Star. — London, England, 1803-12-05 00:00:00

LITER.ITURE. NR. GODWIN'S LIFE, AND AGE OF CHAUCER. .1 In a former Paper we noticed this admirable work I till the time when Chaucer entered into the fervice 1 of King Edward the Third. Mr. Godwin's criti difm, however, on the 7 reilas and Crefeide, was but nightly mentioned. Toward its dole be becomes a Commentator upon Shalcfpeare, and proves inenn teltibly• that, in the Play which bears a fimilar i name, Chaucer fupplied Materials to the tragic artift. I The criticifm is ingenious ; and gives rife to a corn- ; pardon between the general merits of Chaucer and i Shakfpeare, in the refpettivc produEtions, finifhing with a few particulars in which, as Mr. Godwin thinks, the former isfuperior. The caufe of Chaucer's rife in the fervice of his sover i eign, it (tem% is to be fought in no other prin i ciple than his Literature. In the early ages of Eu rope, Learning was the pathway to preferment ; though,,in later times, !ince Literature has loft its rarenefs, talents in the general way, are left to Fa. j bricate a fortune for themfelves. The Court Poem: of Chaucer-fulficiently :indicate the principle from nvhich we are to date his rife ; and the firft patronage be received was the °ace of Comptroller of the Cufloms. . The opening of Chaucer's political life is rightly, prefaced by a non furvey of the Englifti Court, as it appeared in IssB, principally confined to the mem. hers of the family upon the throne. Among there John of Gaunt, his friend and princely patron. ap pears to great advantage. Nor is the heroic and the good Philippa overlooked. • The next objet confidered is Chanter's poem en titled the Parliament of Birdr, followed by the Dream, which is confidered as an Epithalamium on the mar riage of the poet's patron. The next fcene in which Chaucer is engaged was Edward's grand invalion of France, in 1359 :—but be was not led to the fold of battle as Paulus Jo cius was by Charles V. that he might be the better qualified to be the poet of the fcene. He went on the expedition as the friend and confidant of John bf Gaunt, then Earl of Richmond. He went, that fuch a proceeding he might acquire a clearer and blare honourable hone among the Courtiers of his . MOO. Military atchievements were the paffion of the age t and a man, whole deftiny, like Chauceec, led him to afrociate with foldiers and Princes, could fcareely avoid making his appearance in arms, and trying the fortune of the field.' Having already fern Chaucer, after a thou cape. throwing off the garb of a lawyer, we thall tot wonder that he did not perfift to cultivate the military profelnon. ‘‘ With the peace of Bretigne." 1363, " Chaucer deed his military career. The war with France was not renewed till after the lapfe of nine years ; and. neither it, the expeditions of John of Gaunt, hi, patron, during that war, nor in the pre vious campaign for the 'vibration of Peter King of Caflile, in 1367, do we find any trace oihis having been accompanied by Chaucer." If his foul had no delight in the alarms and enterprizes of the field : tut the craitrary, while his patron was abroad in thee employments. Chaucer appears to have remain ed tranquilly in England :-=and it is fingular, that although in compliance with the mode which uni. Weeny prevailed, he has oceationally introduced feats of Chivalry among his poems, he dwells with no partiality on the fcenes of war. Early in the year 1361, John of Gaunt became fiddenly the wealtbieft landholder in England, and fo intimate was the fliendltip between the Poet and his patron, that Mr. Godwin has very propetly com bined their hiltory. Thus far have we exhibited the outline of the firft volume of the work before us ; whole clearnefs and eloquence of nyle, and luminous arrangement, are only equalled by its copioufnefs and accuracy. The fecondrolume opens with the biographer's ob. fervations on the Romance piths Rafe, a Poem of which Petrarch was known to fpeak with fome degree of contempt. Petrarch, obferves Mr. Godwin, under. flood the Rotten* lit la Refe no better than Voltaire underftood Shakfpeare. Compared with the Ro mances of Chivalry, this offers to us the molt ftrik ing improvements;—and prefents us with a finifhed pitture of the manners, in many refpeas. of indivi duals in private fociety. as they exiled in the 13th century. The fira part of it may