CHATTI

Ger. tribe, which. during th period of the Roman Empire, dwelt i the neighborhood of the river Weser. 1400), the first great Eng. poet; s. of. London vintner, Nothing is known o his early years until, in 1357, he appear as page to the Duche of Clarence.’ I 1359 he was following the war in France and was captured, but ransomed in th following year. Six years later he mar ried Phillipa Roet, a lady attending th Duche of Lancaster. In 1367 he was: valet to the king, and later esquire Subsequently he again served in th Fr. wars and was frequently employe in diplomatic mi ions abroad. He wa app.. Comptroller of the Customs o Wool, Skins, and Leather in 1374 Comptroller of Petty Customs of th Port of London, 1382; and other office and varying fortunes followed. Thus h occupied a position of honor and sub stance during the greater portion of hi life, and that his work was held in som estima‘ion in his lifetime s evidence by_ his burial in Westminster Abbey In person the poet was inclined t stoutne , with a fair beard,’ and | somewhat sly or ‘elvish’ expre ion 0 countenance. His works include Th Book of the Duche , The House of Fame Troilus and Criseyde, The Legend « Good Women, and probably the Romauz of the Rose, and numerous minor works several of doubtful authorship. Th work upon which his fame chiefly rest is The Canterbury Tales, begun about1372 and left incomplete at his death. Th various tales are equally remarkahle fo their lyrical and decorative qualities, th knowledge of life which they display keen insight into character, playfi satire, and joyous humor. Besides a absolute poetic position ‘rrespective ¢ date, ©. is important for his influenc on language and metre. That Englis. was substituting French in common us is shown by the statute of 1362 tha English should be employed in the la) courts, but there were many dialects ¢ English and this first great vernacula literature helped to create a cen speech. In prosody C, gave an examp! of the first regular verse, the octosyllak couplet. | ae)