The New Chaucer ItemsAuthor(s): Samuel MooreSource: The Modern Language Review, Vol. 22, No. 4 (Oct., 1927), pp. 435-438Published by: Modern Humanities Research AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3714850 .

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MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

THE NEW CHAUCER ITEMS

The text of the three new life-records of Chaucer which Professor Ernest Kuhl brought to the attention of Chaucer scholars in Modern

Language Notes of December, 1925, is as followsl: Close Roll 236, 18 Richard II, m. 15d, Feb. 21, 1395. De carta irrotulata. Sciant presentes et futuri quod nos Thomas de Arundell' Dei gracia Eboracensis

Archiepiscopus Anglie Primas et Apostolice Sedis Legatus, dedimus et concessimus et hac presenti carta nostra confirmavimus dominis Willelmo Archiepiscopo Can- tuariensi Roberto Episcopo Londonensi Iohanni Episcopo Sarum Iohanni domino de Lovell Thome Percy chiualer Ricardo Abberbury chiualer Roberto Cherleton' chiualer Philippo de Vache chiualer, Johanni Scarle, Willelmo atte Wode, Simoni Dodyngton2 clericis, Roberto Stokley Willelmo Gascoigne et Iohanni Woderoue totum manerium nostrum vocatum Spitelcombe cum suis pertinenciis ac duo molendina aquatica et omnia alia terras et tenementa redditus seruicia simul cum pratis pascuis pasturis aquis piscariis wardis releuiis escaetis et ceteris suis pertinenciis iuribus et commoditatibus quibuscumque in Combe vocata Westcombe et Spitelcombe et in villis de Estgrenewych Cherleton Whritelmarssh et Depford in comitatu Kancia que quidem manerium molendina terras tenementa redditus seruicia simul cum pratis pascuis pasturis aquis piscariis wardis releuiis escaetis et suis pertinenciis uniuersis nuper habuimus ex dono et feoffamento Willelmi Staundon' et Agnetis uxoris sue tam per cartam quam per finem in Curia domini Regis inde leuatam ac eciam quatuor acras tres rodas et tresdecim perticatas terre cum fossatis et aliis suis pertinenciis eidem terre adiacentibus in Hornemerssh in parochia de Estgrenewych in comitatu predicto quas nuper habuimus ex dono et feoffamento Iohannis Longe et Iohannis Cooke et Alicie uxoris sue Habendum et tenendum omnia predicta manerium terras tenementa redditus seruicia et molendina cum pratis pascuis pasturis aquis piscariis wardis releuiis escaetis et ceteris suis pertinenciis iuribus et commoditatibus quibus- cumque unacum quatuor acris tribus rodis et tresdecim perticatis terre cum fossatis et aliis suis pertinenciis in Hornemerssh predicta prefatis dominis Archiepiscopo Cantuariensi Episcopo Londonensi Episcopo Sarum domino de Louell Thome Percy Ricardo Abberbury Roberto Cherleton Philippo la Vache chiualers Iohanni Scarle Willelmo atte Wode Simoni Dodyngton clericis Roberto Stokley Willelmo Gascoigne et Iohanni Woderoue heredibus et assignatis suis libere quiete bene et in pace im- perpetuum de capitalibus dominis feodorum per seruicia inde debita et de iure consueta. Et nos vero Thomas de Arundell et heredes nostri predicti omnia predicta manerium molendina terras et tenementa redditus et seruicia cum omnibus suis pertinenciis ut predictum est prefatis dominis Archiepiscopo Cantuariensi Episcopo Londonensi episcopo Sarum domino de Louell Thome Percy Ricardo Abberbury Roberto Cherleton Philippo la Vache chiualers Iohanni Scarle Willelmo atte Wode Simon Dodyngton clericis Roberto Stokley Willelmo Gascoigne et Iohanni Woderoue heredibus et assignatis suis contra omnes gentes warantizabimus imperpetuum. In cuius rei testimonium huic presenti carte nostre sigillum nostrum apposuimus. Hiis

1 Modern Language Notes, XL, pp. 511 ff. I happened to find these documents in the Calendar of the Close Rolls a few weeks after Professor Kuhl's article was published and had already obtained copies of them before I saw the article. Having ascertained from Professor Kuhl that he had not intended to print the originals himself I have thought it worth while to make my copies available for general reference.