challenge a corn pardon with molt of the happier effufions of poetic genius. It excels, not only in the richnefs of defcrip• tire painting, but in the fpirit and force of its alle gory. as well as in the amen obfervations upon life sod manners. The futire it contains upon the men dicant friars is commented upon at large by Mr. Godwin, and afford% a curious view of the efforts which were made. even at that early period, to raife - the drooping fpirit of the Catholic Church. The Life of Chaucer now becomes gradually blended with the political hiltory of his time ;—and the Court of the Black Prince in Aquitaine. and the heroic condua of that Prince when he rellored Cal tile to its lawful Sovereign, form a fingular and in terefl ing :elief to the pitture. After a kw remarks on the Poem called the Boa If the Dueheli, Chaucer is teen, though long thwarted in the protraltion of his courtflip, in the pail:lion of connubial comfort :—and was fent ribiagne year, 1370, on a fpecial million to the Continent. The aftions and hiltory of John of Gaunt form cow a more immediate pirt of Chancel's life, be eaufe the political conchs& and proceedings of the martial hero cannot he treated of without decanting upon matters in which Chaucer was deeply concern ed. In the convulfive and turbulent reign of Ri chard 11. Chaucer invariably role and fell with the interchangeable vicillitudes of suthoi ity and dilaters of his mailer the King of Cathie. The rife of Wiclife opens a new fcene. He was a man of humble birth, but molt tranfcendant abi lities. and was the firft who broke the chains of fuper- Pitiful. In a thoit time after his appearance, his c.ntreSion with the Poet's patron became both ftrift and intimate; and gives rife in the work before as, to a full and deliberate detail of all that can throw material light upon his life and doftrines. " Without regarding Vs'icliffe," lays Mr. Godwin, as the objett ,:f our unmingled admiration, it is rdiy to perceive that his views were of the grandeft • and that he was fubfiantially and eminently the I 4.tflor of mankind. He aimed at producing a Yavolution in the murals of his country and of Eu• t! ;le. Sy this purpok be invited men to hake off tialuonft at implicit kWh apd 41.) judge far thenstehret. He infirm:4a them to look beyond the ourfide of things. He taught them that they were to be acquitt ed or condemned, not by the cenfures, the excommunications, and abfolutions of another, but by their own charafter and aflions. He pointed his &tire agaiolt religious arrogance. oftentation and venality. He recommended fimplicity of judgment, plainnefs in conduit, and purity of heart." In 1373, Chaucer was nominated Envoy to the Republic of Genoa. Narrow as this Rate might he in its domellic territory, it was great and formidable by its foreign fettlements and po/Teffions ; a confider. ation which will lead us to ellimate with propriety the dillindlion he received. But there is another point of view in which every reader will congratulate polterity, that the Emboli . / was bellowed un Chau cer. When his miifion was concluded, he made a tour to the Northern States of Italy ; and the chief incident of his journey was a vifit to Petrarch. Pe crotch was at this time nearly feventy years of age ; and be forvived only by twelve months the vifit of the Englifh Poet. It is the only circumilance of his journey which Chaucer has himfelf tranfmitted to pollerity. In 1377, Chaucer was employed upon another Embaffy to France: he was fent to treat foecially concerning the marriage of Richard, who after his father's death had been created Prince of Wales This embatfy was fpeedily followed by the death of Edward 111. whore charafter is given by Mr. God win, with the ariftet judgment and impartiality.