Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 4.djvu/13

 iv. JULY i, iocs.] NOTES AND QUERIES. refine his mother tongue and Melicertus thinking Samela had learned with Lucilla in Athens to anatomize wit, and speake none but similes." This refers to Lyly's work, and also to a play of his, ' Sapho and Phao.' But the reason of this change of tone is apparent. Sir Philip Sidney's 'Arcadia' had appeared, and held the field against all courtly or love-making prose whatever. And Greene promptly enters Arcadia (the scene of ' Mena- phon ) with an "Alarum to slumbering Euphues" on its title. Greene's love tales therefore fill the space of time between 'Euphues' and 'Arcadia,' 1580-90, with a little overlapping at the close perhaps. After that he turned to the drama and published his 'Farewell to Follie'(1591), and begins to be moral. In 1591-2 appeared his tracts against all kinds of roguery—the conny-catching series : and about the same time, or a little later, came his repentance tracts, and his sickness and death. H. C. HART. (To be continued.) A CHAUCER TRAGEDY. LEST it should for a moment be supposed that this title indicates the discovery of a stage play by the great poet, it may be as well to premise that the following notes refer to a genuine tragedy in real life, occurring thirty or forty years before the poet was born. In looking through the Plea Rolls at the Public Record Office, Major Poynton lately came across an interesting presentment by twelve jurors of Cordwainer Street Ward, London, relating to one John le Chaucer, evidently a vintner, and possibly great- grandfather to the poet. He kindly pointed this out to me, and I have since found an illuminative entry under the head of Vintry Ward, and other entries under the former ward. Abstracts of them all are here given : Assize Rolls, No. 547, m. 23.—Pleas of the Crown before Henry de Stanton and others, Justices in Eyre, at the Tower of London, on the morrow of St. Hilary, 14 Edw. II. [1321]. The Ward of Vintry comes by 12 [jurors]. The jurors of this Ward and of the Ward of Cordewaner- strete present that in the year 30 Edw. I. [1302] one John [le] Chaucer, Benedict le Taverner, Henry le Barber, and John the Cook of John le Chaucer, were passing through Soperlane, and met John de Guldeford, Peter Adrian, Henry, brother of the same John, Thomas Godard, and Alexander de Betoyne, and on account of rancour between the Mid John le Chaucer [and] John de Guldeford they immediately fought with their drawn swords; and the said John de Guldeford, Peter Adrian, Henry, brother of the same John, John the Cook of the same John [*t>], Alexander de Betoyne, and Thomas fGodard] grievously beat and wounded the said John le Chaucer and threw him to the ground, so- that within a quarter of a year he died thereof in this Ward. John the Cook and Alexander fled immediately after the fact: therefore let them be put in exigent and outlawed. They had no chattels, nor were in a ward, because wanderers {caganles). John de Guldeford and Peter Adrian also fled im- mediately, but were taken to the prison of Nengate,. and afterwards died in this city. The said Heniy and Alexander are dwelling in the country ; there- fore let them be taken. Thomas de Dunle and William Walraud were present when the said' felony was done, and for not taking the malefactors are amerced. The former was attached by Henry Bonquer, &c. One of the neighbours comes, and is- not suspected; two of the neighbours have died. John Heyroun, the fourth of the neighbours, does not come, and is not suspected; he was attached by William Walraund, and is therefore amerced. Afterwards the said Henry comes, and says that he was formerly acquitted of the death of the said John [le] Chaucer before Ralph de Sandwich and others. Justices, as appears in the Roll of Gaol Delivery [m. 67, where his discharge is recorded]. The said Alexander comes, and says the same [and" had his discharge]. Peter Adrian and Thomas Godard are dead. Ibid., m. 36. The Ward of Cordewanerstrete comes by 12 [jurors]. They present that in 30 Edw. I. [1302] John le Chaucer, Benedict le Taverner of the afore- said John le Chaucer, Henry le Barber, and John- the Cook (Cocus) of John le Chaucer, meeting John de Guldeford, Peter Adrian, and Thomas Godard in. Sopereslane, and a contention being moved between them, the aforesaid Benedict struck Thomas Godard with a sword on the head, so that he died thereof within six days. Benedict fled immediately, and is suspected by the jurors; therefore let him be put in exigent and outlawed. He had no chattels, and' was not in a ward, " because a stranger " (extramnt). Afterwards it was witnessed that John the Cook of John le Chaucer was aiding, and he is suspected; therefore [as above 1. He was not in award, because a wanderer (pagans). Thomas de Dunleeh, one of the neighbours, did not appear, though he was attached by Henry Bonquoer, and he is amerced. The three other neighbours have died. [In another place Bonquoer is described as " cok' taber- narius."] Ibid., m. 37. Presentment that John de Gildeford, pepperer,. was beaten, wounded, and killed by Robert de Kynebauton, son of the late Master William le Panetor, and William Renekyn, " in the twilight of the night," in Sopereslane, in 1 Edw. II. [1307-8]. John Heyroun was one of the four nearest neighbours, but does not appear before the Justices. In a similar cose Elias le Chaucer is mentioned as a neighbour.—Ibid. Presentment that John de Gildeford's tenement in Sopereslane came to the king as an escheat, because he was a bastard and died intestate. It had belonged to Agnes his wife, who was dead.— Ibid. Presentment that Richard le Chaucer sold four butts of wine contrary to the assize ; therefore he is amerced.—Ibid. [This Richard was the poet'v step-grandfather.] The results of these affrays will be bett«r understood if they are stated summarily :—