Notes and Queries, Number 78, April 26, 1851

This Victorian contribution to a popular literary correspondence journal takes listeners into the heart of a lively scholarly dispute over Chaucer’s opening to The Canterbury Tales. The essay opens by quoting the famous “shoures of April” passage and then turns to a meticulous examination of the astronomical clues Chaucer wove into his description of the pilgrimage season. By tracing the movement of the sun through Aries and Taurus, the writer shows how a seemingly simple line can anchor the journey to a particular moment in early spring.

The piece centers on a 19th‑century critic’s controversial reading of the text, arguing that his alteration of “the Ram” to “the Bull” misrepresents Chaucer’s intent. Drawing on contemporary medieval poets such as Lydgate, the author proposes two plausible ways to understand the “half‑course” phrase without forcing a textual change. Listeners will appreciate the careful balance of literary analysis, historical astronomy, and the art of textual criticism that shaped early Victorian scholarship.