Produced by Sergio Cangiano, David Moynihan, Charles Franks
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
In making reference to books and manuscripts, I have attempted to useabbreviations which seem, reasonably clear. Perhaps the leastintelligible are C. R. which stands for Close Rolls, and L. R. whichstands for Life Records of Chaucer (Chaucer Soc.) Wherever possible, Ihave referred to prints rather than to original manuscripts because theprinted calendars are much more accessible. In a work which has involvedthe copying of innumerable references, many of which are to documents inthe Public Record Office not available to me as I revise my copy, it istoo much to expect that there should be no inaccuracies. Therefore, ifthe reader discovers erroneous references, I must ask his leniency.
For their courtesy and assistance in making books and documentsaccessible to me, I wish most heartily to thank J. A. Herbert, Esq., ofthe Manuscript Department, the British Museum, and Edward Salisbury,Esq., and Hubert Hall, Esq., of the Public Record Office. To my friendand colleague, Dr. Thomas A. Knott, of the University of Chicago, I amdeeply indebted for his kindness in reading over parts of my manuscriptand trying to make their style clearer and more readable. My greatestobligation, however, is to Professor John M. Manly, not only forencouragement and specific suggestions as to the handling of thissubject, but for a training which has made possible whatever in myresults may be considered of value.
INTRODUCTION: Statement of the problem
THE ESQUIRES OF THE KING'S HOUSEHOLD:
Their Families
Appointment
Classification
Services
Rewards
Marriage
Careers of the Esquires of 1368
THE JUSTICES OF THE PEACE
THE CUSTOMS
SIR JOHN DE BURLEY
SIR EDWARD DE BERKELEY
SIR THOMAS DE PERCY
SIR WILLIAM DE BEAUCHAMP
RICHARD FORESTER
HENRY SCOGAN
OTO DE GRAUNSON
BUKTON
CHAUCER'S CAREER AND HIS RELATION TO JOHN OF GAUNT
CHAUCER'S RELATION TO RICHARD II
SOME GENERAL POINTS
The researches of Sir Harris Nicolas, Dr. Furnivall, Mr. Selby andothers have provided us with a considerable mass of detailed informationregarding the life and career of Geoffrey Chaucer. Since the publicationof Nicolas's biography of the poet prefixed to the Aldine edition ofChaucer's works in 1845, the old traditional biography of conjecture andinference, based often on mere probability or the contents of workserroneously ascribed to Chaucer, has disappeared and in its place hasbeen developed an accurate biography based on facts. In the sixty-fiveyears since Nicolas's time, however, a second tradition—connected insome way with fact, to be sure—has slowly grown up. Writers onChaucer's life have not been content merely to state the facts revealedin the records, but, in their eagerness to get closer to Chaucer, havedrawn many questionable inferences from those facts. Uncertain as to theexact significance of the various appointments which Chaucer held, hisengagement in diplomatic missions and his annuities, biographers havethought it necessary to find an explanation for what they suppose to beremarkable favors, and have assumed—cautiously in the case of carefulscholars but boldly in that of popular writers—that Chaucer owed every