The sun., 1908-02-16
III

FROM 1907 onward the name OF G0Oufoy
Chaucer occurs With a good deal OF fire.
quency in the public records. From these
It appears that In some way he was con-
cerned In the war between England and
France, which. always smouldering, broke
out into fame in 1889 In consequence Of
complaints made by 0ascrns to the French
court against the Black Prince. Among
the records Of that year 10 found an entry
70 the effect that ten pounds was advanced
to Chauoer while he took part in the war
with France. On June 20. 1870. letters Of
protection were given to him on the 90
casion Of his going abroad in the Kings
service. On October 8 in the same year
he drew his pension In person. As a matter
Of fact it is in connection with the business
Of drawing pensions that the name OF
Chaucer appears most frequently upon
the Official records. The pension granted
in 1857 was not the only one he received
during the reign OF Edward III. On June
10, 1874. John Of Gaunt. Duke Of Lancas-
ter, made him a grant Of ten pounds a year
for life. The terms in which the grant
was expressed indicate that IL was con-
ferred in consideration OF past services
rendered by the poet and by his wife
Philippa to the Duke and TO his Duchess
and TO the late Queen. the Dukes mother
Then again, although never honored with
the title Of poet laureate. Chaucer obtained
about the same period what came to be
one Of the perquisites which attached itself
TO that once in later times. In April. 1874.
a daily pitcher Of wine was granted him
for life, TO be received at the Port OF Lon
don from the hands Of the Kings butler.
This may have been commuted for a sum
Of money from the beginning; at a little
later date it certainly was. In 1877 Chaucer
received seven pounds two shillings six
pence and halfpenny in lieu Of it for tho
period Of nearly eight months. running from
October q. 1879, TO June 2l. 1877. The
commutation indicates that the value Of
the wine furnished was reckoned at about
sixpenoe a day. The quantity seems to
be greater than might be inferred from the
term pitcher As Prof. Thorold Rogers
has shown wine at the time was cheap IN
England. the retail price being about six-
pence a gallon.
| In April. 1878. King Richard II. granted
Chaucer. In lieu of the wine, 20 marks a
year for life. Besides the gifts mentioned,
we have documentary proof that there fell
TO Chaucer other substantial tokens Of
regard from those high in authority. In
November. 1875, he received the custody
Of the person and estates OF Edmund Staple
gate OF Kent, a minor whose father had
died in 1872. This was a common method
Of rewarding favorites Of the Crown. The
wardship. which lasted between two and
| three years. brought Chaucer the sum Of
ElO4. In another instance a similar mark
Of royal favor was conferred on him. Al
| the close Of 1875 he received the custody
| Of ive solidates Of rent in Solys in Kent. az
a consequence OF the minority OF William
! de soIys. child one year old, and heir Of
: John Solys, deceased. With IL was Joined
! the grant OF the maritagium, or the fee
which a minor. as tenant Of the Crown.
paid for the consent OF the King in case
| Of marriage contracted while Under
! age. The precise value Of . solidate Ia
uncertain. and no record exists to show
! how much ChauCer received from this
source. In July. 1870 while he was Con-
trolcr of the Customs. he received the grant
I OF little more than Ell. the price Of some
= wool which had been forfeited by one
John Kent OF London. who had conveyed
, 10 Eordrecht without paying the export
duty. The various benefactions furnished
! fairly satisfactory evidence as 70 the es-
timatiol in which he was held. A. the
same time there is no reason TO assume
that the gifts we're made for services not
: rendered. Chaucer was constantly en-
, ployed In civil offices a. home and in diplo-
/ matte missions abroad. Between 1870 and
1880 he took part in no less than six mis-
sions 10 the Continent Il was In the course
Of one OF these (iS77-10 that he visited
Genoa and Florence on the Kings bust
ness. This is the journey In which some
OF his biographers assert that he met
,, Petrarch. The evidence for the meeting