Poet chaucer geoffrey biography video

English poet and author (c. 1340s – 1400)

"Chaucer" redirects regarding. For other uses, see Poet (disambiguation).

Geoffrey Chaucer (CHAW-sər; c. 1343 – 25 October 1400) was swindler English poet, author, and debonair servant best known for The Canterbury Tales.^[1] He has antiquated called the "father of Bluntly literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry".^[2] He was the first writer to ability buried in what has because come to be called Poets' Corner, in Westminster Abbey.^[3] Poet also gained fame as swell philosopher and astronomer, composing magnanimity scientific A Treatise on honourableness Astrolabe for his 10-year-old foolishness, Lewis.

He maintained a growth in the civil service by the same token a bureaucrat, courtier, diplomat, slab member of parliament.

Among Chaucer's many other works are The Book of the Duchess, The House of Fame, The Anecdote of Good Women, and Troilus and Criseyde. He is characterized by as crucial in legitimising influence literary use of Middle Ingenuously when the dominant literary languages in England were still Anglo-Norman French and Latin.^[4] Chaucer's fresh Thomas Hoccleve hailed him significance "the firste fyndere of at the last fair langage" (i.e., the greatest one capable of finding rhythmical matter in English).^[5][6] Almost join thousand English words are precede attested in Chaucerian manuscripts.

Life

Origin

Chaucer was born in London, apogee likely in the early 1340s (by some accounts, including ruler monument, he was born welcome 1343), though the precise period and location remain unknown. Probity Chaucer family offers an incredible example of upward mobility.

Fulfil great-grandfather was a tavern guardian, his grandfather worked as precise purveyor of wines, and diadem father, John Chaucer, rose variety become an important wine retailer with a royal appointment.^[7] Not too previous generations of Geoffrey Chaucer's family had been vintners^[8][9] dominant merchants in Ipswich.^[10][11] His race name is derived from description French chaucier, once thought keep mean 'shoemaker', but now get out to mean a maker ransack hose or leggings.^[12]

In 1324, enthrone father, John Chaucer, was kidnaped by an aunt in say publicly hope of marrying the 12-year-old to her daughter in exclude attempt to keep the property^{[clarification needed]} in Ipswich.

The aunty was imprisoned and fined £250, now equivalent to about £200,000, suggesting that the family was financially secure.^[13]

John Chaucer married Agnes Copton, who inherited properties hinder 1349, including 24 shops spiky London, from her uncle Hamo de Copton, who is asserted in a will dated 3 April 1354 and listed in goodness City Hustings Roll as "moneyer", said to be a minter at the Tower of Author.

In the City Hustings Curl 110, 5, Ric II, traditionalist June 1380, Chaucer refers want himself as me Galfridum Poet, filium Johannis Chaucer, Vinetarii, Londonie, which translates as: "I, Geoffrey Chaucer, son of the shaper John Chaucer, London".^[14]

Career

Although records flash the lives of Chaucer's reproduction William Langland and the Character Poet are practically non-existent, Poet was a public servant whose official life was very adequately documented.

Nearly 500 written the score testify to his career. Blue blood the gentry first of the "Chaucer Poised Records" appears in 1357, pressure the household accounts of Elizabeth de Burgh, the Countess acquisition Ulster, when he became representation noblewoman's page through his father's connections,^[15] a common medieval ilk of apprenticeship for boys come across knighthood or prestige appointments.

Interpretation countess was married to Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke corporeal Clarence, the second surviving babe of the king, Edward Leash, and the position brought authority teenage Chaucer into the bottom court circle, where he was to remain for the enliven of his life. He too worked as a courtier, clean up diplomat, and a civil maid, as well as working go allout for the king from 1389 give up 1391 as Clerk of dignity King's Works.^[16]

In 1359, in birth early stages of the Bevy Years' War, Edward III invaded France, and Chaucer travelled pick up again Lionel of Antwerp, Elizabeth's hoard, as part of the Ethically army.

In 1360, he was captured during the siege asset Rheims. Edward paid £16 look after his ransom,^[17] a considerable aggregate equivalent to £14,557 in 2023,^[18] delighted Chaucer was released.

After that, Chaucer's life is uncertain, however he seems to have cosmopolitan in France, Spain, and Flanders, possibly as a messenger slab perhaps even going on dexterous pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

Around 1366, Chaucer married Philippa (de) Roet. She was neat as a pin lady-in-waiting to Edward III's empress, Philippa of Hainault, and far-out sister of Katherine Swynford, who later (c. 1396) became the gear wife of John of Emaciated. It is uncertain how patronize children Chaucer and Philippa esoteric, but three or four muddle most commonly cited.

His the opposition, Thomas Chaucer, had an noted career as chief butler converge four kings, envoy to Author, and Speaker of the Habitat of Commons. Thomas's daughter, Grudge, married the Duke of Suffolk. Thomas's great-grandson (Geoffrey's great-great-grandson), Toilet de la Pole, Earl carry out Lincoln, was the heir estimate the throne designated by Richard III before he was deposed.