2 My copyist notes that this name is printed Dudyngton in the Calendar but is clearly Dodyngton.

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436 Miscellaneous Notes testibus Galfrido Chaucer Hugone de Midelton Ricardo Rowe Iohanne Fox Thoma Baker Willelmo Couper Iohanne Longe Willelmo Symond' de Grenewych' Iohanne Cheseman de Depford et aliis. Data apud Combe vicesimo primo die Februarii anno regni regis Ricardi secundi decimo octauo.

Et memorandum quod predictus Archiepiscopus Eboracensis venit coram Petro de Barton clerico apud ecclesiam Noui Templi London' vicesimo quarto die Februarii anno presenti virtute brevis domini Regis dedimus potestatem eidem Petro directi et in filaciis de hoc anno residentis et recognouit cartam predictam et omnia contenta in eadem in forma predicta.

Close Roll 237, 19 Richard II, m. 9d, March 5, 1396. De scripto irrotulato. Pateat uniuersis per presentes quod nos Thomas de Arundell Dei gracia Ebora-

censis Archiepiscopus Anglie Primas et Apostolice Sedis Legatus assignauimus et loco nostro posuimus dilectos nobis in Christo Henricum de Wynchestre capellanum et Iohannem Norwych attornatos nostros coniunctim et diuisim ad capiendum et recipiendum pro nobis et nomine nostro et ad opus nostrum plenariam seisinam et possessionem de toto manerio vocato Spitelcombe cum suis pertinenciis ac de duobus molendinis aquaticis et omnibus aliis terris tenementis redditibus et seruiciis simul cum pratis pascuis pasturis aquis piscariis wardis releuiis escaetis et ceteris suis pertinenciis iuribus et commoditatibus quibuscumque in Combe vocata Westcombe et Spitelcombe et in ville de Estgrenewych Cherleton Whrytelmerssh et Depford in comitatu Kancia et eciam de quatuor acris tribus rodis et tresdecim perticatis terre cum fossatis et aliis suis pertinenciis eidem terre adiacentibus in Hornemerssh in parochia de Estgrenewych in comitatu predicto velud ex feoffamento dominorum Willelmi Dei gracia Cantuariensis Archiepiscopi tocius Anglie Primatis et Apostolici Sedis Legati Roberti Episcopi Londonensis Iohannis domini de Louell Thome Percy chiualer Ricardi Abberbury chiualer Philippi La Vache chiualer Iohannis Scarle Willelmi atte Wode Simonis Dudyngton clericorum Roberti Stokleye Willelmi Gascoigne et Iohannis Woderoue secundum vim formam et effectum carte sue inde nobis facte. In cuius rei testimonium sigillum nostrum presentibus apposuimus Hiis testibus Galfrido Chaucer Hugone de Middelton Ricardo Rowe Iohanne Fox Thoma Baker Willelmo Couper Iohanne Longe Willelmo Symond de Grenewych Iohanne Chesman de Depford et aliis. Datum quinto die Marcii anno domini millesimo c.c.c.m? nonagesimo quinto et regni Regis Ricardi secundi post Conquestum Anglie decimo nono.

Et memorandum quod predictus Archiepiscopus Eboracensis venit in Cancellariam Regis apud Westmonasterium primo die Maii anno presenti et recognouit scriptum predictum et omnia contenta in eodem in forma predicta.

Close Roll 237, 19 Richard II, m. 6d, April 6, 13961. De carta irrotulata. Sciant presentes et futuri quod nos Thomas de Arundell Dei gracia Eboracensis

Archiepiscopus Anglie Primas et Apostolice sedis Legatus dedimus concessimus et hac presenti carta nostra confirmauimus Gregorio Ballard totum manerium nostrum vocatum Spitelcombe cum suis pertinenciis ac duo molendina aquatica et omnia alia terras tenementa nostra redditus et seruicia simul cum pratis pascuis pasturis aquis piscariis wardis releuiis escaetis et ceteris suis pertinenciis iuribus et commoditatibus quibuscumque in Combe vocata Westcombe et Spitelcombe et in villis de Estgrene- wych Cherleton Whrytemerssh et Depford in comitatu Kancia ac eciam quatuor acras tres rodas et tresdecim particatas terre cum fossatis et aliis suis pertinenciis eidem terre adiacentibus in Hornemerssh in parochia de Estgrenewych in comitatu predicto Habendum et tenendum omnia predicta maneridm terras tenementa redditus seruicia et molendina cum pratis pascuis pasturis aquis piscariis wardis releuiis escaetis et ceteris suis pertinenciis iuribus et commoditatibus quibuscumque unacum quatuor acris tribus rodis et tresdecim particatis terre cum fossatis et aliis suis pertinenciis in Hornemerssh predicta prefato Gregorio heredibus et assignatis suis libere quiete bene et in pace imperpetuum de capitalibus dominis feodorum per

1 My copyist notes that the word 'Hastynges' is roughly written in a later hand in the margin against this entry and also against the following one, in which the name occurs.

