been preferred, patronized and honoured by him, yet no sooner did that
unhappy prince (who owed his misfortunes in a great measure to his
generosity and easiness of nature) fall a sacrifice to the policy of
Henry and the rage of rebellion, but he worshiped the Rising Sun,
he joined his interest with the new king, and tho' he was then
stone-blind, and, as might naturally be imagined, too old to desire
either riches or power, yet he was capable of the grossest flattery
to the reigning prince, and like an ungrateful monster insulted the
memory of his murdered sovereign and generous patron. He survived
Chaucer two years; Winstanly says, that in his old age he was made a
judge, possibly in consequence of his adulation to Henry IV. His death
happened in the year 1402, and as he is said to have been born some
years before Chaucer, so he must have been near fourscore years of
age: He was buried in St. Mary Overy's in Southwark, in the chapel of
St. John, where he founded a chauntry, and left money for a mass to be
daily sung for him, as also an obit within the church to be kept on
Friday after the feast of St. Gregory. He lies under a tomb of stone,
with his image also of stone over him, the hair of his head auburn,
long to his shoulders, but curling up, and a small forked beard;
on his head a chaplet like a coronet of roses; an habit of purple,
damasked down to his feet, and a collar of gold about his neck. Under
his feet the likeness of three books which he compiled; the first
named Speculum Meditantis, written in French; the second Vox
Clamantis, in latin; the third Confessio Amantis, in English; this
last piece was printed by one Thomas Berthalette, and by him dedicated
to King Henry VIII. His Vox clamantis, with his Chronica Tripartita,
and other works, both in Latin and French, Stow says he had in his
possession, but his Speculum Meditantis he never saw. Besides on the
wall where he lies, there were painted three virgins crowned, one of
which was named Charity, holding this device,