Geoffrey Chaucer was born around 1345 and died in 1400 (his tomb states death on October 25, 1400). He was a public servant and as such left records behind pertaining mostly to his public life. These records document a very active career but unfortunately do not touch on his work or his personality. His personality, I believe, can be derived from his works: such beautiful, joyous, life-affirming work can only reflect the author.  His public life consisted of many roles: "Chaucer was a soldier, an esquire of the king's household, a ember of diplomatic missions, a controller of customs, a justice of the peace, a member of Parliament, the clerk of the king's works in charge of building and repair at ten royal residences, and a forest official. His responsibilites brought him in contact with many kinds of people, among them: king, chief justice, bishop, and countess; merchant, money-lender, and friar; minstrel, soldier, gardener and highway robber"1. Whew! And he still had time to write poetry rivaled only, in my opinion, by Shakespeare.

His personal life is sketchy. Chaucer married Phillippa, the daughter of Sir Payne Roet. References to her stop in 1387, when it is presumed she died. They are believed to have produced two sons and a daughter. There are disagreements about whether he had children. But Chaucer addressed "little Lewis my son" in his work Treatise on the Astrolabe and it is safely assumed that he was addressing his biological son. He received pay for his public work and also received annuities from the court, first from Richard II and continued under Henry IV. Little is known of Chaucer's final years. In December of 1399 he took on a fifty-three year lease near Westminister Abbey and continued to collect his annuties. After this there is no more known of his personal life.

Chaucer was fluent in French and Latin, both languages held in higher esteem than the lowly "common" English. In fact Norman French was the official language in the court of England during Chaucer's time though this was giving way to the use of English. Perhaps the most endearing quality of Chaucer was his love for the English language. He wrote in 1391 "God save the King who is lord of this language". He got his desire in 1399 when Henry IV ascended the throne in English. It does not seem to me "natural" that he would pick English to write his works. Other English writers (notably Gower) mostly utilized French and Latin. I think Chaucer had a true affection for English and his works as evidenced in what he wrote at the end of Troilus: 

Go, litel bok, go, litel myn tragedye,
Ther God thi makere yet, er that he dye,
So sende myght to make in som comedye!
But litel book, no makyng thow n'envie,
But subgit be to alle poesye;
And kis the steppes where as thow seest pace
Virgile, Ovide, Omer, Lucan, and Stace.

Go, little book! If only God would send
Your author still, my little tragedy,
Some comedy to write before his end!
Go, and on no man's work look enviously,
But be a servant of all poetry,
And kiss the steps their passing has made gracious-
Vergil, Ovid, Homer, Lucan and Statius.


And ther is so gret diversite
In Englissh and in writyng of oure tonge,
So prey I God that non myswrite the,
Ne the mysmetre for defaute of tonge;
And red wherso thow be, or elles songe,
That thow be understonde, God I biseche!
(V. 1786-98)  

And since there is so great diversity
In English and the writing of our speech,
For lack of language may you never be
Miswritten nor mismetered, I beseech,
And read or sung, wherever your words may reach
May you be understood, to God I pray!

The greatness of Chaucer's poetry was acknowledged in his time by other poets and royalty. It has continued to be so in every century since his death. And yes Chaucer was correct: there have been many changes in the English language. Luckily for us, through the hard work of scholars, we can enjoy Chaucer's litel bok that is not miswritten or mismetered.

1: The Riverside Chaucer. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1987. F.N. Robinson, ed.

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