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Miscellaneous Notes 437

seruicia inde debita et de iure consueta. In cuius rei testimonium huic presenti carte sigillum nostrum apposuimus. Hiis testibus Galfrido Chaucer Hugone de Middelton Ricardo Rowe Iohanne Fox Thoma Baker Willelmo Couper Iohanne Longe Willelmo Symond de Grenewych Iohanne Chesman de Depford et aliis. Data apud Combe sexto die Aprilis anno domini millesimo ccc"m. nonagesimo sexto et regni Regis Ricardi secundi post conquestum Anglie decimo nono.

Et memorandum quod predictus Archiepiscopus venit in Cancellariam Regis apud Westmonasterium primo die Mail anno presenti et recognouit cartam predictam et omnia contenta in eadem in forma predicta.

All three documents, it will be observed, concern identical properties in Combe, East Greenwich, and other places in the county of Kent. The Close Rolls and Patent Rolls of the years 1395-1397 contain alto-

gether eight documents relating to these propertigs: the three documents

printed above, a document dated April 6, 1396, appearirg in the Life- Records of Chaucer as No. 260, another document of the same date referred to by Professor Kuhl, and three others. The contents of these

eight documents is briefly as follows:

Feb. 21, 1395. Thomas de Arundell, archbishop of York, to William, archbishop of Canterbury, and others. Charter with warranty of manor called Spitelcombe, etc.'

Feb. 24, 1395. Thomas, archbishop of York, to William, archbishop of Canterbury, and others. Quit claim with warranty of manor called Spitelcombe, etc., which they have by his charter of feoffment 2.

March 5, 1396. Thomas, archbishop of York, to Henry de Wynchestre an4 John Norwych. Letter of attorney appointing them to receive seisin of manor called Spitelcombe, etc., as by feoffment of William, archbishop of Canterbury, and others3.

April 6, 1396. Thomas, archbishop of York, to Gregory Ballard. Charter of manor of Spitelcombe, etc.4

April 6, 1396. Thomas, archbishop of York, to Henry de Wynchestre and John Norwych. Letter of attorney appointing them to deliver to Gregory Ballard seisin of manor called Spitelcombe, etc.5

April 6, 1396. Gregory Ballard to John de Wilton, Geoffrey Chaucer, and others. Letter of attorney appointing them to receive seisin of the manor called Spitelcombe, etc., according to charter of Thomas de Arundell6.

May 9, 1396. Thomas, archbishop of York, to Gregory Ballard. Quit claim of manor called Spitelcombe, etc., which Gregory has by the archbishop's charter of feoffment 7.

Oct. 7, 1397. Grant, in fee simple, to the king's esquire Gregory Ballard, the king's butler, of the manors of Westcombe and Spytelcombe, etc., late of Thomas Darundell, archbishop of Canterbury, by whose forfeiture the same belong to the king by virtue of the judgment against him in Parliament8.

1 This is the first of the three documents printed above; Calendar of the Close Rolls, 1392-1396, pp. 402 f. My summaries of these documents are free abridgements of the summaries contained in the Calendar.

2 Ibid., p. 401. 3 This is the second of the three documents printed above; Calendar of the Close Rolls,

1392-1396, p. 502. 4 This is the third of the three documents printed above; ibid., p. 508. 5 Ibid., p. 497; see Kuhl, I.c., p. 512. 6 Calendar of the Close Rolls, 1392-1396, p. 505; see Life-Records, pp. 319 f. 7 Calendar of the Close Rolls, 1392-1396, p. 511. 8 Calendar of the Patent Rolls, 1396-1399, p. 216. William Courtenay, archbishop of

Canterbury, died July 31, 1396, and was succeeded by Arundell, who was enthroned in February, 1397. Arundell was impeached and banished in September, 1397.

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Miscellaneous Notes Miscellaneous Notes

It is clear from the document of March 5, 1396, that at least one document belonging to the series is missing, namely the charter of feoffment by which William, archbishop of Canterbury, and the others transferred these properties back to Thomas, archbishop of York. This document I have not been able to find. Nor am I competent to guess the purpose of this double transfer which brought the properties again into the possession of Thomas about a year after he had granted them to William and the others.

