Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 1.djvu/19

 he had already ſuffered, he at laſt made a con- feſſion, and according to the cuſtom of trials at that time, offered to prove the truth of it by combat. What the conſequence of this diſcovery was to his accomplices, is uncertain, it no doubt expoſed him to their reſentment, and procured him the name of a traytor; but the king, who regarded him as one beloved by his grandfather, was pleaſed to pardon him. Thus fallen from a heighth of greatneſs, our poet retired to bemoan the fickleneſs of fortune, and then wrote his Teſta- ment of Love, in which are many pathetic excla- mations concerning the viciſſitude of human things, which he then bitterly experienced. But as he had formerly been the favourite of fortune, when dignities were multiplied thick upon him, ſo his miferies now ſucceeded with an equal ſwiftneſs; he was not only diſcarded by his majeſty, unpenſioned, and abandoned, but he loſt the favour of the duke of Lancaſter, as the influence of his wife's ſiſter with that prince was now much leſſened. The duke being dejected with the troubles in which he was involved, began to reflect on his vicious courſe of life, and particularly his keeping that lady as his concubine; which produced a reſolu- tion of putting her out of his houſe, and he made a vow to that purpoſe. Chaucer, thus reduced, and weary of the perpetual turmoils at court, retired to Woodſtock, to enjoy a ſtudious quiet; where he wrote his excellent treatiſe of the Aſtrolabe; but notwithſtanding the ſevere treatment of the govern- ment, he ſtill retained his loyalty, and ſtrictly en- joined his ſon to pray for the king. As the pious reſolations of ſome people are often the conſequence of a preſent evil, ſo at the return of proſperity they are ſoon diſſipated. This proved the caſe with the duke of Lancaſter: his party again gathered ſtrength, his intereſt began to riſe; upon which he took a- gain his miſtreſs to his boſom', and not content with B 5