The sun., 1908-02-16

the pension rolls. There is therefore no
reason in his case to doubt the accuracy OF
the inscription on his tombstone which
represents him as having died on October
rs. 1900. He was buried in the great Uathe-
dral near which in his last days he lived.
He was the first, and for centuries the only
one, Of the long line Of men Of letters whose
mortal remains have found a resting place
in the great mausoleum Of England's illus
trious dead.
v.
Whom did ChauCer marry7 This In an
inquiry which can be answered with a
close approach to certainty. On Septem-
Der IL. 1893. a pension for life Of ten
marks a year was granted TO a Phihppa
Chauoer. one OF the ladies' OF tho chamber
TO the Queen Of England. In May. 1881.
Richard III. confirmed the pension, ~ 10
revealed by an issue roll OF that date.
More than the fact OF confirmation. how
ever. IL revealed by the document. It adds
that on this occasion she received the money
through the hands Of her husband Geof-
frey. These two records therefore en-
able Prof. Lounsbury to assert that the
Phihppa Chapoer who In 1881 was the poets
wife had granted to her the same amount
Of money for the same services TO the same
person on the same grounds. and held pre-
cisely the same position at the court a. the
Philippe Chauoer whose pension is entered
on the rolls OF 1888. Consequently there
can hardly be a question Of the identity Of
the two persons. Philippa Chaucer re-
mained in the service Of PhiIippa. wife Of
Edward III, until the Queens death, which
took place in 1899. Then apparently she
went into the service OF Constance OF CASTLE.
the second wife Of John of Gaunt. From
him IN 1874 she received a pension OF El0
a year. This Is the grant which Sir Harris
Nicholas thinks was committed In 1874
for an annuity for the same amount for life.
20 be paid to her and to her husband. In
the latter document she is described as the
wife OF 0eonrey Chaucer. She is men
toned for the last time in the issue rolls
Of 1887. As from that date all notice Of her
disappears from the records IL is generally
conceded that she must have died not long
after. The natural and almost unavoidable
inference from these facts In that Chaucer
was married before September. 1866, and
that his welded life must have extended
over twenty years.
What was Philippa Chaucer's maiden
name? Was she the daughter OF Sir Payne
Roet, Guienne King Of Arms. who came
over from Hainault with the Queen Of
Edward HIP II 30 Chaucers wife was a
sister Of Katharine. the widow Of Sir Hugh
Swinford. who was the mistress and in
1900 became the third wife OF John Of Gaunt.
In this way the poet would be brought
into a sort Of left handed connection with
the royal house Of England. The assertion
that this was the fact was first made in the
life prefixed TO Speghts edition Of Chaucer's
writings. published in 1903. As proof
Of It there was printed in that volume a
pedigree furnished by Robert Glover.
Somerset Herald. a man whose profess
sionAl reputation was very high. The
document, however. IL not altogether
satisfactory. In II the name Of the daughter
and coheiress Of Sir Payne Roet. who 10
said to have become Chauceris wife, is
not given. We are expressly told indeed
that IL is not known. Our author regards
this a. positive proof that so far as this
particular marriage is concerned the pedi-
gree does not rest upon documentary evil
dence. Nevertheless the statement Of
speght has been accepted with little hesita
tion until a very late period. but there are
now Chaucerian scholars who distrust 1t.
and some who unhesitatingly deny il.
The matter Ia mixed up inextrioably with
the question Of the relationship that existed
between the poet and Thomas Chaucer.
who must have been born some time before
1859 in order to receive the positions and
attain the station he In credited with having
held before the end OF the century. Chaucer
may have had several children. but Of
one only do we know with certainty. From
the testimony Of the poet himself We learn
OF a son Lewis. It is hardly reasonable
to ascribe to him the fathership Of all the
ChauCers whose names happen 10 be pre-
served in the records Of the times. They
may have stood in near or remote relation
to him. but the tie that existed between
them and him. whatever it was. has never
been ascertained. The relationship OF
Thomas Chaucer to the poet has been and
still is a theme OF controversy.
Thomas ChAucer was a man OF some i'm
portAnoe In his day. He filed various
positions Of trust and profit; for instance.
he occupied the post OF chief butler 20
Richard II. and 20 succeeding monarchs.
He was q member OF several Parliamonts,
and more than once Speaker Of the House
OF Commons. He became some time in the
last decade OF the fourteenth century the
husband Of Matilda. coheiress Of Sir John
Burghersh, by which marriage he acquired
largo estates, one OF which was that OF
Newelne in Oxfordshire. In I4ll he re-
ceived from the Queen a gift OF several
manors. among which was that OF Wood
stock He died in lAS4, possessed OF great
wealth. II was Alice. his only child. who
married for her first husband Sir John
Phelip, the owner OF bennington Castle.
near Newbury in Berkshire. Il was this
same daughter that married for her third
husband William de Ia Pole. Earl and after
ward Duke Of Suffolk. who was beheaded
in 1850. Their eldest son, John de Ia Pole.
married a sister Of Edward ". The first
born son Of this union was created Earl OF
Lincoln during the lifetime Of his father and
was declared by Richard III. heir apparent
20 the throne In case OF the death without
issue OF the Prince Of Wales. He fell In
1887 at the battle OF Stoke. After weighing
all the evidence that has been adduced on
both sides Prof. Lounsbury deems it unsafe
90 say more than this. that in the light Of
our present knowledge kinship OF some kind
must have existed between Godfrey Chaucer
and Thomas Chaucer. This may or may
not have been that Of father and son, but
a. yet the weight of testimony ia in favor
OF that particular relationship.