THE <i>LITERA TROILI</i> AND ENGLISH LETTERS

Abstract

T HE letter from Troilus to Criseyde in Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde, book v, lines 1317-1421, differs in both length and content from its exemplar in Boccaccio.' In contrast to his general expansion of Boccaccio's narrative, Chaucer here reduces it to little more than half the length105 lines in 15 stanzas against 192 lines in 24 stanzas-and alters much of its tone as well as the manner of its expression. The approximate relation, though not the precise correspondences of words and phrases, can be seen from W. M. Rossetti's edition with parallel translation of the Italian lines used by Chaucer.z In view of Professor R. A. Pratt's demonstration that Chaucer must have been influenced by Beauvau's French translation of II Filostrato, it is necessary to take that into account as well.3 The only close agreement of any length between the letters of Troilus and Troilo is in Chaucer's fifth and sixth stanzas (11. 1345-58) and Boccaccio's third and fourth (sts. 54-55), though there are many lesser links and paraphrases. For my present purpose four passages are especially to the point. (a) Boccaccio begins the letter thus: