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The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, Compared with the Former Editions, and many valuable MSS. Out of which, Three Tales are added which were never before Printed; By John Urry, Student of Chirst-Church, Oxon. Deceased; Together with a Glossary, By a Student of the same College. To the Whole is prefixed The Author s Life, newly written, and a Preface, giving an Account of this edition, Printed for Bernard Lintot, between the Temple Gates, London, 1721, 626 pp, 81 pp, plus errata, frontispiece of Erry, full-page engraving of Chaucer, vignettes of each Tale, head and tailpiece devices, woodcut initials, full leather, 16 x 10.25 , folio. In fair condition. Front board detached. Modern spine. Moderate wear to extremities with minor scuffing along edges and more moderate wear to corners and end bands. Hinges fragile. Scuffing to raised bands. Original Cambridge style boards darkened along edges and scuffed. Bottom right corner of front board is exposed. Fresh end papers. Title page and end papers detached with board. Text block in good condition. Interior lightly toned with nominal foxing. Free of known markings. Binding remains intact. Overall bright and clean inside. Please see photos. First Urry edition. Though editor John Urry (1666-1715) was subsequently criticized for his frequent conjectural emendations, the justice of such criticisms should not obscure his achievement. His the first edition of Chaucer for nearly a hundred and fifty years to consult any manuscripts and is the first since that of William Thynne in 1534 to seek systematically to assemble a substantial number of manuscripts to establish his text. It is also the first edition to offer descriptions of the manuscripts of Chaucer s works, and the first to print texts of Gamelyn and The Tale of Beryn , works ascribed to, but not by, Chaucer It is also the first collected edition of Chaucer to be printed in Roman type. Urry died before this edition was brought out, and the work was completed by Thomas Ainsworth, and Timothy and William Thomas.