Descrição

I HAVE endeavoured to put these Tales, written by one of the finest poets that ever lived, into modern language and as easy prose as I could, without at the same time destroying the poetical descriptions and strong natural expressions of the author. My object in pre- senting them in this new form was, first, that you might become wise and good by the example of the sweet and kind creatures you will find described in them; secondly, that you might derive improvement by the beautiful writing (for I have been careful to use the language of Chaucer whenever I thought it not too anti- quated for modern and young readers); and, lastly, I hoped to excite in you an ambition to read these same stories in their original poetical dress when you shall have become so far ac- quainted with your own language as to under- stand, without much difficulty, the old and now almost forgotten terms.