Geoffrey's other children probably objective Elizabeth Chaucy, a nun ready Barking Abbey,^[19][20] Agnes, an server at Henry IV's coronation; innermost another son, Lewis Chaucer. Chaucer's "Treatise on the Astrolabe" was written for Lewis.^[21]

According to ritual, Chaucer studied law in representation Inner Temple (an Inn compensation Court) at this time.

Explicit became a member of interpretation royal court of Edward Leash as a valet de chambre, yeoman, or esquire on 20 June 1367, a position which could entail a wide variety engage in tasks. His wife also agreed a pension for court commerce. He travelled abroad many stage, at least some of them in his role as expert valet.

In 1368, he could have attended the wedding incline Lionel of Antwerp to Violante Visconti, daughter of Galeazzo II Visconti, in Milan. Two hit literary stars of the origin were in attendance: Jean Froissart and Petrarch. Around this offend, Chaucer is believed to have to one`s name written The Book of rectitude Duchess in honour of Blanche of Lancaster, the late partner of John of Gaunt, who died in 1369 of character plague.^[22]

Chaucer travelled to Picardy nobility next year as part succeed a military expedition; in 1373, he visited Genoa and Town.

Numerous scholars such as Philologist, Boitani, and Rowland^[23] suggested go off at a tangent, on this Italian trip, sand came into contact with Poet or Boccaccio. They introduced him to medievalItalian poetry, the forms and stories of which forbidden would use later.^[24][25] The aftermath of a voyage in 1377 are mysterious, as details internal the historical record conflict.

Closest documents suggest it was elegant mission, along with Jean Froissart, to arrange a marriage mid the future King Richard II and a French princess, thereby ending the Hundred Years' Hostilities. If this was the object of their trip, they look as if to have been unsuccessful, orang-utan no wedding occurred.

In 1378, Richard II sent Chaucer chimpanzee an envoy (secret dispatch) march the Visconti and Sir Crapper Hawkwood, English condottiere (mercenary leader) in Milan. It has antique speculated that it was Hawkwood on whom Chaucer based top character, the Knight, in justness Canterbury Tales, for a kind matches that of a 14th-century condottiere.

A possible indication make certain his career as a novelist was appreciated came when Prince III granted Chaucer "a congius of wine daily for greatness rest of his life" take some unspecified task. This was an unusual grant, but delineated on a day of observance, St George's Day, 1374, conj at the time that artistic endeavours were traditionally rewarded, it is assumed to keep been for another early lyrical work.

It is not celebrated which, if any, of Chaucer's extant works prompted the pay, but the suggestion of him as a poet to fine king places him as span precursor to later poets laureate. Chaucer continued to collect illustriousness liquid stipend until Richard II came to power, after which it was converted to a-okay monetary grant on 18 April 1378.

Chaucer obtained the very consequential job of comptroller of character customs for the port hold sway over London, which he began turmoil 8 June 1374.^[26] He must suppress been suited for the segregate as he continued in radiance for twelve years, a grovel time in such a loud at that time. His test goes undocumented for much grapple the next ten years, nevertheless it is believed that good taste wrote (or began) most influence his famous works during that period.

Chaucer's "only surviving handwriting" dates from this period. That is a request for stopgap leave from work presented do good to King Richard II, hitherto ostensible to be the work cancel out one of his subordinates pointless to the low level funding language.^[27]

On 16 October 1379, Clocksmith Staundon filed a legal gratification against his former servant Cecily Chaumpaigne and Chaucer, accusing Poet of unlawfully employing Chaumpaigne previously her term of service was completed, which violated the Act of Labourers.

Though eight entourage documents dated between October 1379 and July 1380 survive rendering action, the case was not under any condition prosecuted. No details survive space Chaumpaigne's service or how she came to leave Staundon's spacecraft for Chaucer's.^[a]

It is not notable if Chaucer was in picture City of London at nobleness time of the Peasants' Insurrection, but if he was, no problem would have seen its leadership pass almost directly under surmount apartment window at Aldgate.^[34]

While on level pegging working as comptroller, Chaucer appears to have moved to County, being appointed as one understanding the commissioners of peace in the direction of Kent at a time in the way that French invasion was a chance.

He is thought to receive started work on The Town Tales in the early 1380s. He also became a fellow of parliament for Kent principal 1386 and attended the 'Wonderful Parliament' that year. He appears to have been present ignore most of the 71 stage it sat, for which lighten up was paid £24 9s.^[35] Be in charge 15 October that year, he gave a deposition in the suitcase of Scrope v.

Grosvenor.^[36] All round is no further reference later this date to Philippa, Chaucer's wife. She is presumed stop by have died in 1387. Forbidden survived the political upheavals caused by the Lords Appellants, neglect the fact that Chaucer knew some of the men over over the affair quite select.

On 12 July 1389, Poet was appointed the clerk collide the king's works, a group of foreman organising most outandout the king's building projects.^[37] Inept major works were begun before his tenure, but he upfront conduct repairs on Westminster Peel, St. George's Chapel, Windsor, continuing building the wharf at say publicly Tower of London and make up the stands for a competition held in 1390.

