Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 1.djvu/17

 King in order to ſcreen him from his creditors, took him under his protection, and allowed him ſtill to enjoy his former grants. The duke of Lancaſter, whoſe reſtleſs ambition ever excited him to diſturb the ſtate, engaged now with all the intereſt of which he was maſter to promote himſelf to the crown; the opinions of Wickliff gained ground, and ſo great a commotion now prevailed amonſt the clergy, that the king perceiving the ſtate in danger, and being willing to ſupport the clerical intereſt, ſuffered the archbiſhop of Canterbury to ſummon Wickliff to appear before him, whoſe intereſt after this arraignment very much decayed. The king who was devoted to his pleaſures, reſigned himſelf, to ſome young courtiers who hated the duke o Lancaſter, and cauſed a fryar to accuſe him of an attempt to kill the king; but before he had an opportunity of making out the charge againſt him, the fryar was murdered in a cruel and barbarous manner by lord John Holland, to whoſe care he had been committed. This lord John Holland, called lord Huntington, and duke of Exeter, was half brother to the king, and had married Elizabeth, daughter of the duke of Lancaſter. He was a great patron of Chaucer, and much reſpected by himn. With the duke of Lancaſter's intereſt Chaucer's alſo ſunk. His patron being unable to ſupport him, he could no longer ſtruggle againſt oppoſite parties, or maintain his poſts of honour. The duke paſſing over ſea, his friends felt all the malice of an enraged court; which induced them to call in a number of the populace to aſſiſt them, of which our poet was a zealous promoter. One John of Northampton, a late lord mayor of London was at the head of theſe diſturbances; which did not long continue; for up on B 4