As to the significance of these documents with reference to Chaucer, I do not believe that we are justified in inferring from them any personal relation between Chaucer and either Thomas de Arundell or the members of the other group. A personal relation between Chaucer and Gregory Ballard, on the other hand, seems clearly indicated by the document

(already known from the Life-Records) which appoints Chaucer an

attorney to receive seisin of the manor on Ballard's behalf. The most

important contribution the new documents make to our knowledge of Chaucer's life is (as Professor Kuhl recognised) the evidence they furnish as to his residence in Kent in 1395 and 13961. This evidence is of par- ticular interest at the present moment in view of Professor Manly's recent statement that 'there is no other evidence [than the Envoy to

Scogan] that in 1393 (the supposed date of the Envoy) Chaucer was

living at Greenwich2.' SAMUEL MOORE.

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, U.S.A.

NOTES ON 'THE KNIGHTES TALE'

A. 1612-4. That heer I wol be founden as a knight, And bringen harneys right ynough for thee; And chees the beste, and leve the worste for me.

Evidence of the realism of this fine chivalric, almost romantic, touch, and of the similar one in A. 1651-' Everich of hem halp for to armen other'-is furnished by Froissart. See Chronicles (translation by Th. Johnes, 1844), I, pp. 634-636. It is true that the tilting-match between John Bouchmel and Nicholas Clifford is a friendly one, while the combat between Palamon and Arcite is to be one 'a l'outrance'; nevertheless, the situations are strikingly similar. Like Arcite, John Bouchmel pro-

1 Note that the first and third documents witnessed by Chaucer are dated at Combe and that in all three documents the designation 'de Grenewych' occurs after the names of the first eight witnesses and the designation 'de Depford' after the name of the ninth.

2 J . MManly, Some New Light on Chaucer, pp. 40 f. It may be noted that Brusendorff, The Chaucer Tradition, pp. 289ff., shows that we have about as good evidence for dating the Envoy 1391 as for dating it 1393.

It is clear from the document of March 5, 1396, that at least one document belonging to the series is missing, namely the charter of feoffment by which William, archbishop of Canterbury, and the others transferred these properties back to Thomas, archbishop of York. This document I have not been able to find. Nor am I competent to guess the purpose of this double transfer which brought the properties again into the possession of Thomas about a year after he had granted them to William and the others.

As to the significance of these documents with reference to Chaucer, I do not believe that we are justified in inferring from them any personal relation between Chaucer and either Thomas de Arundell or the members of the other group. A personal relation between Chaucer and Gregory Ballard, on the other hand, seems clearly indicated by the document

(already known from the Life-Records) which appoints Chaucer an

attorney to receive seisin of the manor on Ballard's behalf. The most

important contribution the new documents make to our knowledge of Chaucer's life is (as Professor Kuhl recognised) the evidence they furnish as to his residence in Kent in 1395 and 13961. This evidence is of par- ticular interest at the present moment in view of Professor Manly's recent statement that 'there is no other evidence [than the Envoy to

Scogan] that in 1393 (the supposed date of the Envoy) Chaucer was

living at Greenwich2.' SAMUEL MOORE.

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, U.S.A.

NOTES ON 'THE KNIGHTES TALE'

A. 1612-4. That heer I wol be founden as a knight, And bringen harneys right ynough for thee; And chees the beste, and leve the worste for me.

Evidence of the realism of this fine chivalric, almost romantic, touch, and of the similar one in A. 1651-' Everich of hem halp for to armen other'-is furnished by Froissart. See Chronicles (translation by Th. Johnes, 1844), I, pp. 634-636. It is true that the tilting-match between John Bouchmel and Nicholas Clifford is a friendly one, while the combat between Palamon and Arcite is to be one 'a l'outrance'; nevertheless, the situations are strikingly similar. Like Arcite, John Bouchmel pro-

1 Note that the first and third documents witnessed by Chaucer are dated at Combe and that in all three documents the designation 'de Grenewych' occurs after the names of the first eight witnesses and the designation 'de Depford' after the name of the ninth.

2 J . MManly, Some New Light on Chaucer, pp. 40 f. It may be noted that Brusendorff, The Chaucer Tradition, pp. 289ff., shows that we have about as good evidence for dating the Envoy 1391 as for dating it 1393.

438 438

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