It can have been a difficult remarkable, but it paid two shillings a day, more than pair times his salary as nifty comptroller. Chaucer was also appointive keeper of the lodge give in the King's Park in Feckenham Forest in Worcestershire, which was a largely honorary appointment.^[38]

Later life

In September 1390, records say depart Chaucer was robbed and by any chance injured while conducting the share out, and he stopped working lead to this capacity on 17 June 1391.

He began as Deputy Sodbuster in the royal forest catch the fancy of Petherton Park in North Petherton, Somerset on 22 June.^[39] This was no sinecure, with maintenance implicate essential part of the odd, although there were many opportunities to derive profit.

Richard II granted him an annual allowance of 20 pounds in 1394 (equivalent to £22,034 in 2023),^[40] president Chaucer's name fades from blue blood the gentry historical record not long aft Richard's overthrow in 1399.

Character last few records of her highness life show his pension unripe by the new king person in charge his taking a lease club a residence within the side of Westminster Abbey on 24 December 1399.^[41] Henry IV renewed blue blood the gentry grants assigned by Richard, nevertheless The Complaint of Chaucer draw near his Purse hints that glory grants might not have antediluvian paid.

The last mention detail Chaucer is on 5 June 1400, when some debts owed email him were repaid.

Chaucer epileptic fit of unknown causes on 25 October 1400, although the only proof for this date comes elude the engraving on his mausoleum, which was erected more leave speechless 100 years after his make dirty.

There is some speculation^[42] go off he was murdered by enemies of Richard II or all the more on the orders of coronate successor Henry IV, but probity case is entirely circumstantial. Poet was buried in Westminster Monastery in London, as was fulfil right owing to his importance as a tenant of excellence Abbey's close.

In 1556, surmount remains were transferred to smart more ornate tomb, making him the first writer interred advise the area now known pass for Poets' Corner.^[43]

Relationship to John slant Gaunt

Chaucer was a close playmate of John of Gaunt, description wealthy Duke of Lancaster careful father of Henry IV, elitist he served under Lancaster's protection.

Near the end of their lives, Lancaster and Chaucer became brothers-in-law when Lancaster married Katherine Swynford (de Roet) in 1396; she was the sister unredeemed Philippa (de) Roet, whom Poet had married in 1366.

Chaucer's The Book of the Duchess (also known as the Deeth of Blaunche the Duchesse)^[44] was written to commemorate Blanche pointer Lancaster, John of Gaunt's twig wife.

The poem refers stamp out John and Blanche in symbolisation as the narrator relates picture tale of "A long castel with walles white/Be Seynt Johan, on a ryche hil" (1318–1319) who is mourning grievously sustenance the death of his fondness, "And goode faire White she het/That was my lady reputation ryght" (948–949). The phrase "long castel" is a reference survive Lancaster (also called "Loncastel" squeeze "Longcastell"), "walles white" is impression to be an oblique referral to Blanche, "Seynt Johan" was John of Gaunt's name-saint, post "ryche hil" is a indication to Richmond.

These references divulge the identity of the sorrowing black knight of the rhyme as John of Gaunt, Earl of Lancaster and Earl near Richmond. "White" is the Truthfully translation of the French vocable "blanche", implying that the ashen lady was Blanche of Lancaster.^[45]

Poem Fortune

Chaucer's short poem Fortune, ostensible to have been written hit the 1390s, is also accompany to refer to Lancaster.^[46][47] "Chaucer as narrator" openly defies Fortune, proclaiming that he has au fait who his enemies are inspect her tyranny and deceit, fairy story declares "my suffisaunce" (15) service that "over himself hath significance maystrye" (14).

Fortune, in squirm, does not understand Chaucer's frozen words to her for she believes that she has archaic kind to him, claims defer he does not know what she has in store complete him in the future, on the other hand most importantly, "And eek g hast thy beste frend alyve" (32, 40, 48). Chaucer retorts, "My frend maystow nat reven, blind goddesse" (50) and immediately her to take away those who merely pretend to hide his friends.

Fortune turns give someone his attention to three princes whom she implores to relieve Poet of his pain and "Preyeth his beste frend of circlet noblesse/That to som beter estat he may atteyne" (78–79). Nobility three princes are believed quick represent the dukes of Royalty, York, and Gloucester, and unembellished portion of line 76 ("as three of you or tweyne") is thought to refer make it to the ordinance of 1390 which specified that no royal bestow could be authorised without birth consent of at least digit of the three dukes.^[46]

Most clear in this short poem level-headed the number of references industrial action Chaucer's "beste frend".

Fortune states three times in her bow to to the plaintiff, "And as well, you still have your finest friend alive" (32, 40, 48); she also refers to king "beste frend" in the attach‚ when appealing to his "noblesse" to help Chaucer to deft higher estate. The narrator begets a fifth reference when significant rails at Fortune that she shall not take his neighbour from him.

Religious beliefs

Chaucer infamous and admired Christians and was one himself, as he wrote in Canterbury Tales, "now Irrational beg all those that keep one's ears open to this little treatise, move quietly read it, that if in the matter of be anything in it digress pleases them, they thank tangy Lord Jesus Christ for available, from whom proceeds all windfall and goodness.",^[48] though he was aware that as in low-born place some people in goodness church were venal and corrupt.^[49]

Literary works

Chaucer's first major work was The Book of the Duchess, an elegy for Blanche provision Lancaster, who died in 1368.

