Joannis Moni Angli librum de arte amandi quem Parisijs Gallicè scripsit, in versus Anglicos transtulit, & operi titulum dedit The Romaunt ob the rose. Alia etiam multa partim ipse scripsit, partim ex alijs linguis vertit. Quae omnia Anglicè impressa fuerunt Londini anno Domini 1561. Londini senex obdormiuit in Domino, & apud Vvestmonasterium honorificè sepultus est die vicesimo quinto Octobris anno post salutem humani generis per Christum hominem factum reparatam 1400, initiante regnum apud Anglos Henrico quarto. Porrò post annos centum quinquaginta quinque, anno videlicet gratiae 1555, gratiam hanc fecit nostro Chaucero Nicolaus Brighamus vt eius ossa transferret, & in nouo marmoreo tumulo in capella S. Blasiis plendidiùs collocaret, adiunctis versibus sequentibus: Qui fuit Anglorum vates ter maximus olim, Pits begins his catalogue with Brutus, the mythical settler of Albion, and closes it with himself, writing in 1614. His sketches average in length one or two to the quarto page; the greatest amount of space is given to the Venerable Bede,-II pages. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Gower, and Skelton, have two or three pages each; but Chaucer receives more attention than any other English poet. However, some sentences in the biography of Chaucer belong equally to that of Gower, as Pits therein enlarges upon the friendly rivalry of the two poets in their attempts to polish their own productions and to refine the English tongue. The tone of many of these biographies is very laudatory, but the language used regarding Chaucer is somewhat more so than is the description of any other poet, Lydgate coming nearest. In fact, one or two of the sentences descanting upon Chaucer's manifold abilities and on his work as a translator are closely reproduced in the biography of Lydgate. [Reprint of the Life of Chaucer prefixed to Speght's 1598 edition of the Works.] Titlepage of the Life: The Life of Ovr Learned | English Poet, Geffrey Chaucer. Gaufredus Chaucer sui saeculi ornamentum extra omnem ingenij aleam positus, & Poetastras nostros longo post se interuallo relinquens, .. iam monte potitus Ridet anhelantem dura ad fastigia turbam. TH THE LIFE OF GEFFREY CHAUCER. His Countrey. HIS famous and learned Poet Geffrey Chaucer Esquire, was supposed by Leland' to haue beene an Oxfordshire or Barkeshireman borne: For so reporteth Iohn Bale in his Catalogue of English writers: Quibusdam argumentis adducebatur Lelandus, vt crederet, &c. Some reasons did moue Leland to thinke, that Oxfordshire or Barkshire was his natiue Countrey. But as it is euident by his owne wordes in the Testament of Loue, hee was borne2 in the Citie of London: For thus he writeth there: Also in the Citie of London that is to me so deare and sweete, in which I was foorth growen, and more kindely loue haue I to that place, then to any other in yerth (as euery kindly creature hath full appetite to that place of his kindly ingendure, and to wilne rest and peace in that stede to abide) thilke peace should thus there haue been broken, which of all wise men is commended and desired. In the Records of the Guild Hall in London wee find, that there was one Richard Chaucer Vintener of London in the 23. yeere of Edward the third, who might well be Geffrey Chaucers father. Also there was a Nunne of Saint Hellens in London named Elizabeth Chaucer, in the first yeere of Richard the second, as it is in Record, which seemeth either to haue beene his sister, or of his kindred, and by likelihood a Londoner borne. Moreouer in the eight yeere of the same King, Geffrey Chaucer was Controller of the Custome-house in London, as after out of Recordes shall appeare. Other dealings hee had in the citie, as we may plainly see in the Testament of Loue, all the which may mooue us to thinke, that he was borne in London. His Parentage. For his Parentage and place of birth, although Bale termeth him Galfridus Chaucer nobili loco natus, & summae spei iuvenis, yet in the opinion of some Heralds (otherwise then his vertues and learning commended him) hee descended not of any great house, which they gather by his Armes, De argento & rubeo colore partita per longitudinem scuti cum benda ex transuerso, eisdem coloribus sed transmutatis depicta sub hac forma. G G AR AR It may be that it were no absurditie to thinke (nay it seemeth likely, Chaucers skill in Geometry considered) that hee tooke the groundes and reasons of these Armes out of Euclyde, the 