CHAUCER AND GOWER. I THINK it not out of season, to couple also some mention here of Geffrey Chaucer, and John Gower. Albeit the full certaintie of the time and death of these two, we cannot finde; yet it appeareth in the prologue of Gowers worke intituled Confessio Amantis, that he finished it in the 16th. yeare of king Richard the second. In the ende of the viii. booke of the said treatise he declareth, that he was both sicke and olde, when he wrote it; whereby it may appeare, that he lived not long after. Notwithstanding, by certaine verses of the said maister Gower placed in the latter end of Chaucers workes both in Latine and English, it may seeme that he was alive at the beginning of the raigne of king Henry the iiii. and also by a booke which hee wrote to the same king Henry. By his sepulture within a chapell of the church of Saint Mary Overies, which was then a monastery, where he and his wife lie burid, it appeareth by his chaine and his garland of laurell, that he was both a knight, and florishing then in poetry. In the which place of his sepulture were made in his grave-stone 3. bookes, the first bearing the title Speculum Meditantis, The second, Vox Clamantis, The third, Confessio Amantis. Besides these, divers Chronicles and other workes moe he compiled. Likewise as touching the time of Chaucer, by his owne workes in the end of his first booke of Troylus and Creseide it is manifest, that he and Gower were both of one time, although it seemeth that Gower was a great deale his ancient: both notably learned, as the barbarous rudenes of that time did give; both great friends together, and both in like kinde of study together occupied, so endeavouring themselves, and employing their time, that they excelling many other in study and exercise of good letters, did passe forth their lives here right worshipfully and godly to the worthy fame and commendation of their name. Chaucers workes be all printed in one volume, and therefore knowne to all men. This I marvaile, to see the idle life of the priests and clergymen of that time, seeing these lay persons shewed themselves in these kinds of liberall studies so industrious and fruitfully occupied but much more I marvaile to consider this, how that the : 5 bishops condemning and abolishing all maner of English bookes and treatises, which might bring the people to any light of knowledge, did yet authorise the workes of Chaucer to remaine still and to be occupied; who (no doubt) saw in religion as much almost as even we doe now, and uttereth in his workes no lesse, and seemeth to be a right Wiclevian, or els was never any; and that all his workes almost, if they be throughly advised will testifie (albeit it be done in mirth and covertly) and especially the latter ende of his third booke of the Testament of love: for there purely he toucheth the highest matter, that is the communion : wherein except a man be altogether blind, he may espy him at the ful. Although in the same book (as in al other he useth to doe) under shadows covertly, as under a visour, he suborneth truth in such sort, as both privily she may profit the godly minded, and yet not be espied of the crafty adversary: and therefore the bishops belike, taking his works but for jestes, and toies, in condemning other bookes, yet permitted his bookes to be read. So it pleased God to blind then the eies of them, for the more commodity of his people, to the intent that through the reading of his treatises, some fruit might redound thereof to his church, as no doubt it did to many. As also I am partly enformed of certaine which knew the parties, which to them reported, that by reading of Chaucers works, they were brought to the true knowledge of religion. And not unlike to be true. For to omit other partes of his volume, whereof some are more fabulous than other, what tale can be more plainly told than the tale of the ploughman? or what finger can point out more directly the pope with his prelats to be antichrist, than doth the poore Pellican reasoning against the greedy Griffon? under which hypotyposis or poesy, who is so blind that seeth not by the Pellican, the doctrine of Christ, and of the Lollards, to be defended against the church of Rome? Or who is so impudent that can deny that to be true, which the Pellican there affirmeth in describing the presumptuous pride of that pretensed church? Againe, what egge can be more like or fig unto another, than the wordes, properties and conditions of that ravening gripho resembleth the true image, that is, the nature and qualities, of that which we cal the church of Rome, in every point and degree? and therefore no great 5 Authorise.] See Stat. 34 and 35 Henry VIII. cap. i. § 7. marvaile, if that narration was exempted out of the copies of Chaucers workes; which notwithstanding now is restored againe, and is extant for every man to reade that is disposed. This Geffrey Chaucer being borne (as is thought) in Oxfordshire, and dwelling in Woodstock, lieth buried in the church of the minster of S. Peter at Westminster, in an Ile on the southside of the said church, not far from the doore leading to the cloister, and upon his grave stone first were written these two old verses: Galfridus Chaucer vates et fama poesis Maternæ, hac sacra sum tumulatus humo. Afterward about the yeere of our Lord 1556. one M. Brickham bestowing more cost upon his tombe did adde thereunto these verses following: Qui fuit Anglorum vates ter maximus olim, PROGRESS OF REFORMATION. In turning over the registers and records of Lincolne, and comming to the yeere of our Lord 1520. and 1521. I finde, that as the light of the gospel began more to appeare, and the number of the professors to grow, so the vehemence of persecution, and stirre of the bishops began also to increase. Whereupon ensued great perturbation and greevous affliction in divers and sundry quarters of this realme, especially about Buckinghamshire, and Amersham, Uxbridge, Henley, Newbery, in the diocesse of London, in Essex, Colchester, Suffolke and Norfolke, and other parts moe. And this was before the name of Luther was heard of in these countries among the people. Wherefore they are much beguiled and misse informed, which condemne this kind of doctrine now received, of novelty, asking where was this church and religion 6 6 Where was this church.] See