Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 1.djvu/16

 But as he was advanced to higher places of truſt, ſo he became more entangled in the afairs of ſtate, the conſequence of which proved very prejudicial to him. The duke of Lancaſter having been the chief inſtrument of raiſing him to dignity, expected the fruits of thoſe favours in a ready compliance with him in all his deſigns. That prince was certainly one of the proudeſt and moſt ambitious men of his time, nor could he patiently bear the name of a ſubject even to his father; nothing but abfolute power, and the title of king could ſatisfy him; upon the death of his elder brother, Edward the black prince, he fixed an eye upon the Engliſh crown, and ſeemed to ſtretch out an impatient hand to reach it. In this view he fought, by all means poſſibie, to ſecure his interest againſt the deceaſe of the old king; and being afraid of the oppoſition of the clergy, who are always ſtrenuous againſt an irregular ſucceſſion, he embraced the opinions and eſpouſed the intereſts of Wickliff, who now appeared at Oxford, and being a man of very great abilities, and much eſteemed at court, drew over to his party great numbers, as well faſhionable as low people. In this confuſion, the duke of Lancaſter endeavoured all he could to ſhake the power of the clergy, and to procure votaries amongſt the leading popular men. Chaucer had no ſmall hand in promoting theſe proceedings, both by. his public intereſt and writings. Towards the cloſe of Edward's reign, he was very active in the intrigues of the court party, andſo recommended himſelf to the Prince ſucceſſor, that upon his aſcending the throne, he confirmed to him by the title of Dilectus Armiger Noſter, the grant made by the late king of twenty marks per annum, and at the ſame time confirmed the other grant of the late King for a pitcher of wine to be delivered him daily in the port of London. In leſs than two years after this, we find our poet ſo reduced in his circumſtances, (but by what means is unknown) that the