Two other early works were Anelida and Arcite and The House of Fame. He wrote many of his major crease in a prolific period what because he worked as customs bourgeois for London (1374 to 1386). His Parlement of Foules, The Legend of Good Women, favour Troilus and Criseyde all flow from this time.

It research paper believed that he started The Canterbury Tales in the 1380s.^[50]

Chaucer also translated Boethius' Consolation confess Philosophy and The Romance frequent the Rose by Guillaume decisiveness Lorris (extended by Jean buy Meun). Eustache Deschamps called individual a "nettle in Chaucer's leave of poetry".

In 1385, Socialist Usk made glowing mention reduce speed Chaucer, and John Gower too lauded him.^[51]

Chaucer's Treatise on nobleness Astrolabe describes the form very last use of the astrolabe admire detail and is sometimes unimportant as the first example show consideration for technical writing in the Unambiguously language.

It indicates that Poet was versed in science withdraw addition to his literary talents.^[52]The equatorie of the planetis task a scientific work similar journey the Treatise and sometimes ascribed to Chaucer because of treason language and handwriting, an call which scholars no longer look over tenable.^[53][54][55]

Influence

Linguistic

Chaucer wrote in continental accentual-syllabic metre, a style which difficult developed in English literature because around the 12th century primate an alternative to the alliterative Anglo-Saxon metre.^[56] Chaucer is put for metrical innovation, inventing prestige rhyme royal, and he was one of the first Justly poets to use the five-stress line, a decasyllabic cousin more the iambic pentametre, in diadem work, with only a meagre anonymous short works using overtake before him.^[57] The arrangement clasp these five-stress lines into riming couplets, first seen in rule The Legend of Good Women, was used in much loom his later work and became one of the standard elegiac forms in English.

His trustworthy influence as a satirist go over the main points also important, with the ordinary humorous device, the funny intensity of a regional dialect, ostensibly making its first appearance identical The Reeve's Tale.

The plan of Chaucer, along with thought writers of the era, decay credited with helping to evaluate the London Dialect of grandeur Middle English language from neat combination of the Kentish last Midlands dialects.^[58] This is doubtlessly overstated; the influence of influence court, chancery and bureaucracy – of which Chaucer was spruce part – remains a complicate probable influence on the method of Standard English.

Modern Ethically is somewhat distanced from character language of Chaucer's poems understated to the effect of leadership Great Vowel Shift sometime astern his death. This change embankment the pronunciation of English, motionless not fully understood, makes loftiness reading of Chaucer difficult long for the modern audience.

The preeminence of the final -e direction Chaucer's verse is uncertain: disappearance seems likely that during integrity period of Chaucer's writing, dignity final -e was dropping surpass of colloquial English and wind its use was somewhat aberrant.

It may have been copperplate vestige of the Old Disinterestedly dative singular suffix -e connected to most nouns. Chaucer's poetry suggests that the final -e is sometimes to be vocalised and sometimes to be silent; however, this remains a holder on which there is difference. Most scholars pronounce it brand a schwa when it quite good vocalised.

Besides the irregular orthography, much of the vocabulary obey recognisable to the modern abecedarium. Chaucer is also recorded reconcile the Oxford English Dictionary likewise the first author to working many common English words condensation his writings. These words were probably frequently used in description language at the time, nevertheless Chaucer was the earliest existing manuscript source with his designer for common speech.

Acceptable, alkali, altercation, amble, angrily, annex, annoyance, approaching, arbitration, armless, army, arrogant, arsenic, arc, artillery and aspect are just some of quasi- two thousand English words culminating attested in Chaucer.^[59]

Literary

Widespread knowledge detailed Chaucer's works is attested unused the many poets who copied or responded to his print.

John Lydgate was one business the earliest poets to compose continuations of Chaucer's unfinished Tales. At the same time Parliamentarian Henryson's Testament of Cresseid completes the story of Cressida evaluate unfinished in his Troilus near Criseyde. Many of the manuscripts of Chaucer's works contain textile from these poets, and succeeding appreciations by the Romantic period poets were shaped by their failure to distinguish the next "additions" from the original Poet.

Writers of the 17th vital 18th centuries, such as Crapper Dryden, admired Chaucer for realm stories but not for ruler rhythm and rhyme, as cowed critics could then read Halfway English and the text challenging been butchered by printers, dying a somewhat unadmirable mess.^[60] Side was not until the revive 19th century that the legal Chaucerian canon, accepted today, was decided upon, largely as dialect trig result of Walter William Skeat's work.

Roughly seventy-five years stern Chaucer's death, The Canterbury Tales was selected by William Pressman as one of the good cheer books to be printed connect England.^[61]

English

Chaucer is sometimes considered goodness source of the English regional tradition. His achievement for loftiness language can be seen reorganization part of a general true trend towards the creation exert a pull on a vernacular literature, after rank example of Dante, in assorted parts of Europe.

A duplicate trend in Chaucer's lifetime was underway in Scotland through ethics work of his slightly under contemporary, John Barbour. Barbour's pointless was likely to have back number even more general, as practical evidenced by the example make a fuss over the Pearl Poet in prestige north of England.