27. and 28. Proposition of the first booke: and some perchaunce are of that opinion, whose skill therein is comparable to the best. And indeede both in respect of the name, which is French, as also by other coniectures it may be gathered, that his progenitors were Strangers. But whereas some are of opinion that the first comming of the Chaucers into England was, when Queene Isabell1 wife to Edward the second, and her sonne Prince Edward with Philip his new married wife, returned out of Henault into England, at which time also almost three thousand Straungers came ouer with them (as by Chronicles appeareth) I can by no meanes consent with them; but rather must thinke, that their name and familie was of farre more auncient antiquitie, although by time decayed, as many moe haue been of much greater estate: and that the parents of Geffrey Chaucer were meere English, and he himselfe an Englishman borne. For els how could he haue come to that perfection in our language, as to be called, The first illuminer of the English tongue, had not both he, and his parents before him, been born & bred among vs. But what their names were or what issue they had, otherwise then by coniecture before giuen, wee can not declare. Now whether they were Merchants, (for that in places where they haue dwelled, the Armes of the Merchants of the Staple haue been seene in the glasse windowes) or whether they were of other calling, it is not much necessary to search: but wealthy no doubt they were, and of good account in the common wealth, who brought vp their Sonne in such sort, that both he was thought fitte for the Court at home, and to be imployed for matters of state in forraine countreyes. [Marginal Notes to the above are:] (1) This Leland had commission from K. Hen. 8. to search all libraries in England for matters of Antiquitie: hee dyed in the daies of Edw. 6. (2) About the second or third yeer of Edward 3. In the first booke & the fift Section. (3) Vintner, quasi Winetunner, that is, a Merchaunt of the Vintrey, which sold by whole sale. (4) This Queene Isabell beeing sent into Fraunce with her yong sonne Edward by the King of England her husband, to confer about matters with her brother the French King, would by no meanes returne, hauing conceived a great hatred both against the Spensars, and also against the King for suffering himselfe to be misledde by their naughtie counsaile, but by all meanes stirred the people to rebellion, and in the ende came over her selfe with almost three thousand strangers besides Englishmen. . (5) Henault, a prouince lying betweene France and Flaunders. His Education. His bringing vp, as Leland saieth, was in the Vniuersitie of Oxford, as also of Cambridge, as appeareth by his owne wordes in his booke entituled The Court of Loue: and in Oxford by all likelihood in Canterburie1 or in Merton Colledge, with Iohn Wickelife, whose opinions in religion he much affected: where besides his priuate studie, hee did with great diligence frequent the publique schooles and disputations: Hinc acutus Dialecticus, hinc dulcis Rhetor, hinc lepidus Poeta, hinc grauis Philosophus, ac sanctus Theologus euasit. Mathematicus insuper ingeniosus erat à Iohanne Sombo, &c. Hereupon, saith Leland, he became a wittie Logician, a sweete Rhetorician, a pleasant Poet, a graue Philosopher, and a holy Diuine. Moreouer he was a skilfull Mathematician, instructed therin by Iohn Some & Nicholas Lynne2 friers Carmelites of Linne, and men verie skilfull in the Mathematikes, whome he in his booke called The Astrolabe, doth greatly commend, and calleth them, Reuerend clerkes. By his trauaile also in Fraunce and Flaunders, where hee spent much time in his young yeeres, but more in the latter end of the reigne of K. Richard the second, he attained to great perfection in all kind of learning. For so doe Bale and Leland also report. Circa postremos Richardi secundi annos in Galliis floruit, magnamque illic ex assidua in literis exercitatione gloriam sibi comparauit. Domum reuersus forum Londinense, & Collegia Leguleiorum, qui ibidem patria iura interpretantur, frequentauit, &c. About the latter end of King Richard the seconds daies he florished in Fraunce, and got himselfe great commendation there by his diligent exercise in learning. After his returne home, he frequented the Court at London, and the Colledges of the Lawyers, which there interprete the lawes of the lande, and among them he had a familiar frend called |