The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland | Page 3

the Doge and Senate of Genoa, about affairs of great
importance to our state. The duke of Lancaster, whose favourite
passion was ambition, which demanded the assistance of learned men,
engaged warmly in our poet's interest; besides, the duke was
remarkably fond of Lady Catherine Swynford, his wife's sister, who
was then guardianess 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 him rise or fall. Much about
this time, for his successful negociations at Genoa, the king granted to

him by letters patent, by the title of Armiger Noster, one pitcher of
wine daily in the port of London, and soon after made him comptroller
of the customs, with this particular proviso, that he should personally
execute the office, and write the accounts relating to it with his own
hand. But as he was advanced to higher places of trust, so he became
more entangled in the affairs of state, the consequence of which proved
very prejudicial to him. The duke of Lancaster having been the chief
instrument of raising him to dignity, expected the fruits of those
favours in a ready compliance with him in all his designs. That prince
was certainly one of the proudest and most ambitious men of his time,
nor could he patiently bear the name of a subject even to his father;
nothing but absolute power, and the title of king could satisfy him;
upon the death of his elder brother, Edward the black prince, he fixed
an eye upon the English crown, and seemed to stretch out an impatient
hand to reach it. In this view he sought, by all means possible, to secure
his interest against the decease of the old king; and being afraid of the
opposition of the clergy, who are always strenuous against an irregular
succession, he embraced the opinions and espoused the interests of
Wickliff, who now appeared at Oxford, and being a man of very great
abilities, and much esteemed at court, drew over to his party great
numbers, as well fashionable as low people. In this confusion, the duke
of Lancaster endeavoured all he could to shake the power of the clergy,
and to procure votaries amongst the leading popular men. Chaucer had
no small hand in promoting these proceedings, both by his public
interest and writings. Towards the close of Edward's reign, he was very
active in the intrigues of the court party, and so recommended himself
to the Prince successor, that upon his ascending the throne, he
confirmed to him by the title of Dilectus Armiger Noster, the grant
made by the late king of twenty marks per annum, and at the same time
confirmed the other grant of the late King for a pitcher of wine to be
delivered him daily in the port of London. In less than two years after
this, we find our poet so reduced in his cirumstances, (but by what
means is unknown) that the King in order to screen him from his
creditors, took him under his protection, and allowed him still to enjoy
his former grants. The duke of Lancaster, whose restless ambition ever
excited him to disturb the state, engaged now with, all the interest of
which he was master to promote himself to the crown; the opinions of

Wickliff gained ground, and so great a commotion now prevailed
amongst the clergy, that the king perceiving the state in danger, and
being willing to support the clerical interest, suffered the archbishop of
Canterbury to summon Wickliff to appear before him, whose interest
after this arraignment very much decayed.[2] The king who was
devoted to his pleasures, resigned himself, to some young courtiers
who hated the duke of Lancaster, and caused a fryar to accuse him of
an attempt to kill the king; but before he had an opportunity of making
out the charge against him, the fryar was murdered in a cruel and
barbarous manner by lord John Holland, to whose care he had been
committed. This lord John Holland, called lord Huntingdon, and duke
of Exeter, was half brother to the King, and had married Elizabeth,
daughter of the duke of Lancaster. He was a great patron of Chaucer,
and much respected by him. With the duke of Lancaster's interest
Chaucer's also sunk. His patron being unable to support him, he could
no longer struggle against opposite parties, or maintain his posts of
honour. The duke passing over sea, his friends felt all the malice of an
enraged court; which induced them to call in a number of the populace
to assist them, of which our poet was a zealous promoter. One John of
Northampton, a late lord mayor of London was at the head