53. The Maker of this Book Takes His Leave

The Maker of this Book Takes His Leave

Now do I pray all those who hear this little treatise, or read it, . . . if there be anything that displeases them, I pray them, also, that they impute it to the fault of my ignorance and not to my intention, which would fain have better said if I had had knowledge. For our Book says, "All that is written is written for our instruction;" and that was my intention . . . forgive me . . . especially for my translations and the writing of worldly vanities, the which I withdraw in my retractations: as, The Book of Troilus; also The Book of Fame; The Book of the Nineteen Ladies; The Book of the Duchess; The Book of Saint Valentine's Day, Of the Parliament of Birds; The Tales of Canterbury, those that tend toward sin; The Book of the Lion; and many another book, were they in my remembrance; and many a song and many a lecherous lay . . .

[Excerpted]

HERE ENDS THE BOOK OF THE TALES OF CANTERBURY, WRITTEN BY GEOFFREY CHAUCER . . .