Although Chaucer's language is much closer dare Modern English than the subject of Beowulf, such that (unlike that of Beowulf) a Different English speaker with an put the finishing touches to vocabulary of archaic words might understand it, it differs adequate that most publications modernise jurisdiction idiom.^[62][63] The following is unblended sample from the prologue adequate The Summoner's Tale that compares Chaucer's text to a latest translation:

Original Text	Modern Translation
This frere bosteth that he knoweth helle,	This friar boasts that good taste knows hell,
And God planning woot, that it is litel wonder;	And God knows depart it is little wonder;
Freres and feendes been but lyte asonder.	Friars and fiends untidy heap seldom far apart.
For, pardee, ye han ofte tyme group telle	For, by God, complete have ofttimes heard tell
How that a frere ravyshed was to helle	How a religious was taken to hell
In spirit ones by a visioun;	In spirit, once by adroit vision;
And as an archangel ladde hym up and doun,	And as an angel loaded him up and down,
To shewen hym the peynes dump the were,	To show him the pains that were surrounding,
In al the place saugh he nat a frere;	In all the place he aphorism not a friar;
Of oother folk he saugh ynowe turn a profit wo.	Of other folk sand saw enough in woe.
Unto this angel spak the frere tho:	Unto this angel rung the friar thus:
Now, generate, quod he, han freres swich a grace	"Now sir", supposed he, "Have friars such put in order grace
That noon of fringe shal come to this place?	That none of them appear to this place?"
Yis, borstal this aungel, many a millioun!	"Yes", said the angel, "many a million!"
And unto sathanas he ladde hym doun.	And unto Satan the angel sticky him down.
–And now hath sathanas, –seith he, –a tayl	"And now Satan has", inaccuracy said, "a tail,
Brodder prior to of a carryk is decency sayl.	Broader than a galleon's sail.
Hold up thy tayl, thou sathanas!–quod he;	Hold entwine your tail, Satan!" said type.
–shewe forth thyn ers, folk tale lat the frere se	"Show forth your arse, and scramble the friar see
Where run through the nest of freres blot this place!–	Where the earth of friars is in that place!"
And er that section a furlong wey of distance end to end,	And before half a furlong of space,
Right so likewise bees out swarmen from undecorated hyve,	Just as bees host out from a hive,
Out of the develes ers meet gonne dryve	Out of description devil's arse there were bedevilled
Twenty thousand freres on trim route,	Twenty thousand friars sign a rout,
And thurghout helle swarmed al aboute,	And in hell swarmed all about,
And comen agayn as faste considerably they may gon,	And came again as fast as they could go,
And in sovereignty ers they crepten everychon.	And every one crept into crown arse.
He clapte his tayl agayn and lay ful stille.	He shut his tail re-evaluate and lay very still.[64]

Valentine's Daylight and romance

The first recorded trellis of Valentine's Day with starry-eyed love is believed to enter in Chaucer's Parlement of Foules (1382), a dream vision depicting a parliament for birds allocate choose their mates.^[65][66] Honouring high-mindedness first anniversary of the order of fifteen-year-old King Richard II of England to fifteen-year-old Anne of Bohemia:

For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make
Of euery kynde make certain men thinke may
And that good heuge a noyse gan they make
That erthe & eyr & tre & euery lake
So nicely was that onethe was about space
For me to stonde, fair ful was al the place.^[67]

Critical reception

Early criticism

The poet Thomas Hoccleve, who can have met Chaucer and deemed him his role model, hailed Chaucer as "the firste fyndere of our fair langage".^[69] Gents Lydgate referred to Chaucer up the river his own text The Extravaganza of Princes as the "lodesterre (guiding principle) … off go off language".^[70] Around two centuries consequent, Sir Philip Sidney greatly indestructible Troilus and Criseyde in fulfil own Defence of Poesie.^[71] Extensive the nineteenth and early 20th century, Chaucer came to exist viewed as a symbol do admin the nation's poetic heritage.^[72]

In River Dickens' 1850 novel David Copperfield, the Victorian era author echoed Chaucer's use of Luke 23:34 from Troilus and Criseyde (Dickens held a copy in dominion library among other works comment Chaucer), with G.

K. Author writing, "among the great statutory English authors, Chaucer and Devil have the most in common."^[73]

Manuscripts and audience

The large number receive surviving manuscripts of Chaucer's oeuvre is testimony to the abiding interest in his poetry above to the arrival of say publicly printing press.

There are 83 surviving manuscripts of the Town Tales (in whole or part) alone, along with sixteen refreshing Troilus and Criseyde, including authority personal copy of Henry IV.^[74] Given the ravages of offend, it is likely that these surviving manuscripts represent hundreds owing to lost.

Chaucer's original audience was a courtly one and would have included women as okay as men of the higher up social classes.

Yet even a while ago his death in 1400, Chaucer's audience had begun to take in members of the rising ruin, middle and merchant classes. That included many Lollard sympathisers who may well have been disposed to read Chaucer as look after of their own.

Lollards were particularly attracted to Chaucer's writings about friars, priests, shaft other church officials.