— The unpopularity and misfortunes of the King of Cable were now increafing, and the anxieties he fuf fered at the time of the rebellion under Wat Tyler, were of a far different nature to any he had under gone in the reign of his father. His political power was now little ; and he even withdrew his fupport from Wicliffe, though he had once flood manfully forth in the caufe of reformation. Yet, though he withdrew his fupport from the reformers, he was not an indifferent freflator of the perfecutions which were carried on againft them. No Englifhman was put to death for hcrefy during the life of the King of Caltile The early and profperous part of Richard's reign is next conlidered : accompanied by the farther pro• grefs of Wiclilft, and a review of thofe particular Poems which promoted the caufe of Ecclefiallical ReiOrmation. Among the lall the Fijians of Pierre Plowman, one of the moll curious and early tatires in the Englifh language, receive. particular attention. The more critical•period of Richard's reign is after wards reviewed : when Chaucer taking fide with his illultrious patron, fled for fafety to the province of 'Zealand. Till then, he had been a ftranger to mil fortune. He palled feveral years in adverfity and diftrefs, not merely (offering from the common lot of exile, but from the villainy of thofe to whom he had intrufted his affairs at home. do 1386, he returned, but was feized by Richard's Milliners and committed to the Tower. Here, under a cloud of peril and adverfitv, he wrote the Tfllanient of I.ove, and gained his liberty only by impeaching his former affociates. He was now appointed Clerk of the Works, and was employed in the repairs of St. George's Chapel at Windfor About this time, 139 t, he is laid to have paired feveral years in his houfe at Woodnock : a circumftance which has occafioned his biographer to exhibit the lirikinz contrail be tween the feelings with which Chaucer firft entered it, and thofe which accompanied his return. The merit of the Cesiterbry fake is too well known to need the (lighten mention here. They form a piaure skilfully varied, cse figures of which are drawn from the different claffes of (Gaiety. From Woodftock we trace Chaucer to Dnnnington Cattle, in Berklhi:e, and once more find him engag ed in the bury cares of public life. His fortune, it hems, had dwindled, and John of Gaunt, whore friendllip for our Poet never ceafed, purchafed for, and bellowed upon him the ettate at Donnington— Having married to his third wife Catharine, Lady Swinfcrd, the filler to Chaucer's wife. The hiftory of Chaucer's life now draws very ra pidly to a clofe. Thomas, of Woodliock, his great enemy, had been affailinated; his patron died, and his fovereign was.depofed. Chaucer having been favoured by the new King, Henry IV. removed to London; hired an houfe of the Abbot of Weaminfter, on the fpot where Henry 7th's Chapel has been lance ere Bed, and died on the asth of aftober, 1400. To follow Mr. Godwin through the charaaer of Chan cer, were furely needlefs : it is drawn with a bokl and mafterly pen, and exhibits him dillinaly and in tereftingly, in every fitnation he alfumed. Each volume of the work has a copious Appendix, containing fuch original documents relating :o Chaucer, as may tend to gratify the curious reader. Among the articles in the 6rll, are a colleCtion of hints for a catalogue of ancient Portraits in Eng land ; in which tafte and judgment are united with refearch. Among the engravings, is a copy of an original Piaure of Chaucer, lately difcnvered in the houfe in which Cromwell was born, at Huntingdon. It is, unquellionably one of the aloft ancient pietures in the kingdom, and is in the opinion of Count Truck fefs, Mr. Taffaert, and uthcr judges, coeval with the time of Chaucer. It was dilcovered by Mr. Phi lips, whole property it now is. Of the whole we null obferve. that we do not believe any fimilar publication has been produced, of clad merit, flute the hittory a Charles the Fifth, by Dr. %Amnion. DELUGE AT Manruta.—The accounts of the cala mity with which the Wand of Madeira has been suited are (Lill contradielory, and the reports from perfons on the (pot vary confiderably. The following letters are from Gentlemen refident at Madeira, and contain many interefting details of this dreadful accident Ocr. 15.—The weather had continued fine with us till the end of September The wind then changed to the fouthward and weftward, at tended with much rain. On the 2d Oflober the ma jor part of the veffels were obliged to put to ka.— The weather continued bad, with occafinnally fair intervals, till the 9th. On the morning of that day I took a walk up to a place in the neighbourhood. and returned about it o'clock. lip to that hour fcarce any rain had fallen ; but it then came on yin. lentl. and rained incelfantly for the remainder of the day. While it was light no accident happened; but in the courfe of the night the rivers (welled pro digioufly, overwhelming in their progrefs a confider able part of the town. 