Chaucer’s Parlement of Foules

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Geoffrey Chaucer wrote Parlement of Foules in around 1381, and it is one of the first references to Valentine’s Day being a special day for lovers.  The text of the poem has been passed down in manuscripts (since Chaucer didn’t have access to a printing press!) and is composed of 699 lines.  It tells of the narrator’s dream of going through a beautiful country where a large flock of birds are debating while three male eagles try to seduce a female bird.  None of the eagles triumphs, and the dream ends with a welcome to the coming spring.  Our copy of Parlement of Foules was printed at the Riverside Press for Houghton Mifflin & Company in 1904 and illustrated by the noted typographer, Bruce Rogers.  Our copy is number 130 of a limited run of 325 copies printed in letter batarde in red and black on handmade paper, and is one of over 20 volumes in our collection from the Riverside Press with type designs by Rogers.  The volume is bound in cream vellum with gilt spine lettering, and is illustrated with large floriated initial letters in blue and gold.

It represents one of Bruce Rogers’ few experiments with a medieval style, and was one of his favorite books.

Our thanks go to Dr. H.M. Marvin, Davidson class of 1914, for giving us this beautiful work.