The sun., 1908-02-16

century.
".
Whatsoever IL was that Chaucer had done
before the date Of the release MAY. lSSO).
It did not In any way affect his position
and the estimation in which he was held.
In fact. the years that Immediately fol-
lowed seem 70 have been the most prosper
ous In his life. He was made the recipient
Of additional fAvors and privileges. In
1888 his good fortune seems TO have cul-
minated IN his election to Parliament as
one Of the knights Of the shire for the County
Of Kent The choice must OF itself be re-
sarded as conclusive evidence that he was
reokoned a. belonging to the class Of
superior gentry. and probably that he
was In possession Of property lying in
Kent. IL was this Parliament Of 1885 which
appointed a commission to inquire into the
state OF the subsidies and customs, and in
December OF that year Chaucer lost his
two controllershipe. OF the significance
Of the fact we cannot be sure. but Prof.
Lounsbury deems II q reasonable supposi-
ton that he lost the places in consequence
Of the ascendency Of q political faction
to which he as an adherent OF the House Of
Lancaster was opposed. We're It not for
his penSions the poet would now vanish
entirely from our knowledge for more
than two years. He may have been
straitsned In his means during the interval.
Il is certain that in May. 1883, his two PEN
sions Of twenty marks each were assigned
by him TO one John Scalby. about whom
nothing is known.
In May, 1889, Richard II. assumed per-
sonal control Of tho Government and two
months later Chaucor was made Clerk
Of the Kings Works at the palace Of West
minister. at the Tower Of London. at the
castle of BerkhemstSad. the Kings mAnors
Of Remington, Ethan. Clarendon. Sheen,
Byfeet, Children Langley and Feckenham,
AZ the royal lodge Of Hatherbergh in the
New Forest, at the lodges In the parks Of
Clarendon, Children Langley and Feeken-
ham, and at the news for the King Q
falcons at Charing Cross. In July Of the
following year Chaucer received the further
appointment Of clerk Of the works for Sc.
Georges Chapel. Windsor. During the
saTne year the poet met with an adventure
Of the kind which entered frequently into
tho experience of his contemporaries. In
September he was robbed twice in one
day, and each time by the same gang Of
highwaymen-once at Westminster and
once at HAtcham near The Foul Oak. "
Tho amount taken on tho two occasions
was nearly twenty pounds, and with it
was carried Oh tho poets horse, besides
other property. By q writ dated January
Q, 1891, he was discharged from repayment
Of the money stolen. In March, 1890. he
had been appointed on q commission to re-
pair the roadways along tho Thames, but
both OF his other positions were lost or
given UP in 1891. We arc entirely ignorant
AZ to the causes Of these changes. For the
few years that follow the summer OF 1891
there had existed until recently an almost
complete blank in our knowledge Of the
poets life. little light has been shed
upon the obscured period by the discovery
or rodiscovery In 1883 Of the fact that some
time between June, 1890. and June. 1891
Godfrey Chaucsr was ono OF two mon re-
corded as having boon made by the Earl
OF March Forester to the North Petherton
Park in Somersetshire. In 4Soe he was ap-
pointed or reappointed solo forester by
Eleanor, the Countess Of March. No
further notice Of ChAucer occurs until
February, 1894, on which day he received
from the King Orchard IL a grant Of a
pension Of twenty pounds q year for life.
From the fact that several times he drew
portions Of this pension in advance IL has
boon inferred that the poe, at this period
felt mors or less the pressure OF limited
resources. In 1898 his poouniary troubles
scem to have reached their height. for In
May OF that year he received letters OF
protection from the King forbidding any
one TO me or arrest his beloved So
quiro' Godfrey Chaucer for the space OF
two years.
In October OF the same year the poet
petitioned his sovereign for letters patent
20 enable him to receive hogshead OF wine
yearly during life at tho port Of London
He asks the favor -for Gods sake and az Q
work Of charity" The petition was i'm
mediately granted. These incidents show
that Richard II. was far from unfriendly
to the poet. yet . change for the better in
the latters fortunes came with the acces-
sion Of Henry Of Lancaster TO the throne.
In October. 1899. four days after the ao-
cesson Of Henry w.. grant OF 90 marks a
year was made TO Chaucer. in addition Ia
the pension Of $40 which had beenaRiyen
by the preceding sovereign In 1894,
The poet did not live long to enjoy the new
day Of prosperity that seems 70 have dawned
for him with the elevation Of the House OF
Lancaster. In December. 1899. he leased
the tenement In the garden Of st. Mary's
Chapel, Westminster. In February, 400
he drew his pension In person. In the fol-
lowing June, however. portion OF the pen
sion given him by the reigning monarch