Since the assertions with regard to John of Gaunt's ascendancy over
Chaucer's career have been so common, however, we ought to take up the
matter point by point. We have no reason to connect John of Gaunt with
Chaucer's start in the world--his employment in the household of the
Countess of Clarence. We know that Chaucer's father had relations with
the court and, although merely a merchant, he may very likely have
secured Chaucer's appointment to the place in the Countess's household,
as the fathers of Simon de Burley (not a merchant, but a man of no
rank), Michael de la Pole, (a merchant), John Legge, Thomas Frowyk and
Thomas Hauteyn obtained appointments for their children in the
households of the Prince of Wales and of the King. This was an age when
the merchant class was obtaining unusual power and privileges. Richard
II, it will be remembered, was called the "Londoner's King." It has been
shown that John of Gaunt visited the Countess of Clarence at Christmas
1357, and it has been suggested that he may have met Chaucer then and
taken a liking to him. Of actual meeting, however, we have no proof.
Chaucer was in the service of the Duke of Clarence in October 1860.
[Footnote: See Modern Lang. Notes March 1912 article of Dr. Samuel Moore
on The New Chaucer Item.]; the Duchess of Clarence died in 1363; and we
learn of him next in the King's household in 1367. The transition from
the household of the wife of one of the King's sons to that of the King
himself is one which can be paralleled in many cases; we have no need to
suppose patronage on the part of the Duke of Lancaster to account for
it. As a matter of fact we have no reason to suppose that John of Gaunt
knew anything of Chaucer at this time.

The diplomatic missions, and the grants of annuities and offices were
not, as I have shown, evidences of special favour; they were a regular
thing in the King's court. We have no reason to suppose that John of