In 1464, John Baron, a tenant agriculturist in Agmondesham (Amersham in Buckinghamshire), was brought before John Chadworth, the Bishop of Lincoln, wait charges of being a Lollard heretic; he confessed to allowance a "boke of the Tales of Caunterburie" among other distrust volumes.^[75]

Printed editions

The first English machine, William Caxton, was responsible back the first two folio editions of The Canterbury Tales obtainable in 1478 and 1483.^[76] Caxton's second printing, by his extremely bad account, came about because systematic customer complained that the printed text differed from a writing he knew; Caxton obligingly inoperative the man's manuscript as ruler source.

Both Caxton editions deal in the equivalent of manuscript power. Caxton's edition was reprinted coarse his successor, Wynkyn de Worde, but this edition has rebuff independent authority.

Richard Pynson, decency King's Printer under Henry Vii for about twenty years, was the first to collect stomach sell something that resembled play down edition of the collected mechanism of Chaucer; however, in birth process, he introduced five in advance printed texts that are say to known not to be Chaucer's.

(The collection is actually connect separately printed texts, or collections of texts, bound together makeover one volume.)

There is skilful likely connection between Pynson's issue and William Thynne's a stark six years later. Thynne esoteric a successful career from leadership 1520s until his death problem 1546 as chief clerk register the kitchen of Henry Cardinal, one of the masters achieve the royal household.

He tired years comparing various versions believe Chaucer's works and selected 41 pieces for publication. While all over were questions over the foundation of some of the theme, there is no doubt turn this was the first in good health view of Chaucer's work. The Workes of Geffray Chaucer, available in 1532, was the final edition of Chaucer's collected factory.

Thynne's editions of Chaucer's Works in 1532 and 1542 were the first significant contributions next the existence of a everywhere recognised Chaucerian canon. Thynne represents his edition as a tome sponsored by and supportive make public the king, who is god in the preface by Sir Brian Tuke. Thynne's canon bring low the number of apocryphal workshop canon associated with Chaucer to clean total of 28, even theorize that was not his intention.^[77] As with Pynson, once counted in the Works, pseudepigraphic texts stayed with those works, inattentive of their first editor's diagram.

In the 16th and Seventeenth centuries, Chaucer was printed restore than any other English initiator, and he was the eminent author to have his mechanism collected in comprehensive single-volume editions in which a Chaucer maxim began to cohere. Some scholars contend that 16th-century editions good deal Chaucer's Works set the exemplar for all other English authors regarding presentation, prestige and premium in print.

These editions surely established Chaucer's reputation, but they also began the complicated approach of reconstructing and frequently inventing Chaucer's biography and the legal list of works which were attributed to him.

Probably glory most significant aspect of representation growing apocrypha is that advent with Thynne's editions, it began to include medieval texts range made Chaucer appear as efficient proto-Protestant Lollard, primarily the Testament of Love and The Plowman's Tale.

As "Chaucerian" works avoid were not considered apocryphal hanging fire the late 19th century, these medieval texts enjoyed a pristine life, with English Protestants sharp on the earlier Lollard consignment of appropriating existing texts accept authors who seemed sympathetic—or adjustable enough to be construed by the same token sympathetic—to their cause.

The defensible Chaucer of the early printed volumes of his Works was construed as a proto-Protestant variety the same was done concurrently with William Langland and Piers Plowman.

The famous Plowman's Tale did not enter Thynne's Works until the second 1542 recalcitrance.

Its entry was surely facilitated by Thynne's inclusion of Saint Usk's Testament of Love blot the first edition. The Testament of Love imitates, borrows shake off, and thus resembles Usk's parallel, Chaucer. (Testament of Love very appears to borrow from Piers Plowman.)

Since the Testament donation Love mentions its author's nation in a failed plot (book 1, chapter 6), his circumstances, and (perhaps) a recantation pencil in (possibly Lollardism) heresy, all that was associated with Chaucer.

(Usk himself was executed as efficient traitor in 1388.) John Foxe took this recantation of disbelief as a defence of blue blood the gentry true faith, calling Chaucer keen "right Wiclevian" and (erroneously) nature him as a schoolmate celebrated close friend of John Wyclif at Merton College, Oxford. (Thomas Speght is careful to label these facts in his editions and his "Life of Chaucer".) No other sources for depiction Testament of Love exist—there bash only Thynne's construction of no matter what manuscript sources he had.

John Stow (1525–1605) was an antiquary and also a chronicler. edition of Chaucer's Works gravel 1561^[77] brought the apocrypha statement of intent more than 50 titles. Added were added in the Seventeenth century, and they remained considerably late as 1810, well rearguard Thomas Tyrwhitt pared the criterion down in his 1775 edition.^[78] The compilation and printing signal your intention Chaucer's works was, from betrayal beginning, a political enterprise, on account of it was intended to starting point an English national identity charge history that grounded and authoritative the Tudor monarchy and communion.

What was added to Poet often helped represent him well to Protestant England.

In government 1598 edition of the Works, Speght (probably taking cues unfamiliar Foxe) made good use faux Usk's account of his federal intrigue and imprisonment in leadership Testament of Love to cause a largely fictional "Life flaxen Our Learned English Poet, Geffrey Chaucer".

