Theintellectualpoweroftwoormoreperiods，asexhibitedintheirliteratures，mayshownomarkeddifference，whilethespiritualvitalityofthesesameperiodsmayverydistinctlydiffer。Andifitbeadmittedthatliteratureproperistheproductofco-operativeintellectandspiritthelatterbeingalwaysanindispensablefactor，thoughtherecanbenohighorderofliteraturethatisnotstronglyarticulated，thatisnotwellfreighted，withthought，itfollowsthattheperiodsofaliteratureshouldbedeterminedbytheebbandflowofspirituallifewhichtheyseverallyregister，ratherthanbyanyotherconsiderations。Thereareperiodswhicharecharacterizedbya”blindnessofheart”，aninactive，quiescentconditionofthespirit，bywhichtheintellectismoreorlessdivorcedfromtheessential，theeternal，anditdirectsitselftotheshowsofthings。Suchperiodsmayembodyintheirliteraturesalargeamountofthought，——thoughtwhichisconversantwiththeexternalityofthings；butthatofitselfwillnotconstituteanobleliterature，howeverperfecttheformsinwhichitmaybeembodied，andthegeneralsenseofthecivilizedworld，independentlyofanytheoriesofliterature，willnotregardsuchaliteratureasnoble。Itismadeupofwhatmustbe，intime，superseded；ithasnotasufficientlylargeelementoftheessential，theeternal，whichcanbereachedonlythroughtheassimilatinglifeofthespirit。Thespiritmaybeso”cabined，cribbed，confined”asnottocometoanyconsciousnessofitself；oritmaybesosetfreeastogoforthandrecognizeitskinship，respondtothespiritualworldoutsideofitself，and，bysoresponding，KNOWwhatmerelyintellectualphilosopherscalltheUNKNOWABLE。
ToturnnowtothelineofEnglishpoetswhomaybesaidtohavepassedthetorchofspirituallife，fromliftedhandtohand，alongthegenerations。Andfirstis”themorningstarofsong，whomadeHismusicheardbelow：”DanChaucer，thefirstwarbler，whosesweetbreathPreludedthosemelodiousburststhatfillThespacioustimesofgreatElizabethWithsoundsthatechostill。”
Chaucerexhibits，inahighdegree，thislifeofthespirit，anditisthesecretofthecharmwhichhispoetrypossessesforusafteralapseoffivehundredyears。Itvitalizes，warms，fuses，andimpartsalightsomenesstohisverse；itcreepsandkindlesbeneaththetissuesofhisthought。WhenwecompareDryden’smodernizationsofChaucerwiththeoriginals，weseethedifferencebetweentheverseofapoet，withahealthyvitalityofspirit，and，throughthathealthyvitalityofspirit，havingsecretdealingswiththings，andversewhichislargelytheproductoftherhetoricalorliteraryfaculty。Wedonotfeel，whenreadingthelatter，thatanyunconsciousmightco-operatedwiththeconsciouspowersofthewriter。ButweDOfeelthiswhenwereadChaucer’sverse。
AlloftheCanterburyTaleshaveoriginalsoranalogues，mostofwhichhavebeenreproducedbytheLondonChaucerSociety。
NotoneofthetalesisofChaucer’sowninvention。Andyettheymayallbesaidtobeoriginal，inthetruest，deepestsenseoftheword。