A New General Biographical Dictionary Volume 6

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1857 Excerpt: ...president of the Society of Antiquaries. They consist of pieces of all the principal classes of poetical composition; tragedies, lyric and heroic poems, pastorals, epistles, ballads, &c. In 1803, an edition of Chatterton's works, more complete than any that had previously appeared, was published, under the superintendence of Messrs. Southey and Cottle, for the benefit of Mrs. Newton, Chatterton's sister, and of her daughter; but the indifference of the public gave but little encouragement to the publication. CHAUCER, (Geoffrey,) the founder of English poetry and literature, was born in London; but the time of his birth is diversely assigned, some accounts stating it to be the year 1328, while others make it so late as 1345. In his Testament of Love, he calls himself "a Londoner," and speaks of the city of London as the place of his "kindly engendrure." The earlier of the two dates contended for (the second year of Edward III., 1328) by different authorities as the time of his birth, is inferred from the inscription on his tomb, signifying that he died in 1400, at the age of seventy-two. This inscription, however, was not placed upon his monument until the middle of the sixteenth century; and some doubt of its correctness has been raised in consequence of Chaucer's deposition as a witness, in October 1386, in which he speaks of himself as being forty years and upwards, and which, if strictly correct, would place his birth about 1345. His biographers have provided him with education both at Oxford and Cambridge. In his Court of Love, which was composed when he was about eighteen, he speaks of himself under the name of "Philogenet, of Cambridge, clerk." Mr. Tyrwhitt, while he does not think this a decisive proof that he was re...