A short history of England . ies in-clude a large group of romanticmediaeval legends and many ofthe classical tales he had learnedin Italy. There is a certain genialspirit of carelessness and evenrecklessness running all throughChaucers poetry that strikes oneas strange amidst the harsh real-ities and the popular excitementof his time. But it is to be re-membered that he belonged tothe upper classes, and that herepresented the prosperous,traveled, chivalric, and lively ele-ment in English society. Yet even Chaucer had his earnest side. At the end of The Canter-bury Tales he asks forgiveness fo
A short history of England . ies in-clude a large group of romanticmediaeval legends and many ofthe classical tales he had learnedin Italy. There is a certain genialspirit of carelessness and evenrecklessness running all throughChaucers poetry that strikes oneas strange amidst the harsh real-ities and the popular excitementof his time. But it is to be re-membered that he belonged tothe upper classes, and that herepresented the prosperous,traveled, chivalric, and lively ele-ment in English society. Yet even Chaucer had his earnest side. At the end of The Canter-bury Tales he asks forgiveness for what is merely worldly in hisbook, and closes it with a prayer of penitence. Chaucer wasEnglands most popular poet, and long afterward, when the artof printing was introduced into England, his Canterbury Taleswas one of the very first books printed. His English is still morelike that of modern times than the ruder language of PiersPlowman, as can be seen from the following passages from theprologue to The Canterbury Tales,. Chaucer (from a contemporary-portrait) 258 A SHORT HISTORY OF ENGLAND A Knight ther was, and that a worthy man,That fro the tyme that he first biganTo ryden out, he loved chivalrye,Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisye. There was also a Nonne, a Prioresse,That of hir smyling was ful simple and coy;IIir gretteste ooth was but by seynt Loy;And she was cleped madame Eglentyne. At mete wel y-taught was she with-alle;She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle,Ne weete hir fingres in hir sauce coude she carie a morsel, and wel kepe,That no drope ne fille upon hir brest. 228. Personal Career of Richard II. — Richard was but twelveyears old on the death of his grandfather, Edward III, in 1377,and he did not take firm hold of the reins of government tillhe was twenty-three. During this long minority the governmentwas controlled by successive parties of nobles and by ministersappointed by parliament. They cannot be said to have ruled thecountry wisely or
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