'use tits of Sc. John's, after 4c4roying ever: Wig . .„ in its courfe, carried away the upper bridge at St.' Paul's, and rule to loch a height as to throw down the cyprefs trees at the church, carrying away' the travendas as far up as Capm. Memucl Henriquee's houfe on the afcent from the bridge. Luckily bridge at the Beco Jas Arenhas efeaped, About thirty perfons are fuppoled to have 101 l their lives by the ov.:rflowing of this river, which carried out fuck an immenfe quantity of Roues to felt as to form a fort of bay for Eoats to the weftward of the Trantes, and fheltered frrm the wind in that direlion. A remark. able circumflince happened on this river. In flying from one of the falling houfes, a maidlervant drop ped an Want from her arms, which was (impacd to have pet ifhed. Next day, however, it was found un hurt on a dry piece of ground, along with a lap-dog belonging to the fame family. The dog was clofe by the child, and it is imagined that the child was kept alive by the warmth of the animal's body. The river of St. Lucia, or the Praca, came down with the ut mofi violence. At a (mall quinta, near the Dean's, Ivladamnifelle Lucia Velpa and eight perfons were drowned*; the current of the river proceeded with the utmoll impetuofity, fortunately, however, leaving the buildings (landing at Pontlyal and Porta Nova. The Valle Verde, the bridge at the Recedes Ferrieres, were (wept away with the greatell violence. From thence it rolled with increaled impettiofity, (weeping away in its courfe the whole of the greets. Tinneaos Piquina, the back part of the houfes on the weft fide of the Rua Direda were destroyed, and the flream, after carrying away the Ponte da Placa, a great part of Mr. Cock's, and fcveral other adjacent hook., difembogueil itii.lf into the lea by its old channel. A new channel was formed clofe by Mr. JAMES GORDON'S houfe at the Piaca. The number of per fons who perifhed here cannot be accurately alcer• tained. Among the perfons of molt note were the family of Jere Ignacio de Sorias, confining of 18 per. font, of whom only one was raved. Rata, Feller's relation, who, a short time ago, had been married to his fon, alfo perithed. Her body was afterwards found at the Varadoveres, buried amid,l the boats, with all her trinkets and other valuable articles in her pockets. The Morgada de Palhas's daughter alto fell a viahm, and many other individuals. A boat hasten with wine from Machito, with ten men on board, anchored off the Nam and was never fees after dark. It was if courfe deflroyed with the crew and cargo. The river of Joao Gemes diflended with, if polll - Ilia greater violence, carrying with it &ones of an imnsenfe lize. A little way above the bridge near the Roxenha, it broke through the town wall on the right, currying with it every thing till it joined the main branch, which keeping to the lett steeped to fuels a degree as to level the parapets of the bridge and the fides of the road, feveral feet above ic, in the direCtion of Mandel de Santeago's houfe, ;hough the arch of the bridge did not give way. It then carried away almolt the whole of the Rua des Pan goinos, not long fence built, the walls keeping off the water alma the whole length of the Hofpital Velpo, the church of Noltra Sacra Calhao, except the tower, and Pedro Mendanaa's new granaries and stores. The bridge likewife giving way, a houfe built by him Come years fence, and occupied by a Mr. TATLOCK'S family, was fwept away, and every one of the family perifhed. A part of the fort, and all the adjoining fmall houfeswere either carried away or greatly damaged. The Rebecccnho (welled prodi gioufly, and, joining the former river, contributed to encreafe the mirchief, though its bridge flood.