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fabulous hiftory. He for fome reafons believed Oxford or Berkshire to have given birth to this great man, but has not informed us what those reasons were that induced him to believe so, and at prefent there appears no other, but that the feats of his family were in those counties. Pitts pofitively afferts, without producing any authority to fupport it, 'that Woodstock was the place; which opinion Mr. Camden feems to hint at, where he mentions that town; but it may be fufpected that Pitts had no other ground for the affertion, than Chaucer's mentioning Woodstock-park in his works, and having an houfe there. But after all thefe different pretenfions, he himself, in the Testament of Love, feems to point out the place of his nativity to be the city of London; and tho' Mr. Camden mentions the claim of Woodstock, he does not give much credit to it; for fpeaking of Spenfer (who was uncontrovertedly born in London) he calls him fellow citizen to Chaucer.

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The defcent of Chaucer is as uncertain, and unfixed by the critics, as the place of his birth. Speight is of opinion, that one Richard Chaucer was his father, and that one Elizabeth Chaucer, a nun of St. Helen's, in the fecond year of Richard II. might have been his fifter, or of his kindred. But this conjecture, fays Urry, feems very improbable; for this Richard was a Vintner, who at his death left his house and flock to the Church of St. Mary Aldermary, which in all probability he would not have done if he had had any fons to poffefs his fortune; nor is it very likely he could enjoy the family eftates mentioned by Leland in Oxfordshire, and at the fame time follow fuch an occupation. Pitts afferts that Chaucer's father was a knight. We find one John Chaucer attending upon Edward III. and Queen Philippa, in their expedition to Flanders and Cologn, who had the king's protection to go over fea in the twelfth year of his reign.

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It is highly probable that this gentleman was father to our Geoffry, and the fuppofition is ftrengthen'd by Chaucer's first application, after leaving the univerfity and inns of law, being to the Court: nor is it unlikely that the fervice of the father should re. commend the fon.

It is univerfally agreed, that he was born in the fecond year of the reign of King Edward III. A. D. 1328. His firft ftudies were in the univerfity of Cambridge, and when about eighteen years of age, he wrote his Court of Love, but of what college he was is uncertain, there being no account of him in the records of the university. From Cambridge he was removed to Oxford, in order to compleat his studies; and after a confiderable ftay there, he became (fays Leland)" a ready logician, a smooth rhetorician, a pleafant poet, a great philofopher, "an ingenious mathematician, and a holy divine. "That he was a great mafter in aftronomy, is plain by his difcourfes of the Aftrolabe. That, he was verfed in hermetic philofophy (which "prevailed much at that time,) appears by his "tale of the Chanons Yeoman: His knowledge

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in divinity is evident from his Parfon's tale, "and his philofophy from the Teftament of Love." Thus qualified to make a figure in the world, he left his learned retirement, and travelled into France, Holland, and other countries, where he spent some of his younger days. Upon his return he entered himfelf in the Inner Temple, where he ftudied the

municipal laws of the land. But he had not long profecuted that dry,ftudy, till his fuperior abilities were taken notice of by fome persons of diftinction, by whofe patronage he then approached the fplendor of the court. The reign of Edward III. was glorious and fuccefsful, he was a difcerning as well as a fortunate monarch; had a tafte as well for erudition as for arms; was an encourager of men of