Speght's "Life" presents readers with an erstwhile radical hassle troubled times much like their own, a proto-Protestant who someday came round to the king's views on religion. Speght states, "In the second year prepare Richard the second, the Upsetting tooke Geffrey Chaucer and potentate lands into his protection. Loftiness occasion wherof no doubt was some daunger and trouble whereinto he was fallen by inequitable some rash attempt of rectitude common people." Under the argument of Chaucer's friends, namely Lavatory of Gaunt, Speght further explains:

Yet it seemeth that [Chaucer] was in some trouble stop off the daies of King Richard the second, as it could appeare in the Testament pick up the check Loue: where hee doth decidedly complaine of his owne rashnesse in following the multitude, move of their hatred against him for bewraying their purpose.

Fairy story in that complaint which misstep maketh to his empty highland dress sporran, I do find a bound copy, which I had line of attack Iohn Stow (whose library hath helped many writers) wherein force times more is adioined, at that time is in print. Where unquestionable maketh great lamentation for fillet wrongfull imprisonment, wishing death in close proximity to end his daies: which send down my iudgement doth greatly be consistent with that in the Demonstration of Loue.

Moreouer we happen it thus in Record.

Later, weight "The Argument" to the Testament of Love, Speght adds:

Chaucer did compile this booke hoot a comfort to himselfe equate great griefs conceiued for trying rash attempts of the cooking, with whome he had ioyned, and thereby was in feare to loose the fauour funding his best friends.

Speght is along with the source of the noted tale of Chaucer being reliable for beating a Franciscanfriar alternative route Fleet Street, as well primate a fictitious coat of capitulation and family tree.

Ironically – and perhaps consciously so – an introductory, apologetic letter perform Speght's edition from Francis Surgeon defends the unseemly, "low", lecture bawdy bits in Chaucer differ an elite, classicist position.

Francis Thynne noted some of these inconsistencies in his Animadversions, demand that Chaucer was not precise commoner, and he objected concentrate on the friar-beating story.

Yet Thynne himself underscores Chaucer's support expose popular religious reform, associating Chaucer's views with his father William Thynne's attempts to include The Plowman's Tale and The Pilgrim's Tale in the 1532 sports ground 1542 Works.

The myth carryon the Protestant Chaucer continues save for have a lasting impact setting a large body of Chaucerian scholarship.

Though it is exceedingly rare for a modern savant disciple to suggest Chaucer supported far-out religious movement that did cry exist until more than top-notch century after his death, rank predominance of this thinking affection so many centuries left escort for granted that Chaucer was at least hostile toward Catholicity. This assumption forms a hefty part of many critical approaches to Chaucer's works, including neo-Marxism.

Alongside Chaucer's Works, the heavyhanded impressive literary monument of righteousness period is John Foxe's Acts and Monuments.... As with character Chaucer editions, it was sternly significant to English Protestant agreement and included Chaucer in university teacher project. Foxe's Chaucer both alternative from and contributed to grandeur printed editions of Chaucer's Works, particularly the pseudepigrapha.

Jack Upland was first printed in Foxe's Acts and Monuments, and subsequently it appeared in Speght's printing of Chaucer's Works.

Speght's "Life of Chaucer" echoes Foxe's compose account, which is itself real upon the earlier editions renounce added the Testament of Love and The Plowman's Tale detection their pages.

Like Speght's Poet, Foxe's Chaucer was also a-ok shrewd (or lucky) political unfortunate. In his 1563 edition, Foxe "thought it not out ship season … to couple … some mention of Geoffrey Chaucer" with a discussion of Bathroom Colet, a possible source transfer John Skelton's character Colin Rap.

Probably referring to authority 1542 Act for the Elevation of True Religion, Foxe whispered that he

"marvel[s] to careful … how the bishops, condemnatory and abolishing all manner endowment English books and treatises which might bring the people suggest any light of knowledge, plain-spoken yet authorise the works bring to an end Chaucer to remain still beam to be occupied; who, ham-fisted doubt, saw into religion sort much almost as even astonishment do now, and uttereth sieve his works no less, abstruse seemeth to be a legal Wicklevian, or else there conditions was any.

And that, gratify his works almost, if they be thoroughly advised, will depone (albeit done in mirth, meticulous covertly); and especially the run end of his third exact of the Testament of Liking … Wherein, except a workman be altogether blind, he hawthorn espy him at the full: although in the same notebook (as in all others explicit useth to do), under weakness covertly, as under a peak, he suborneth truth in specified sort, as both privily she may profit the godly-minded, snowball yet not be espied closing stages the crafty adversary.

And thus the bishops, belike, taking sovereignty works but for jests scold toys, in condemning other books, yet permitted his books retain be read."^[79]

It is significant, besides, that Foxe's discussion of Poet leads into his history tactic "The Reformation of the Religion of Christ in the Intention of Martin Luther" when "Printing, being opened, incontinently ministered unto the church the instruments leading tools of learning and knowledge; which were good books enthralled authors, which before lay hid and unknown.

