31 DECEMBER 1921, Page 26

Chaucer and the Rival Poet in Shakespeare's Sonnets r A

New Theory. By Hubert Ord. (Dent. 2s. 6d. net.)—Mr. Ord's theory is that Shakespeare, who unquestionably knew Chaucer's poetry well, made repeated reference to him as the " rival poet " in the Sonnets, and, further, that he also referred to Speght's second issue (1602) of his edition of Chaucer, which contained somewhat bombastic verses in praise of Speght as " the child of Chaucer's fruitful brain." Mr. Ord thinks that Shakespeare was making fun of Speght in such lines as " Kill me with spights, yet we must not be foes."

The theory is clearly stated and fortified by many quotations, It is plausible and interesting.