CHAUCER, GEOFFREY, a very distinguished name in the long catalogue of eminent Englishmen, and one who, in the words of Hallam, "with Dante and Petrarch filled up the triumvirate of great poets in the middle ages." Geoffrey Chaucer was born in London in 1328, and was edacated at Cambridge and Oxford. He studied the law in the Inner Temple. He lived much in the court of Edward 'IL, and in familiar intercourse with several members of his family. He was also employed in the public affairs of the realm. But it is as a writer, and especially as a poet, that he claims the notice of posterity. Chaucer wrote in the vernacular language of his own age and country ; lie refined it indeed, but neither his labours, nor those of his contem poraries, Langland, Gower, and Wicliffe, were able to fix the language. The English of Chancer is so unlike the English of our time, that few persona can read it with ease, and none without the assistance of a dictionary. Yet a little pains would enable any one to master his language and versification, and the pains would be amply rewarded, for his writings are valuable not only as illustrating the manners and habits of the time, but as the productions of a mind eminently poetical. His chief work is a collection of stories, entitled by him Canterbury Tales,' being a series of tales told by the individuals of a party of pilgrims going from Southwark to Canterbury, who had agreed thus to beguile the tediousness of the way.
While at the university Chaucer produced two of his larger works, the Conrt of Love' and 'the book of Troilus and Cresseide ; but he soon entered on public life. He married Philippa, an attendant on Queen Philippa : his older biographers state that she was the daughter of Sir Payne Roet of Hainault, and sister of Katherine Swinford, who was subsequently married to John of Gaunt. This has indeed been doubted, but as appears to ua without sufficient reason.
In 1358 John of Gaunt married Blanch of Lancaster. It was on occasion of this suit or courtship that Chaucer wrote his ' Parliament of Birds.' In the next year Chaucer appears as a soldier. One of the most authentic and interesting memorials we possess of him is a deposition given by him in the suit between Scrope and Grosvenor, on the question of right to a particular figure in their coat-armour. The
depositions are preserved on the rolls at the Tower. Chaucer deroses among other things that he was in the expedition of 1359, when Edward III. invaded France, and was then made prisoner by the French near the town of Retters. How long he remained in captivity is not known, and it is not till 1367 that we meet with him again in the national records. In that year he had an annual pension of 20 marks granted to him, a sum which his biographer, Mr. Godwin, estimates as equivalent to 2.40l.: the grant is entered on the patent rolls; there is proof of the payment of it in the issue roll of the Exchequer of the 44th year of Edward III., and also of the payment of 10 marks a year, granted to Philippa Chaucer, his wife.
In 1369 he wrote the Book of the Duchess,' a funeral poem, on the death of Blanch, duchess of Lancaster. From the national records we find that in 1370 Chaucer had letters of protection, being about to depart beyond sea. In 1373 he was in an embassy to Genoa, to treat on some public affairs. On this visit to Italy it seems probable that he saw and conversed with Petrarch, of whom he speaks in the indnction to one of his tales. On his return he had a royal grant of a pitcher of wine, to be taken daily at the port of London, and was soon after made comptroller of the customs in that port. He is found also on the rolls as having a grant of a wardship in 1375, and another of a portion of contraband wool in 1376. About this time it is sup posed that he wrote the poem which Pope afterwards modernised, called by him the House of Fame.' In both 1376 and 1377 he was employed in embassies of a secret character, the object of neither of which is known. On the accession of Richard II. he was sent to negociate a marriage between Richard, prince of Wales, and Mary of France, daughter of the French king. In the following May he was sent to Lombardy to negociate with the Duke of Milan, and it is noteworthy that Gower the poet was one of the two persons whom Chaucer left to act as his representatives iu England during his absence.