Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-11-24
GEoFFREY CHAUCER:
The Father of English Poetry,

EVERY lover OF poetry must honor the
name of Chaucer, whose place in literature
corresponds with that of Raphael in painting
and Michael Angelo in Sculpture. He was
born in London in the year 1928. He mar
rled sister of Catherine Swinford, who was
the wife ofJohn of Gaunt, and maid ofhon-
or to Philippa, the queen of Edward III
Ofc0urse this connection attached the coet
to the Laneastrian party; with whose vicissi-
tudes his fortunes were involved. During
the reign of Edward his successes were at
flood. When he was thirty eight he received
from the king pension equal to fifteen hum
dred dollars year of our money-a large
sum for those times In these days he tells
us, he was fat and jolly, and knew no
want. But his fortunes changed with the
changes of government.
During the reign of Richard IL, Chaucer
was involved in great disasters. In 1888, at
the age of sixty, we find him a political
prisoner IN London, his pensions and his
prosperity alike gone. But the next year,
John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster, re-
turned, and became once more his steady
protector; and from this time until his death
in the year 400, his prosperity continued to
increase. He died on the 25th of October,
and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
Few poets have commenced to write at an
earlier age than Geoffrey Ghaucer; and few,
certainly. have continued to write at more
advanced one; for he began his greatest
work, The Canterbury Tales, when he was
in his sixty-sixth year. His first poem of
note was the Court of Lore, published when
he was nineteen years of age. His History
Of Triot,ts Of CreSScide was the delight of
Sir Philip Sydney. The Flotcer and the
Ledf, modernized by Dryden, was pronoun-
ced by the poet Campbell i'm exquisite
piece of fairy fancy. Pope modernized,
also, his House Of Fame But the glory of
all these is obscured by the last and greatest
of his works.
The Canterbury Tales are tie adventures
oftwenty nine pilgrims, who met ct an inn
in Southwark, on their way to the shrine Of
Thomas Beckett. Each pilgrim tells his
own story. Chaucer's poetry is essentially
dramaticand picturesque. The costume and
dress of the Canterbury pilgrims-of the
knight, the squire, the Wife Of the Bath
speak for themselves. His descriptions of
natural scenery are in the same kind of ex-
cellence with local freshness about them
which gives the very feeling of the atmos-
phere, the coldness and moisture of the
ground
His proud title of Father of English
Poetry is not alone tribute TO his poetic
al excellence, great as that was bat because
he did more than any one else to bring the
English language into its present form. He
wrote when that language was in its infancy
At time when all the gentlemen and ladies
in the kingdom spoke only French, he chose
to write in his native tongue-the grand,
sturdy old Saxon-and he proved what a
mine of richness it was. He delighted and
instructed England, as the bright morning
star of her national literature, and at the
well of his thought the scholar Of to day
drinks with ever fresh delight.
LAY STILL, SONNY. "A Parkesburg
wv. Va paper says that several gentleman
of the Legislature took the cars at Grafton
late on the evening of the 9Th ult for Wheel
ing, and among the number was Mr.. g., of
somewhat large proportions physically, and
a Mr. d., of proportional undersize These
two gentleman took berth together. it seems
in sleeping ear The little man laid behind
and the good natured, waggish Mr. g. before
AIr. y. was sleeping and snoring furlously
Mr. g., more restless under the legislative
burdens, soon arose and was sitting By the
stove when an elderly lady came aboard and
desired a sleeping berth - All right, mad
am, said Mr. G. i took berth will my
son and can occupy my place in that berth
where my boy is sleeping" Taking Mr.G. at
his word, the lady disrobed herself and lay
down with the boy. After a quiet repose of
some time the boy Mr. ID. became restless
from some cause, and begin TO kick around,
to the annoyance of the old lady. So in
maternal way she patted the boy on the back
and said: Lie still, sonny; Pa said Imight
sleep with YOU ho are yon2 said the
Legislator; I'm no boy! Fm a member Of
the West Virginia Legislature 1t is said
the old lady swooned.