— The bridge over the river Gencalo Ayres was partly defiroyed and rendered impafable. The villages of Santa Crux and Machico were more than half (wept away. At the former three or four, and at the lat ter twenty-three perfons periflted. Crifleras de Emb doe's houfe was carried away. Other accidents of the fame kind happened in other quarters, and though it is impoffible to form an accurate climate, I think I may fafely fay, that two hundred perfons, at lea), have loft their lives in the ifland. The Britilb that perifhed ate—Mr. and Mifs TAT. LOCK, Mr. and Mrs. Mout: and child, and Mr. RICHARD SCALY. The effeas of this dilater were extended to the North EMI parts of the ifland, but to the Weltward, were not much felt beyond Magda lena. Betwixt that place and Funchal the rivers did much damage, hut only nine perfons were drowned. The friary at Serros de Deos was carried away, but the church flood. It teal require many years. and all the attention of our Government to repair fo dread ful a calamity. FUNCH•L ( MADIIRA), OCT. 15:By eight o'clock in the evening, the three rivers which pals through the City, had increafed far beyond what was ever known, and made a moo tremendous noife, with vett times continually colic/ling and coming down rapidly along with them. Four of the bridges out of liven is the town, gave way nearly at the fame time with a dreadful crafh. A church, with whole greets and rows of houfes, exclufive of many detach ed buildings, were alma inftantaneoufly (wept away or laid in loins, with whole families and all their property and aids. The deltrudion has been dreadful, and the lots of lives etiolated at so• in the town and its vicinity. It appears by the accounts from the different parts of the ifland, that this cala mity has been general, and about the fame dose, though the extent of the damage is not yet correelly afcertained. The Engli(h refidents who loft their lives are, a Mr. TarLoc IC, late of London, his fecond daughter, fon-in-law, and child, with fome Portuguefe &met tics in their hnufe, which in one in*ant wu fwept off and not a vellige remains of even where it Rood.— Alfo a Mr. RICHARD Sums- and child. Several have h.d loffes in their property, the wa ters having carried off every thing that was in their dwelling-1204m arid with difficulty laved their lives. We have been very fortunate in having no lots what. ever in honfes or toles, and only a few hundred mil. rtes in dry goods, which were in the (hops for (ale. Our quarter of the town, St. Peter's, was only Caved by the bridge of St. John's river giving way, carry. ing off bottles and plantations with it entirely. Oor wine tater loft his brother, and his wife and five children ; his daughter, fon-inlay, and three chit. dren, their habitations being contiguous to that river. Half of the Vintage i. deltroyed, or rendered unfit for shipping from the continued rains, We have lees another letter, which saint/des the number of (offerers at nearly moo. Probably that Aim= is oonfiderably exaggerated. • Tim obi (avant Gob ri i iibed bows. Qui - Bitur. Friday Meet prifonets were tried, one of whom. Mabydab Spalding, WAS capitally convielcd of an un natural crime, the particulate of which we decline hying before our leaders. Ekren were conviaed of feliny, viz. EL.caltill Boot, for Healing three guineas and' a liven Q,illing piece, the pri:perty c.f . Henry Jollifaint. TGe prolocutor was walking along James.alreet, Covent Garden. when the priloner, in company with other females. accolled him. Having entered into converfation with them, the prifoner requeileJ th t he would 'attend her to her 11,nne ; at the fame mo ment the took from his breeches pocket the pro. petty fpecitled in the iittli3ment. The profecutur feized her hand and alarmed the watch, to whom he gave her in charge. The prifoner, prior to her being taken to the watch houfe called on one of the females to take her pattens ; the female not being aware of the feheme, took her patient, aid in the interim the money dropped out of them on the pavement, trrbee the profecutor picked part of it up, as did the watch. man the remainder. The watchman corroborated this evidence. Wm. Broadji'wk, for felonioufly flooding leveed yards of bed furniture, and other articles, the pro.. petty of J. Watfon. The profecutcr lefts feveral furnifhed houfes to families arriving in town : as he was going pail the door of one of the latter defcrip. tion, limited in Gent ge.lireet, Welmintter, thee unoccupied, he obferved the rifoner and a boy come out of the palLige ; conceiving him to be a fa picious perfon, Mr. Wstfon demanded where he haJ been ? he aufwered, to fee his friends, and endeavour* rd to run by, but was prevented by Mr. Watfon, who knew there was no perfon it. the houfe at the time, and confequently the afferion to be falfe ; he there. fore cried, flop thief. Several perfons came to his aflillanee, and the ricotter was taken into cntody.