principles, ascould be expected; and as to his gratitude towards and affection for his patron the great Duke of Lancafter, it ftands in no need of apology. His conduct in the last part of his life was full of prudence and that calm contempt for an ungrateful world which though it is eafy for a man of parts to conceive, yet to perfil in it is a very difficult task. In private life he was a fine gentleman, a learned writer, and an agreeablecompanion. In his youth he was gay, and loved pleasure, for which he might not only plead the ufual excufes of his age and conftitution, but the cuftom alfo of the times, fince he lived in the moft gallant reign from the Conqueft. But in his maturer ftate of life his manners altered, and his behaviour was modeft and grave to a degree of excefs, for which he was rallied by his patronefs the Countess of Pembroke, who told him his abfence created more mirth than his conversation, for he was very bailiful and referved in company, notwithstanding that life and fpirit which appears in his writings. If we look upon him as an author, he may be truly flyled the Father of English Poetry, and perhaps the Prince of it, for except the unavoidable defects of language his Works have ftill all the beauties that can be wished for or expected in every kind of compofition. He was not unacquainted with the ancient rules of poetry, nor was he incapable of writing up to them, as very clearly appears by The Knight's Tale, which, as Mr. Dryden very juflly fays, is a fi

nifhed epick poem; but he did not always judge this exactnefs neceffary, and perhaps he thought his genius fet him above those restraints that ought to limit, because they improve, the works of meaner poets. He was deeply verfed in moral and in natural philosophy, andasperhapsno man understood human nature better, so it may be truly said that no writer in any language has either painted it with greater force, exactness, or judgment. His reading was deep and extenfive, and his learning both fpecious and folid; for he knew how to expofe thofe parts of it to view that are most apt to attract publick applause, and yet leave a fenfe concealed that might at once employ and fatisfy the most inquifitive understandings. It would draw this article into too great a length fhould we perfift in exhibiting every part of his accomplished character, and therefore we will in the notes give the best account we may of his merit in general as a poet in all the different kinds of writing by which he diftinguished himself in that capacity; and next we will give the reader the cleareft

By which he distinguished himself in that capacity.] We may fafely affirm that of Chaucer which can be hardly faid of any other general poet ancient or modern, that he excelled in all the different kinds of verfe in which he wrote. In his fonnets or love-fongs, when he was but a very boy, there is not only fire and judgment, but great elegance of thought and neatness of composure. It is very true that he did not always ftand upon his own ground, but chofe rather to translate from the Italian or French; yet he chose his authors judiciously and ufed them freely; so that this, instead of finking, serves really

principles, 2<could be expected; anda towards and affection for his patron · Lancafter, it hands in no need of a de in the last part of his life was full that calm contempt for an ungratef though it is eaty for a man of parts to perfil in it is a very difficult task. In pr. fine gentleman, a learned writer, an panion. In his youth he was gay, a for which he might not only plane of his age and conflitution, but th times, fince he lived in the mor the Conqueft. But in his mattrer ners altered, and his behaviour" to a degree of excefs, for which lea patronefs the Countess of Pembes his abfence created more mirth for he was very bafful and reve withstanding that life and ip rit v writings. If we look upo: hi. be truly flyled the Father of L haps the Prince of it, for exer ptt fects of language pis Works! that can be wifhed frers, compofition. He wasn't cient rules of poetry, norma up to them, as very early Tale, which, as Mr

mitation, I mean his Can

Kaufeal, and it continues foever in our

d with the numbers evate an (*! tupurar'es. There is the rudt îv cetutis l ́a 1, wekhis natural and picate Lange ne I cannot go fo far as i will put

n of him, for he would make u. in love the zurcas, and that there are realnie, matics in a

fed tut nine; but this opinion is new.rti. sferos and obvious ar errour tisa: commot. It's a ruic in every thing but mariers cf fat and Lit convince the reader that er uit of ery verfe which we can heroik was either not r not always practdedi. Chaucer age. it were at etter to produce me thousands of veris, viet tor want of half a foot, and sometimes a win UDE, uch no pronunciation can make etherwit. We can ay that he lived in the infancy of our poetry, and that g brought to perfection at the art. We mur b s before we grow men. There was ar is, and i ets of time a Lucius ar da Lucretius, beiure Vrg an ce; even after Chaucer there was a Speier, a harring...airfax, before Waler and Dell were in perag, and rrumbers were in their no age tillitic an appeared ⚫mean bis Canterbury Tales. ac fchen e of the WOTE IS very refpect very extraordinary, and u ovat an extent

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rit fight one would be apt to prower abuter acticable, from a perfuafior that it mut tarpais the povers tany Single mind to paint the difier incament, and sit out to view the various faculties, of every min The truth

well as the meaning of this iminent will bell appear from 2 tbrt representation of the trior: jeign, wie is this: Chaucer pretends, that intending to pry is devotions to the tre of Thomas à Becket, he fet up his horie at the Taterd anna Southwark, that he fend in the in a number of pl grms who feverally propofed the fante journey, and Cat ties

account we may of his largest work, peculiar in its kind, and as it was alnioft without example, fo hi

to heighten his character. 'That in the clegiack poetry he was a complete mader appears plainly by his Complaint of the Black Knight, the poem called La belle Dame fans Mercy, and feveral of his fongs. He was an excellent mafler of love poetry, having studied that paffion in all its turns and appearances ; and Mr. Dryden prefers him upon that account to Ovid. His Troilus and Crefcide is one of the most beautiful poems of that kind, in which love is curiously and naturally deferibed in its early appearance, its hopes and fears, its application, fruition," and despair in difappointment. How great a matter he was in fatire we thall have occafion to thow in the next note; but his great proficiency in this did not at all birder his dif charging himself moft happily in a far more difficult way of writing, that of panegyrick. The praises of Chaucer are easy, natural, and delicate, fuch as mutt give equal pleasure to the perfen commended and to the perufer, and have always the true air of a courtier without the meanness of a flatterer. His moral poems are grave and weighty, full of good fenfe and of fine fentiments. In a word, he deferves all that is faid of him by Mr. Dryden, who was fcarce a better poet than a critick let us hear him then a little upon this fubject. "As he is the father of English poetry, fo I hold him in the fame degree of " veneration as the Grecians held Homer or the Romans Vir gil; he is a perpetual fountain of good fenfe, learned in all "fciences, and therefore speaks properly on all subjects: as he knew what to fay, fo he knows alfo when to leave off, a con"tinence which is practifed by few writers, and scarcely by any of the Ancients excepting Virgil and Horace-Chaucer followed Nature every where, but was never do bold to go "beyond her: and there is as great difference of being poc ta et nimis poëta, if we may believe Catullus, as much as be twixt a modeft behaviour and affectation. The verte of Ch. I confefs is not harmonious to us, but it is like the clequence * of one whom Tacitus commends, it was auribus ifiustempo, & ras accommodata. They who lived with him, and fome time

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