfortunately, William Caxton's first edition was based on a very poor manuscript, and he and subsequent editors tinkered with the text for nearly 60 years before William Thynne in 1532 began the process of systematically collating one manuscript against another in search of a better text of what Chaucer had written. While few copies of the Renaissance editions of Chaucer's work have come down to us, we do have available micro-film copies of each edition; these micro-films are available in the Vanderbilt library (sixth stack), and are indexed and codified according to the work of Alfred W. Pollard , the Short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of English books printed abroad, 1475-1640 (University Microfilms).

• William Caxton, [The Canterbury Tales], 1478. STC 5082
• William Caxton, [Troilus and Creseyde], 1483. STC 5094
• William Caxton, [The Canterbury Tales], 1484. STC 5083
• Richard Pynson, [The Canterbury Tales], 1492. STC 5084
• Wynkyn de Worde, The boke of Chaucer named Caunterbury tales, 1498. STC 5085
• Wynkyn de Worde, The noble and amerous auncyent hystory of Troylas and Cresyde in the tyme of the syge of Troye. Compyled by Geffraye Chaucer, 1517. STC 5095
• Richard Pynson, Here begynneth the boke of Caunterbury tales dilygently and truely corrected and newly printed, 1526. Pt. 3 of an edition of the works. STC 5086
• William Thynne, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer newly printed with dyuers workes whiche were neuer in print before, 1532. STC 5068
• William Thynne, The workes of Geffray Chaucer newly printed, with dyuers workes whych were neuer in print before, 1542. STC 5069
• William Thynne, The workes of Geffray Chaucer newly printed, with dyuers workes whiche were neuer in print before, 1545. STC 5071
• John Stow, The workes of Geffrey Chaucer, newly printed with diuers addicions, whiche were neuer in print before, 1561. STC 5075
• Thomas Speght, The Workes of our Antient and Lerned English Poet, Geffrey Chavcer, newly Printed, 1598. STC 5077
• Thomas Speght, The Workes of Our Ancient and learned English Poet, Geffrey Chavcer, newly Printed, 1602. STC 5080
• Thomas Speght, The Works of our Ancient, Learned, & Excellent English Poet, Jeffrey Chaucer, 1687.