"vallettus"; in 42 and 43 Edward III he is "armiger"; in 47 Edward III
he is once "vallettus" and once "armiger"; in 49 Edward III he is called
"armiger" twice; in 50 Edward III, and 1 and 2 Richard II he is called
"armiger." [Footnote: Pat. Roll 269, mem. 43, 273 mem. 35, 265 mem. 1,
275 mem. 24, 293 mem. 19, 267 mem. 21, Issues p. 223, mem. 17, 222 mem.
20, A 169 mem. 130, p. 229, mem. 22, mem. 25 (twice) p. 217, mem. 14,
18, p. 235, mem. 1, 248 mem. not numbered, 249 mem. 4, 264 mem. not
numbered, 262 mem. 9, 271 mem. 17, 273 mem. 20. 295 mem. 11.] From this
and the other cases in the list of esquires, it is clear that the term
"esquier" (the equivalent of scutifer and armiger) indicates a rank
above that of "vallettus." The members of Chaucer's group, in nearly
every case, were at first entitled "valletti" and then in course of time
became "esquiers." Whatever may be the conclusion with regard to the
meaning of those titles, however, it is clear, from the facts cited
above, that the list of "esquiers" of 1368 and not that of the "esquiers
de meindre degree" of 1369, gives the names of the men who were actually
in the same class as Chaucer. Consequently in the consideration of the
esquires which follows greater attention will be paid to the "esquiers"
of 1368 than to the other classes.




SERVICES


With regard to the services which the Household Books prescribe for the
esquires, I shall say nothing. In the public records, however, I have
found special services to which the individual esquires were assigned.
In the first place certain of these men--even those who appear in the