Chaucer and Henry 193 



as bearing upon the heartiness with which Chaucer would be 

 disposed to welcome Henry's return, we must remember the 

 former's relations with the House of Lancaster, and especially 

 with Henry's father, John of Gaunt^ ; his friendship with several 

 of Henry's intimate dependents- ; the fact that Chaucer had been 

 without employment for two years, and that in all that time 

 he had received nothing, in addition to arrears due him on 

 account, except $750 from Richard H on Jan. 9, 1393, which, 

 free liver as he seems to have been," meant to him a state of 

 destitution; and, finally, that Henry's star was in the ascendant. 

 Everything seems to show, either that Chaucer had already 

 been on exceptionally good terms with Henry, or else that he 

 paid assiduous court to him on his return in 1393. Lounsbury, 

 referring to Henry's gift to Chaucer on Oct. 3, 1399, three days 

 after he had been declared king, says* : 'The rapidity with which 

 this gift followed upon the accession of Henry IV to the throne 

 seems almost to suggest a close personal tie between the monarch 

 and the man of letters.'^ But this was not the first patronage 

 bestowed by Henry upon Chaucer after his return in 1393. 

 Coulton, speaking of Chaucer's appeal in his last poem, remarks" : 

 'Henry was the son of Chaucer's best patron ; and indeed the 

 poet had recently been in close relations with the future King, 

 if not actually in his service.' This alludes to Chaucer's receipt 

 of ten pounds for payment to Henry, probably in I395-' 'From 

 this we may gather,' says Kirk, 'that he was in attendance on 

 the Earl, and possibly retained in his service.' This view is 

 confirmed by Wylie's statement*: 'In 1395, he received three ells 

 of scarlet, cum furr' de Jonettes from Henry as Earl of Derby, 

 the fur alone costing i8 8s. 4d.'' {i. c., loi Jonettes at 2od. each).' 



* Cf. pp. 177-8, above. 

 ^ Cf. pp. 190-2, above. 

 ' Coulton, p. 54. 



* I. 90. 



° Kittredge speaks (p. 33) of 'the easy terms on which Chaucer stood 

 with King Henry IV.' Skeat, referring to Chaucer's Complaint to his 

 Empty Purse, and the king's grant just alluded to, says (i. xlv) : 'It 

 must have given him real satisfaction to be able to assist the old poet, 

 with whom he must have been on familiar terms.' 



" P. 67. 



'Between Feb. i, 1395, and Feb. i, 1396. Cf. Kirk, p. 342. 



^ 4. 136 note, 3. 



"$630. 



Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. XX. 14 1916 



