the first edition of the "Confessio Amantis," and Chaucer inscribed to him his "Troilus and Cresseide." [See "Characteristics of the Age of Chaucer."] Henry Scogan.-The person to whom Chaucer addressed his lines entitled "Envoy to Scogan" was, according to tradition, a graduate of Oxford, a Master of Arts, and jester to King Henry IV. Shakespeare, in the second part of "Henry IV.," act 3, speaks of Scogan as a mere buffoon, but Ben Jonson has given a more dignified account of him: Mere-fool. Skogan? what was he? Johphiel. O, a fine gentleman and master of arts Mere-fool. But wrote he like a gentleman ? Johphiel. In rhime, fine tinkling rhime and flowand verse, With now and then some sense; and he was paid for 't, Regarded and rewarded; which few poets Are now-a-days.-Masque of the Fortunate Isles. John Lydgate.-Though still a young man at the time of Chaucer's death, Lydgate had doubtless acquired some reputation as a poet. He professed himself a disciple of Chaucer, whose influence is perceptible throughout his works. [See "Characteristics of the Dark Age."] Occleve. This disciple and admirer of Chaucer, whose pencil has furnished us with the best authentic likeness of the great poet, has also gained for himself a secure place in the annals of English literature, by the pathetic lament in which he bewails his master's death: "But wel away! so is mine hertè wo That the honor of English tongue is dede, Of which I wont was have counsel and réde! "O mayster dere and fadir reverent, O universal fadir in science, Alas that thou thine excellent prudence In thy bed mortel mighteste not bequethe! What eyled Death? Alas! why would he sle the ?” Petrarch. The question whether Chaucer visited Petrarch, the most distinguished poet of his age, during any of his diplomatic missions to Italy will ever remain a point of query and dispute. There are no historical facts to elucidate the matter; but from the probabilities of the case, and from certain passages in the poet's works, most critics are inclined to believe that such a meeting occurred, and that Chaucer speaks in his own person when he makes the Clerk of Oxford say of the tale which he is about to narrate: "The which that I Lerned at Padowe of a worthy clerk, As preved by his wordes and his werk. He is now ded, and nailed in his cheste, I pray to God so yeve his soule reste. Fraunceis Petrark, the laureat poete, Highte this clerk, whos rethorike swete Enlumined all Itaille of poetrie, . . But forth to tellen of this worthy man, That taughte me this tale, as I began." Prologue to The Clerkes Tale. [For Petrarch, see "Age of Chaucer: Characteristics of Contemporary Literatures-Italy."] Froissart.-Tradition asserts that Chaucer met the famous French chronicler at Milan; but there is no reference made to such an interview in his works. [For Froissart, see "Age of Chaucer: Characteristics of Contemporary Literatures-France."] URRY'S CHARACTERIZATION OF CHAUCER, FOUNDED ON AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ALLUSIONS IN HIS POEMS. [See "Canterbury Tales:" Prologue to The Rhyme of Sir Thopas, lines 6, 7; Prologue to The Man of Lawes Tale, lines 47-88; House of Fame, book ii., lines 106-152; Prologue to The Legend of Good Women, lines 29-207; Court of Love, stanzas I, 2; Goodly Ballad of Chaucer, stanza 7; The Cuckoo and the Nightingale, stanzas 8-18; The Parliament of Foules, stanzas 1-4.] As to Chaucer's temper, he had a mixture of the gay, the modest, and the grave. The sprightliness of his humor was more distinguished by his writings than by his appearance; which gave occasion to Margaret, Countess of Pembroke, often to rally him upon his silent modesty in company, telling him that his absence was more agreeable to her than his conversation, since the first was productive of agreeable pieces of wit in his writings, but the latter was filled with a modest deference and a too distant respect. We see nothing merry or jocose in his behavior with his pilgrims, but a silent attention to their mirth, rather than any mixture of his own. When disengaged from public affairs, his time was entirely spent in study and reading; so agreeable to him was this exercise, that he says he preferred it to all other sports and diversions. He lived within himself, neither desirous to hear nor busy to concern himself with the affairs of his neighbors. His course of living was temperate and regular; he went to rest with the sun, and rose before it; and by that means enjoyed the pleasures of the better part of the day, his morning walk and fresh contemplations. This gave him the advantage of describing the morning in so lively a manner as he does everywhere in his works. The springing sun glows warm in his lines, and the fragrant air blows cool in his descriptions; we smell the sweets of the bloomy haws, and hear the music of the feathered choir, whenever we take a forest walk with him. The hour of the day is not easier to be discovered from the reflection of the sun in Titian's paintings than in Chaucer's morning landscapes. ... His reading was deep and extensive, his judgment sound and discerning.... In one word, he was a great scholar, a pleasant wit, a candid critic, a sociable companion, a steadfast friend, a grave philosopher, a temperate economist, and a pious Christian. PRINCIPAL SOURCES FROM WHICH CHAUCER DREW MATERIAL IN HIS WORKS. 1. The Latin poets-especially Ovid and Statius. 2. The Troubadours and Trouvères of the Romance literature. Chaucer began his literary career by translating the celebrated French poem, "The Romaunt of the Rose." His "Boke of the Duchess," the " A, B, C," and "The Compleynte to Pitie" are direct imitations of French models, while French influence is perceptible in nearly all his works. 3. Italian literature. All of Chaucer's works, written after his first visit to Italy, in the year 1372, bear evidence of Italian influence. The plan of his great work, “The Canterbury Tales," was taken from Boccaccio's "Decameron;" and numerous passages in imitation of, as well as many direct references to, Italian poets are found in his writings. Thus the opening lines of "The Assembly of Foules" are a close parallel to Dante's inscription on the gate of hell, while references to the same great poet are made in the Prologue to "The Legend of Good Women" and in "The Canterbury Tales." The first song of Troilus, in "Troilus and Cresseide," is an almost direct translation of Petrarch's 88th Sonnet, and the entire poem an extended English version of Boccaccio's "Filostrato." STUDY OF "THE CANTERBURY TALES." The last ten or twelve years of Chaucer's life were probably occupied in the composition of his greatest and most original work, "The Canterbury Tales"—an incomplete poem consisting of 17,385 lines. Of the twenty-five tales, all are in verse except those of the Parson and Melibus; while the unfinished tales are the Cook's, the Squire's, and "Chaucer's Rhyme of Sir Thopas." The numerous manuscript copies which are now extant prove that the work was popular even in Chaucer's time; and the fact that it was printed in the year after the first press was brought into England by William Caxton is evidence of the high value then attributed to it; while the innumerable editions since published are the highest proof of its literary excellence. The Plan as Indicated in the Prologue.-The general plan of "The Canterbury Tales" may be learned in a great measure from the Prologue, which Chaucer himself has prefixed to them. He supposes there that a company of Pilgrims going to Canterbury assemble at an Inn in Southwark, and agree that, for their common amusement on the road, each of them shall tell at least one Tale in going to Canterbury, and another in coming back from thence; and that he who shall tell the best Tales shall be treated by the rest with a supper upon their return to the same Inn. This is shortly the Fable. The Characters of the Pilgrims are as various as, at that time, could be found in the several departments of middle life; that is, in fact, as various as could, with any probability, be brought together, so as to form one company-the highest and the lowest ranks of society being necessarily excluded. It appears, further, that the design of Chaucer was not barely to recite the Tales told by the Pilgrims, but also to describe their journey, And all the remenant of their pilgrimage [ver. 726]; including, probably, their adventures at Canterbury as well as upon the road. If we add that the Tales, besides being nicely adapted to the Characters of their respective Re |