130 C H A 
CHATU'GA, a town of America, in the Tennafee 
government: three miles fouth-weft of Tellico. 
CHAT 7 WOOD, f. Little.(ticks; fuel. 
CH AT 7 ZAN, a town of Afia, in the Moultan country, 
weft of the Indus : ninety miles weft of Moultan. Lat. 
3 i. 8. N. Ion. 69. 4.5. E. Greenwich. 
CH AVAI'GNES, a town of France, in the department 
of the Mayne and Loire, and chief place of a canton, in 
the diftridt of Vihiers : four leagues fouth of Angers. 
CHAVANAY 7 , a town of France, in the department 
of the Rhone and Loire : (even leagues fouth of Lyons. 
CHAVAN'NE, a town of France, in the department 
of the Ain, and chief place of a canton, in the diftridl of 
Bourg-en-Brefle : eight miles weft-north-weft of Bourg. 
CHAVAN'GE, a town of France, in the department 
of the Aube, and chief place of a canton, in the diftridl 
of Arcis : fix leagues eaft of Arcis. 
CHAU'CER (Geoffrey), one of the greateft, as well 
as moft ancient, of the Englifh poets, lived in the four¬ 
teenth century. It is generally agreed that he was born 
in London in 1328, the fecond of Edward III. He was 
educated at Cambridge, where he wrote the “ Court of 
Love,” and fome other pieces. He removed from Cam¬ 
bridge to ftudy at Oxford, and afterwards travelled into 
France, Holland, and other countries. Upon his return 
he entered himfelf of the Inner-Temple. His diftinguilh- 
ing accomphftunents both of body and mind gained him 
the friendfhip of many perfons of diftindtion, by whom 
he was drawn to court, where he was made page to the 
Ling. Not long after, he was made gentleman*)!’ the 
privy-chamber; and, in 1369, the king granted him a 
penfion during life. Next year he was made fhield-bearer 
to the king. In the number of Chaucer’s patrons was 
John of Gaunt duke of Lancafter, by whom, and alio 
his duchefs Blanche, a lady diftinguilhed for her wit and 
virtue, he was greatly efteemed. This lady had, among 
her attendants, Catharine Roxet, daughter of fir Payn 
Roxet, a native of Hainault, and Guyen king at arms 
for that country, who married fir Flugh Swinford, a 
knight of Lincoln. This gentleman dying loon after 
their marriage, his lady returned into the duke’s family, 
and was appointed governefs of his children. She had a 
lifter, likewile, whole name was Philippa, a great favou¬ 
rite with the duke and duchefs, and by them therefore 
recommended to Chaucer for a wife. He married her 
about the 1 year J360, when he was in the flower of his 
age, and, as appears from a pidlure taken of him at that 
time, was one of the liandfomeft perfons about the court. 
In the forty-fixth year of this prince, Chaucer was alio 
commiflioned, in conjunction with other perfons, to treat 
with the republic of Genoa. This negociation, it is con¬ 
jectured, regarded the hiring of Ihips for the king’s navy; 
for, in tliofe times, though we made frequently great na¬ 
val armaments, yet we had but very few Ihips of our own ; 
and this defeft was fupplied by hiring them from the 
free-Hates, either in Germany or Italy. Upon his re¬ 
turn, his majefty granted him a pitcher of wine daily, 
in the port of London, to be delivered by the butler of 
England. Soon after he was made comptroller of the 
cultoms of London, for wool, wool-fells, and hides ; with 
a provilo, that he Ihotlld perfonally execute that office, 
and keep the accounts of it with his own hand. About 
a year after his nomination to this office, he obtained 
from the king a grant of the lands and body of fir Ed¬ 
mund Staplegate, fon of fir Edmund Staplegate, of Kent, 
in ward. His income, at this time, amounted to ioool. 
per annum. In the laft year of king Edward, he was 
one of the commiflioners fent over to expoftulate with 
the French, on their violation of the truce. Richard II. 
who fucceeded to the crown in 1377, confirmed the fame 
year his grandfather’s penfion to Chaucer of twenty 
marks a-year, and likewife the other grant of a pitcher 
of wine daily. In the fourth year of Richard II. he pro¬ 
cured a confirmation of the grants that had been for- 
s 
C FI A 
merly made to himfelf and to Philippa his wife. Chaucer- 
had adopted many of Wi'ckliffe’s tenets, and exerted' 
himfelf to the utmoft, in 1382, in fupporting John Cam- 
berton, generally Ailed John of Northampton, mayor of 
London, who attempted to reform the city, according to 
the advice given by Wickliffe. This was highly refent- 
ed by the clergy. Camberton was taken into cultody. 
