and his Duchess Blanch, shewed particular honour to him, and lady
Margaret the king's daughter, and the countess of Pembroke gave him
their warmest patronage as a poet. In his poems called the Romaunt,
and the Rose, and Troilus and Creseide, he gave offence to some court
ladies by the looseness of his description, which the lady Margaret
resented, and obliged him to atone for it, by his Legend of good
Women, a piece as chaste as the others were luxuriously amorous, and,
under the name of the Daisy, he veils lady Margaret, whom of all his
patrons he most esteemed.

Thus loved and honoured, his younger years were dedicated to pleasure
and the court. By the recommendation of the Dutchess Blanch, he
married one Philippa Rouet, sister to the guardianess of her grace's
children, who was a native of Hainault: He was then about thirty years
of age, and being fixed by marriage, the king began to employ him in
more public and advantageous posts. In the forty-sixth year of his
majesty's reign, Chaucer was sent to Venice in commission with others,
to treat with the Doge and Senate of Genoa, about affairs of great
importance to our state. The duke of Lancaster, whose favourite
passion was ambition, which demanded the assistance of learned
men, engaged warmly in our poet's interest; besides, the duke was
remarkably fond of Lady Catherine Swynford, his wife's sister, who
was then guardianess to his children, and whom he afterwards made his
wife; thus was he doubly attached to Chaucer, and with the varying
fortune of the duke of Lancaster we find him rise or fall. Much about
this time, for his successful negociations at Genoa, the king granted
to him by letters patent, by the title of Armiger Noster, one
pitcher of wine daily in the port of London, and soon after made him
comptroller of the customs, with this particular proviso, that he
should personally execute the office, and write the accounts relating