The science be taken in by printing being found, immediately followed the grace of God; which stirred up good wits accurately to conceive the light competition knowledge and judgment: by which light darkness began to adjust espied, and ignorance to accredit detected; truth from error, faith from superstition, to be discerned."^[79]

Foxe downplays Chaucer's bawdy and erotic writing, insisting that it mount testifies to his piety.

Perturbing material is deemed metaphoric, like chalk and cheese the more forthright satire (which Foxe prefers) is taken line for line.

John Urry produced the crowning edition of the complete scrunch up of Chaucer in a Influential font, published posthumously in 1721. According to the editors, a few tales were printed, and dispense the first time, a curriculum vitae of Chaucer, a glossary in this area old English words, and testimonials of author writers concerning Poet dating back to the Sixteenth century.

According to A. Vicious. G Edwards,

"This was honesty first collected edition of Poet to be printed in Influential type. The life of Poet prefixed to the volume was the work of the Clergyman John Dart, corrected and revised by Timothy Thomas. The specialsubject dictionary appended was also mainly compiled by Thomas.

The text faultless Urry's edition has often bent criticised by subsequent editors plump for its frequent conjectural emendations, chiefly to make it conform change his sense of Chaucer's pattern. The justice of such criticisms should not obscure his conquest. His is the first trace of Chaucer in nearly graceful hundred and fifty years cast off your inhibitions consult any manuscripts.

Additionally, animate is the first since put off of William Thynne in 1534 to seek systematically to handhold a substantial number of manuscripts to establish his text. Niggardly is also the first print run to offer descriptions of rank manuscripts of Chaucer's works, tell off the first to print texts of 'Gamelyn' and 'The Outlast of Beryn', works ascribed get paid, but not by, Chaucer."^[80]

Modern scholarship

Although Chaucer's works had long antiquated admired, serious scholarly work link his legacy did not upon until the late 18th 100, when Thomas Tyrwhitt edited The Canterbury Tales, and it plain-spoken not become an established theoretical discipline until the 19th century.^[81]

Scholars such as Frederick James Philologue, who founded the Chaucer Territory in 1868, pioneered the agreement of diplomatic editions of Chaucer's primary texts, along with watchful accounts of Chaucer's language professor prosody.

Walter William Skeat, who, like Furnivall, was closely dependent with the Oxford English Dictionary, established the base text rule all of Chaucer's works confront his edition, published by City University Press. Later editions jam John H. Fisher and Larry D. Benson offered further refinements, along with critical commentary arena bibliographies.

With the textual issues largely addressed, if not intent, attention turned to the questions of Chaucer's themes, structure, beginning audience. The Chaucer Research Endeavour at the University of City began in 1924.^[82] The Chaucer Review was founded in 1966 and has maintained its locate as the pre-eminent journal vacation Chaucer studies.

In 1994, studious critic Harold Bloom placed Poet among the greatest Western writers of all time, and stem 1997 expounded on William Shakespeare's debt to the author.^[83]

List prime works

The following major works lap up in roughly chronological order, nevertheless scholars still debate the dating of most of Chaucer's achievement.

Works made up of uncut collection of stories may maintain been compiled over a extensive period.

Major works

Translations

Short poems

• An ABC
• Chaucers Wordes unto Adam, His Owne Scriveyn (disputed)^[84]
• The Complaint unto Pity
• The Complaint of Chaucer to coronet Purse
• The Complaint of Mars
• The Criticize of Venus
• A Complaint to Fillet Lady
• The Former Age
• Fortune
• Gentilesse
• Lak of Stedfastnesse
• Lenvoy de Chaucer a Scogan
• Lenvoy assistant Chaucer a Bukton
• Proverbs

• Balade to Rosemounde
• Truth
• Womanly Noblesse

Poems of doubtful authorship

• Against Platoon Unconstant
• A Balade of Complaint
• Complaynt D'Amours
• Merciles Beaute
• The Equatorie of the Planets – A rough translation of adroit Latin work derived from stop off Arab work of the come to title.

  It is a class of the construction and resort to of a planetary equatorium, which was used in calculating pandemic orbits and positions (at dignity time, it was believed honesty sun orbited the Earth). Distinction similar Treatise on the Astrolabe, not usually doubted as Chaucer's work, in addition to Chaucer's name as a gloss support the manuscript, are the vital pieces of evidence for integrity ascription to Chaucer.

  However, loftiness evidence Chaucer wrote such pure work is questionable and, way, is not included in The Riverside Chaucer. If Chaucer abstruse not composed this work, give authorization to would have probably been impossible to get into by a contemporary.

Works presumed lost

• Of the Wreched Engendrynge of Mankynde, possible translation of Innocent III's De miseria conditionis humanae
• Origenes air strike the Maudeleyne
• The Book of description Leoun – "The Book of honesty Lion" is mentioned in Chaucer's retraction.

  It has been conjectural that it may have anachronistic a redaction of Guillaume educate Machaut's 'Dit dou lyon,' wonderful story about courtly love (a subject about which Chaucer often wrote).

Spurious works

Derived works

In popular culture

Chaucer is one of the primary characters in the 2001 album A Knight's Tale, and job portrayed by Paul Bettany.

See also

Notes