Tu es d'amours mondains Dieux en Albie: Et de la Rose, en la terre Angelique, Qui d'Angela saxonne, est puis flourie Angleterre, d'elle ce nom s'applique Le derrenier en l'ethimologique; En bon anglès le livre translatas; Et un vergier ou du plant demandas De ceuls qui font pour eulx autorisier, A ja longtemps que tu edifias, Grant translateur, noble Geffroy Chaucier.
A toy pour ce de la fontaine Helye Requier avoir un buvraige autentique, Dont la doys est du tout en ta baillie, Pour rafrener d'elle ma soif ethique, Qui en Gaule seray paralitique Jusques a ce que tu m'abuveras. Eustaces sui, qui de mon plant aras: Mais pran en gré les euvres d'escolier Que par Clifford de moy avoir pourras, Grant translateur, noble Geffroy Chaucier.
Poete hault, loenge destruye, En ton jardin ne seroye qu'ortie: Consideré ce que j'ay dit premier Ton noble plant, ta douce mélodie, Mais pour sçavoir, de rescripre te prie, Grant translateur, noble Geffroy Chaucier.'
Gower alludes to Chaucer in the first edition of the Confessio Amantis; see the passage discussed in vol. iii. p. 414.
Henry Scogan wrote 'a moral balade' in twenty-one 8-line stanzas, in which he not only refers to Chaucer's poetical skill, but quotes the whole of his Balade on Gentilesse; see vol. i. p. 83.
Hoccleve frequently refers to Chaucer as his 'maister,' i. e. his teacher, with great affection; and, if he learnt but little more, he certainly learnt the true method of scansion of his master's lines, and imitates his metres and rimes with great exactness. The passages relating to Chaucer are as follows[179].
(1) From the Governail of Princes, or De Regimine Principum (ed. Wright, p. 67, st. 267):--
'Thou were acqueynted with Chaucer, pardee-- God save his soule--best of any wight.'
(2) From the same, p. 75, stanzas 280, 281-283, 297-299, 301:--
'But weylawey! so is myn herte wo That the honour of English tonge is deed, Of which I wont was han conseil and reed.
O maister dere and fader reverent, My maister Chaucer, flour of eloquence, Mirour of fructuous entendement, O universel fader in science, Allas! that thou thyn excellent prudence In thy bed mortel mightest not bequethe! What eyled Deeth? Allas! why wolde he slee thee?