Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Whether this was true that so he spake, as one that gaue too much credit to foolish prophesies & vaine tales, or whether it was fained, as in such cases it commonlie happeneth, we leaue it to the aduised rea|der to iudge.

He is buried at Canturbu|rie.

His issue.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 But yet to speake a truth, by his proceedings, af|ter he had atteined to the crowne, what with such taxes, tallages, subsidies, and exactions as he was constreined to charge the people with; and what by punishing such as mooued with disdeine to see him v|surpe the crowne (contrarie to the oth taken at his entring into this land, vpon his returne from exile) did at sundrie times rebell against him, he wan him|selfe more hatred, than in all his life time (if it had beene longer by manie yeares than it was) had beene possible for him to haue weeded out & remooued. And yet doubtlesse, woorthie were his subiects to tast of that bitter cup, sithens they were so readie to ioine and clappe hands with him, for the deposing of their rightfull and naturall prince king Richard, whose chéefe fault rested onlie in that, that he was too boun|tifull to his fréends, and too mercifull to his foes; spe|ciallie if he had not béene drawne by others, to séeke reuenge of those that abused his good and courteous nature. ¶But now to returne to the matter present. The duke of Clarence immediatlie vpon knowlege had of his father king Henrie the fourth his death, returned out of Guien into England, with the earle of Angolesme, and other prisoners.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Now will were hearse what writers of our Eng|lish nation liued in the daies of this king. That re|nowmed poet Geffrie Chaucer is woorthilie named as principall, a man so exquisitlie learned in all scien|ces, that his match was not lightlie found any where in those daies; and for reducing our English toong to a perfect conformitie, he hath excelled therein all o|ther; he departed this life about the yeare of our Lord 1402, as Bale gathereth: but by other it appeareth, Iohn Stow. that he deceassed the fiue and twentith of October in the yeare 1400, and lieth buried at Westminster, in the south part of the great church there, as by a mo|nument erected by Nicholas Brigham it doth ap|peare. Iohn Gower descended of that woorthie fami|lie of the Gowers of Stitenham in Yorkeshire (as Leland noteth) studied not onelie the common lawes of this realme, but also other kinds of literature, and great knowledge in the same, namelie in poeticall inuentions, applieng his indeuor with Chaucer, to garnish the English toong, in bringing it from a rude vnperfectnesse, vnto a more apt elegancie: for where|as before those daies, the learned vsed to write onelie in Latine or French, and not in English, our toong remained verie barren, rude, and vnperfect; but now EEBO page image 542 by the diligent industrie of Chaucer and Gower, it was within a while greatlie amended, so as it grew not onelie verie rich and plentifull in words, but also so proper and apt to expresse that which the mind con|ceiued, as anie other vsuall language. Gower depar|ted this life shortlie after the deceasse of his déere and louing freend Chaucer; to wit, in the yeare 1402, being then come to great age, and blind for a cer|teine time before his death. He was buried in the church of saint Marie Oueries in Southwarke.