CHAUCER, GEOFFREY, "the father of English poetry"; born in London probably about 1340. He was the son of a vintner named John Chaucer. Nothing is known of his education, but in 1356-1359 he was a page to Princess Lionel. In 1359 he bore arms in France and was taken prisoner. He was ran somed next year, the king paying $80 toward the necessary sum. In 1367 his name appeared as a valet of the king's chamber. In 1367 he received a pension of 20 marks, and between 1370 and 1380 he was employed abroad in seven diplo matic missions. In 1374 he was ap pointed comptroller of the customs on wool at London, a lucrative post, and he also received an annual allowance. In 1377 he was sent to Flanders and France on diplomatic business and next year to Lombardy. In 1382 he was ap pointed comptroller of the petty cus toms. In 1386 he was returned to Par liament as knight of the shire for Kent, but in the same year he shared the dis grace of his patron, John of Gaunt, was dismissed from his comptrollership, and reduced to a state of comparative pov erty. Three years later, however, he was made clerk of the works at two shillings a day, and afterward had other offices and one or two annuities be stowed upon him, but in 1394-1398 must have been quite poor. In 1399 he got a
pension of 40 marks from Henry IV., but did not live long to enjoy it. His most celebrated work, "The Canterbury -tales," was written at different periods between 1373 and 1400. It consists of a series of tales in verse (two in prose), supposed to be told by a company of pilgrims to the shrine of St. Thomas (Becket) at Canterbury in 1386. In its pages we get such pictures of English life and English ways of thought in the 14th century as are found nowhere else. Besides his great work Chaucer wrote many poems: "The Book of the Duch ess" (1369), "The Parliament of Fowls" (1374), "Troilus and Cressida" (1380 1382), "The Legend of Good Women" (1385), "The House of Fame" (1386), etc., some of which are founded on French or Italian works. He also trans lated "Boethius." He died in London, Oct. 25, 1400, and was buried in West minster Abbey.