—. On examining the &safe the bed furniture was pack. ed up in a bundle, and placed in the paffage leading to the Greet door; a number of other valuabk moveables were in a fimilar lituatinn, and a dark ',inshore and an iron crow were lying near. The evidence having proved the above fads, Mr. Janice Gaols explained to the Jury, that the intent on the part of thelsrifoner if roved, to commit the rob bery, was as criminal as if he had taken away the property—Verdict, Guilty. ' Eleanor Chard, for feloniooar Ratting two cot* ton gowns, and other armlet, the property of Sarah Hewen. The profecntrix Rated, that the was a lace west. ver, reeding in Henry-(trees, Old-firer, where tbis prifoner came to her houfe, in the greatefi dillrefsb begging for relief. Witnefs, from motives of hu• inanity, took her in doors, and kept her for a conti. derable time, fupplying her wants in the moll liberal manner. The prifoner urged in defence, that the bad been deferted by her hufband, left deftitute, and had been guilty of the offence more from want than dithonefty. Elicabeti, Bradjrd, junior, for flealing two monis frocks, and other articles of wearing apparel, laid to be the property of Mr. Ford. It appeared from the evidence of the Profeeutor, that he lived at No. a. Chequer-alley, Whitecrofes , street; that on the tyth October, he hired the Pri. loner, a very young girl, as a fervant, it being agreed that the fhould go home every night to hot mother's. She continued with him until the night of the sad of OCtober. after which the did not re turn. He had not, however, any fufpicion of her having robbed him until the 13th of November, when his wife miffed Cenral articles. On this be went to the place where the mother bad informed him that the lived, but no filch perfon was to be found. He then took an officer, and went to St. Luke's School, where he had heard the girl fay the was brought up ; but he found that equally untrue. Upon his defcribing the gill; the Officer thought he knew fuch a one, and taking the Profecutor to the houfe, they found the mother, and the girl loon af ter came in : in this woman's apartments they vend fifteen pawnbroker's duplicates in a cupboard, whereupon they took the girl with them to the pawnbroker's Chop, but it turned out that not one of the articles fo pledged belonged to the Profecutor; they were then proceeding to another (hop, when the girl acknowledged to the Officer, that the had pawned Mr. Ford's property at the one they had juft been at, but that the had burnt the duplicates: on going back the particularized the articles, and they were immediately produced. In her defence the bid her mailer bad promifed not to hurt her if the told what (be bad done with the things, but this he pofitively denied. A queftion was fluted by the Counfel (though there did not appear to have been any employed for the Prifoner) whether the frocks fhould not have been laid to be the property of the child but which Mr. Baron Ga amass was decidedly again*, and Lord A , to thew its abfurdity, obferved that if Inch was admitted to be the cafe, a parent would be liable to as affion of trover, if after one child (bould have out-grown its clothe s he should make ufe of them for another.—He admitted that if the parent or any relation had given a boy a watch, for inflame, why then he would have a right in that property, but this could not apply to the wearing apparel of infants. The Gas being fo clearly made oat, the Jury rand her Gsilty, when the Profeastor begged from bar youth to remanineed her to mercy y'rri..cestori, for ilealing a pocket book, the pro perty of . Adams. ?haat, for Reeling a piece of bacon, the pro. petty of D. Reardon. And three were acquitted, among whom, jwilait, and Matz. Dewy were indided foe Reeling two fur tippets, the property of Mars Myers and Cook, Fetter.lane. The prifoner. Jordan, was a porter at the ware. houfe of the profecntors, and cohabited with the pee. loner Denny, who is a milk woman, and who offered the goods in quellion for tale. There being no proof of the prifooer. Jordan, ever having Role them, and that Denny bad ever been at the wuehuufe, they were acquitted. The trial of George Smith, a Lieutenant Inleer mg to the 3d Lincoln Militia. and who Asada in. dined on three different charges for forgery._is (erred until the neat feffions, on account of ‘ll6 GIN huge of a material witacfs. 1 11 i -.