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wit and parts, and permitted them to approach him without referve. At Edward's court nothing but gallantry and a round of pleasure prevailed, and how well qualified our poet was to fhine in the foft circles, those who have read his works will be at no lofs to determine; but befides the luftre of his wit and learning, he poffeffed the advantages of perfon in a very confiderable degree. He was then under the age of thirty, of a fine complexion, his fize of a juit medium, and his air genteel and graceful; fo that he united whatever could claim the approbation of the Great, and charm the eyes of the Fair. He had abilities to record the valour of the one, and celebrate the beauty of the other, and being qualified by his polite behaviour to entertain both, he became a finifhed courtier. His first preferment was that of page to the king, a place of fo much honour and efteem at that time, that Richard II. leaves particular legacies to his pages, when few others of his fervants are taken notice of. In the forty-first year of Edward III. he received as a reward for his fervices, an annuity of twenty marks per ann. payable out of the exchequer, which in thofe days was no inconfiderable penfion. In a year after he was advanced to be of his Majelty's privy chamber; and in a very few month's to be his fhield bearer, a title, at that time (tho' now extinct) of very great honour, being always next the king's perfon, and generally, upon fignal victories, rewarded with military honours. Qur poet becoming thus eminent by his places, contracted friend hips with, and procured the efteem of, perfons of the first quality. Queen Philippa, the Duke of Lancaster, and his Dutchefs Blanch, fhewed particular honour to him; and lady Margaret the king's daughter, and the counters of Pembroke gave him their warmest patronage. But in his poem called the Romaunt of the Rofe, and Troi

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lus and Crefeide, he gave offence to fome courtladies by the loofenefs of his defcriptions, which the lady Margaret refented, and obliged him to atone for, by his Legend of good Women, a piece as chafte as the others were luxurioufly amorous; under the name of the Daify, he veils lady Mar garet, whom of all his patrons he most esteemed.

Thus loved and honoured, his younger years were dedicated to pleafure and the court. By the recommendation of the Dutchefs Blanch, he married one Philippa, fifter to the guardianefs of her grace's children. who was a native of Hainault: He was then about thirty years of age, and being fixed by marriage, the king began to employ him in more public and advantageous pofts. In the forty-fixth year of this prince's reign, Chaucer was fent into Italy, in commiffion with others, to treat with the Doge and Senate of Genoa, about affairs of great importance to the English ftate. The Duke of Lancaster, whofe favourite paffion was ambition, which demanded the affiftance of learned men, engaged warmly in our poet's intereft: befides, the Duke was remarkably fond of lady Catherine Swynford, Chaucer's wife's fifter, who was then guardianefs to his children, and whom he afterwards made his wife; thus was he doubly attached to Chaucer, and with the varying fortune of the Duke of Lancaster, we find our foet rife or fall. Much about this time, for his fuccef ful negotiations at Genoa, the king granted to him: by letters patent, by the title of Armiger Nofter, one pitcher of wine daily in the port of London; and foon after made him comptroller of the cuftoms, with this particular provifo, that he fhould perfonally execute the office, and write the accounts relating to it with his own hand.

But as he was advanced to higher places of truft, fo he became more entangled in the affairs

of flate, the confequence of which proved very prejudicial to him. The Duke of Lancafter hav ing been the chief inftrument of raifing him to dignity, expected the fruits of thofe favours in a ready compliance with him in all his defigns. That prince was one of the proudest and most ambitious men of his time, nor could he patiently bear the name of a fubject, even to his father; nothing but abfolute power, and the title of king could fatis'y him. Upon the death of his elder brother, Edward the black prince, he fixed his eye upon the English crown, and feemed to ftretch out an impatient hand to reach it. In this view he fought by all means poffible, to fecure his intereft, against the deceafe of the old king; and being afraid of the oppofition of the clergy, who are always ftrenuous againft an irregular fucceffion, he embraced the opinions and <fpoufed the Interefts of Wickliff, who now appeared at Oxford, and being a man of very great abilities, and much efteemed at court, drew over to his party great numbers of all ranks. In this confufion, the duke of Lancaster endeavoured all he could to fhake the power of the clergy, and to procure votaries amongst the leading popular men; Chaucer had no fmall hand in promoting thefe proceedings, both by his public intereft and writings.

Towards the clofe of Edward's reign he was very active in the intrigues of the court-party, and fo recommended himself to the Prince fucceffor, that upon his afcending the throne, he confirmed to him by the title of Dele&us Armiger Nofter, the grant made by the late king, of twenty marks per annum, and at the fame time confirmed the other grant of the late king for a pitcher of wine to be delivered him daily in the port of London. But in less than two years after this, we find our poet fo reduced in his circum

ftances,

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