Chaucer, who was apprifed of his danger, made his efcape 
out of the kingdom, and fpent his time in Hainault, 
France, and Zealand, where he wrote moft of his books. 
His neceffities forcing him to return to England, lie 
was difcovered, feized, and fent to prifon. But, upon 
difcovering all he knew of the tranladlion, he was dif- 
charged. This confeflion brought upon him a heavy load 
of calumny. To give vent to his forrow at this time, he 
wrote his “ Teftament of Love,” in imitation of Boe¬ 
thius de Confolatione Philofophise.” His affliflions re¬ 
ceived a very confiderable addition by the fall of the 
duke of Lancafter’s credit at court. He now refolved 
to quit that bufy fcene of life which had involved him 
in 16 many troubles, and accordingly retired to Wood- 
ftock, where he employed part of his time in reviling 
and corredling his w'ritings. The duke of Lancafter’s 
return to favour, and his marrying Catherine Swynford, 
filler to Chaucer’s wife, could not influence him to quit 
his retirement, where he publiflied his admirable “Trea- 
tife on the Aftrolabe.’’ The king, upon his return to 
France, w'here he efpouled Ifabel, the French king’s 
daughter, who was then very young, and put under the 
care of the duchefs of Lancafter, granted Chaucer an 
annuity of twenty marks per annum, in lieu of that 
given him by his grandfather, which poverty had forced 
him to difpofe of for his fubfiftence. Upon the death of 
the duke of Lancafter, he retired to Dunnington caftle, 
near Newbury, where he fpent the laft two years of his 
life. Upon the acceflion of Henry of Lancafter, the fon 
of his brother-in-law, to the throne, he was reinftated in 
all his emoluments from the crown. He died October 25, 
14:00. and was buried at Weftminller-abbey. By his wife 
Philippa he had two ions, Thomas and Louis, to the lat¬ 
ter of whom he addrefled his “ Aftrolabe.” Thomas was 
fpeaker of the houfe of commons, in the reign of Henry 
IV. ambaflador to France and Burgundy, and palled 
through ieveral other public polls. 
Chaucer was not only efteemed the firft, but one of the 
bell poets which thefe kingdoms ever produced. He was- 
equally great in every fpecies of poetry which he at¬ 
tempted : and his poems in general poffefs every kind of 
excellence, even to a modern reader, except melody 
and accuracy of meafure; defeats which are to be attri¬ 
buted to the imperfedl Hate of our language, and the in¬ 
fancy of the art in this kingdom at the time when he 
wrote. “ As he is the father of Englifh poetry, (fays 
Dryden,) fo I hold him in the fame degree of venera¬ 
tion as the Grecians held Homer, or the Romans Virgil, 
He is a perpetual fountain of good fenle, learned in all 
fciences, and therefore fpeaks properly on all fubjefts. 
As he knew what to fay, fo he knew alfo when to leave 
off; a continence which is praftifed by few writers, and 
fcarcely by any of the ancients, except Virgil and Ho¬ 
race.” This character Chaucer certainly delerved. He 
had read a great deal; and was a man of the world, and of 
found judgment. He was the firft Englilh poet who wrote 
poetically, as Dr. Johnfon obferves in the preface to his 
Dictionary, and (he might have added) who wrote like a 
gentleman. He had alio the merit of improving our lan¬ 
guage confiderably, by the introduction and naturaliza¬ 
tion of words from the Prove^al, at that time the moft 
polilhed dialefl in Europe. 
CHAU'CIS, in ancient geography, the country of the 
Chauci, a people of Germany; divided into the Minores, 
now Eaft Friefeland, and the county of Oldenburg; and 
into the Majores, now the duchy of Bremen, and a part 
©f Lunenburg, 
CHAU'DEBURG, 