Index, under Luther, Protestant Religion, where before: also, Christian Institutes, vol. iv. p. 259, 62. (Bishop Taylor.) forty yeeres agoe, before Luthers time? To whom it may be answered, that this religion and forme of doctrine was planted by the apostles, and taught by true bishops, afterward decaied, and now reformed againe. Although it was not received nor admitted of the popes clergy before Luthers time, neither yet is, yet it was received of other ', in whose hearts it pleased the Lord secretly 7 Received of other.] Where was your religion before Luther? demanded the Roman Catholic of the Protestant: and the reply which he intended to insinuate or to dictate was, that it was no where. Thus Christopherson, a learned controversialist in Queen Mary's reign, dates its reception in England within the seven years preceding, though in another part of the same work, attributing its rise to Wickliffe, he extends its period to nearly 200 years. But need I say, that this kind of reply is worthy only of the fountain from which it flows? And yet, it is further to be observed, that neither is the kind of answer which Fox is here inclined to indicate, one which we can regard as fully adequate and satisfactory. It partakes too much of an affinity to that, which, in a subsequent part of this collection, we shall find was blamed afterwards in the archbishops, Abbot and Ussher; namely, as if they could find no visibility of the Christian church, but by tracing it, as well as they could, from the Berengarians to the Albigenses, from them to the Wickliffites and Hussites, and from them to Luther and Calvin.-No! the student must learn to take up in this question a stronger position, and to assuine a bolder tone. Rather, ascending at once above all the intermediate ages, he will answer, in the spirit of one (Sir Henry Wotton), who replied to this same question, "Our religion before Luther was to be found where yours is not to be found now,-in the written word of God." Yes! that will be the first head of the answer which he will make. And the second will be: "Where was our religion?--It was in the ancient church. Ours is the faith and practice of the primitive ages." And then the only remaining portion of the reply will be, descending downwards with the stream of time, "Our religion was in the catholic church of Christ throughout all ages: so far, that is, as it was not darkened and obscured, and, at times, seemingly almost buried and lost under the abuses and corruptions of popery. But when these had been detected and exposed by Wickliffe and Luther, and Cranmer and Ridley, and the rest of the noble army of martyrs and confessors, foreign and domestic, at the Reformation, and Almighty God, who keeps the times and the seasons in his own power, was then, at length, pleased to arise and scatter his enemies, the corruptions were cleared away; our religion, the Christian faith, the church catholic, emerged again in its pristine purity and truth, under the name of the protestant churches as we call them (in which the only bad thing-a necessary evil-is the name): So, I say, then and there, the religion of Christ emerged from the clouds, behind which it had been obscured; and thus, by God's mercy, it shall continue for ever: or so long at least as men will have the virtue and wisdom to abide steadfastly by its strength and their own: that is, so long as they will cling faithfully to the unerring word of God, the Holy Scriptures, and, for the rest, to primitive VOL. I. Ee to worke, and that of a great number which both professed and suffered for the same, as in the former times of this history may appeare. And if they thinke this doctrine be so new, that it was not heard of before Luthers time, how then came such great persecution before Luthers time here in England? If these were of the same profession which they were of, then was their cruelty unreasonable, so to persecute their owne catholike fraternity. And if they were otherwise, how then is this doctrine of the gospel so new, or the professors thereof so late start up, as they pretend them to be? But this commeth onely of ignorance, and for not knowing nor considering well the times and antiquities of the church which have been before us. Which if they did, they should see and say, that the church of England hath not lacked great multitudes, which tasted and followed the sweetnesse of Gods holy word, almost in as ample manner, for the number of well disposed hearts, as now. Although publike authority then lacked to maintaine the open preaching of the gospell, yet the secret multitude of true professors, was not much unequall; certes the fervent zeal of those Christian daies seemed much superior to these our daies and times: as manifestly may appeare by their sitting up all night in reading and hearing, also by 8 antiquity, interpreted and confirmed by scholastic learning, and sober, patient reason, and humble piety.” 8 Sitting up all night.] We may easily conceive that these retired and domestic interviews of individuals, often the most lowly and humble, gave birth to some of the most affecting situations that were produced during the whole progress of the Reformation. "The crimes whereupon he was examined, and confessed, were these: that he had been five times with William Sweeting in the fields keeping beasts, hearing him reade many good things out of a certaine booke. At which reading also were present of one time, Woodroffe, a net-maker, with his wife also a brother in law of William Sweeting: and another time, Thomas Goodred, who heard likewise the said William Sweeting reade." Fox's Acts, p. 748. These meetings occurred more commonly because reading was then a rare accomplishment. To Robert Wisdom it was objected, in the year 1540, among other articles, that he said, "I trust to God to se the day, that maydes will sing the Scripture at their wheels, and plowmen at their plow." To which charge he replied, "I thank God, thorow my Lord Jesu Christ, I have sene that day." Strype's Ecclesiast. Memorials, vol. iii. p. 323. Appendix. "In the year 1532, Thomas Harding, about Easter holidaies, when the other people went to the church, tooke his way into the woodes, there solitarily to worship the true living God, in spirit and truth. Where, as he was occupied in a booke of English praiers, leaning or |