one of that prince's retainers, with a collar. The poet is represented on his tomb with a collar of SS, to which a fwan, Henry's badge, is appended; but, as that badge is believed not to have been affumed by Henry until after the demife of Thomas of Woodstock, duke of Gloucester, in September 1397, the fwan may have been given to Gower at a fubfequent period.* It does not seem too much to prefume, that the collar was presented to the poet as a direct acknowledgment of the dedication of his work, which, as has already been mentioned, was addreffed in the previous year to Henry earl of Derby. In the year 1400, about the time when Chaucer died, Gower, who in the dedication to the Confeffio Amantis had previously complained of fickness,+became blind from old age, and in the year following was obliged to give up writing, as appears from fome Latin verses, which are found in feveral MSS. Feeling the approach of death, he abandoned to others writing about the things of this world, and made preparations for a pious end.§ Nicolas, in Retrofp. Rev. p. 117, from a record in the Duchy of Lancaster Office. + Though I fikenesse have upon honde, vol. 1. p. 4, 5. Printed in Thynne's edition of Chaucer, 1532. fo. 377., b. and, with fome variation, in Balades and other Poems of John Gower, Roxburghe Club, 1818. It has the following Epigraph: Explicit carmen de pacis commendatione, quod ad laudem et memoriam fereniffimi principis domini regis Henrici quarti fuis humilis orator Johannes Gower compofuit." "Henrici quarti primus regni fuit annus, and in MSS. of Vox Clamantis :- "Henrici regis annus fuit ille fecundus, See Retr. Rev. p. 116. "Vana tamen mundi mundo fcribenda reliqui A circumftantial will was executed by him on the day of the Affumption of the holy Virgin, the 15th August 1408 in the Priory of St. Mary Overy's, the motherchurch of Southwark. By it he bequeaths to the Prior, the Sub-prior, the Canons and the fervants of the said convent liberal donations varying from £1 to 1 fhilling each he makes fimilar gifts to the church of St. Mary Magdalen and the four parish churches in Southwark,-St. Margaret's, St. George's, St. Olave's, and St. Mary Magdalen's near Bermondsey-for lamps, garments, and prayers for his foul; and he leaves other fums to the masters and inmates of the Hofpitals of St. Thomas the Martyr in Southwark, St. Thomas Elfingspital, Bedlam, Bishopfgate without, and St. Mary's, Westminster. He defires that his body shall be buried in the Chapel of St. John the Baptist in St. Mary Overy's, and he bequeaths as a perpetual gift for the altar in the faid chapel two coftly filken priest's dreffes, a large new miffal, and a new chalice. The Prior and Convent are alfo to preferve in memory of him a large book entitled Martilogium (Martyrologium), which had recently been written out at his own expense. He next leaves a hundred pounds to his wife Agnes, who is not mentioned in any other document. She is likewise to retain three cups, one coverlet, two faltcellers and twelve spoons of filver, and to have all his beds and chefts with all the appurtenances of hall, pantry, and kitchen, a chalice and garment for the altar of their private chapel, and for the time fhe furvives her husband the full enjoyment of all rents due to him from the lease of his two manors, Southwell in Nottingham, and Multon in Suffolk. He appoints his faid wife; Sir Arnold Savage, knight; an efquire Robert; William Denne, canon of the king's chapel; and John Burton, clerk; his executors. The will was proved by Agnes Gower at Lambeth before Archbishop Thomas Arundel on the 24th of October; * and the administration of the property not specified therein was granted to her on the 7th of November following. Confequently the poet must have died between the 15th of August and 24th of October in that year. Several fubjects connected with this document must remain undecided. A fearch made for the poet's title to the manor of Southwell in Nottingham has been unfuccefsful. No mention is made of his property in Kent, Effex, and Norfolk, and there is no clause whatever referring to a fon and heir. It is afferted by Sir Harris Nicolas: "that fuch an omiffion renders it unlikely that he had iffue, but it is not conclufive. It is manifeft from the probate, that he had other property than that spoken of in his will, and if he had only one fon, or if he had female issue only, he or they would have fucceeded to it; hence it was not requifite, that he should specially provide for them by legacies." The research of the same distinguished genealogist has connected, as the probable descendants of the poet, fuch perfons of the name of Gower as occur in Kent and Surrey during the fifteenth century.§ Another important record concerning Gower is preserved on his tomb and monument still extant in St. Mary Overy's, now St. Saviour's Southwark, of which Blore || has given a good engraving and the following description: "The monument of John Gower is in the Chapel of St. John, in the north aisle of the nave of St. Mary Overy's, * Johannis Gower nuper defuncti, see Teftament, Todd, Illuftrations, p. 87. Blore, Sepulchral Antiquities, and Nicolas, Retr. Rev. p. 103. + Retr. Rev. p. 111. Pro eo, quod idem defunctus nonnulla bona optinuit in diverfis diocefibus noftri Cantuarienfis provincie. See pedigree, Retr. Rev. p. 114. commor is entirel with b and at 1 there a in the i publifh reprefe oblitera the thr lieth, th heades. holdet "Th hand "T hir On his The monumental remains of noble and eminent perfons comprifing the Sepulchral Antiquities of Great Britain, 1826. The chapel of St. John has long fince disappeared; the tomb ftood gr h W LIFE OF JOHN GOWER. xix commonly called St. Saviour's Church, in Southwark. It is entirely of stone, and confifts of a canopy of three arches with bouquet [crocketed] pediments, parted by finials, and at the back of each pediment three niches, of which there are also seven in front of the altar tomb." Berthelette, in the introduction to his edition of the Confeffio Amantis, published in 1532, gives the following defcription of the representations of Charity, Mercy, and Pity, now nearly obliterated, which were painted against the wall within the three upper arches. "Befide on the wall where he lieth, there be peinted three virgins, with crownes on their heades, one of the whiche is written Charitie, and she holdeth this diuife in hir hande: "En toy qui eft filz de dieu le pere Sauve foit qui gift fouz ceft piere. "The fecond is written Mercie, which holdeth in hir hande this diuife: "O bon Jefu fait ta mercie Al alme, dont le corpe gift icy. "The thyrde of them is written Pitee, whiche holdeth in hir hande this diuife followynge: "Pour ta Pite Jefu regarde Et met ceft alme en fauve garde." On the top of the altar tomb is the effigy of the poet; his head reclining on three volumes, reprefenting his three great works and inscribed with their respective titles. The hair falls in large curls on his fhoulders, and is crowned with a chaplet of four roses, originally, as Leland* tells us, intermixed with ivy, " in token, fays Berthelette, that a little weftward of the north transept, until 1830, when it was removed into the fouth transept. * Commentarii, p. 415. Habet ibidem ftatuam duplici infignem nota, nempe aureo torque et hederacea corona rofis interferta, illud militis, hoc poetæ ornamentum. he in his life daies, flourished fresshely in literature and science." It is infcribed, ihi merci. A long robe, closely buttoned down the front, extends from the neck to the feet, which are entirely covered. A collar of SS., from which is fufpended a small swan, chained, the badge of Henry IV, hangs from his neck; his feet rest upon a lion, and above, within a panel of the fide of the canopy, a fhield is fufpended, charged with his arms, Argent on a chevron, Azure, three leopards' heads, Or; crest, on a cap of maintenance, a talbot feiant [paffant]. Under the figure of Mercy are thefe lines: Armigeri fcutum nihil a modo fert tibi tutum; Eft ubi virtutum regnum fine labe ftatutum. On the ledge of the tomb was an infcription, now entirely gone: Hic jacet J. Gower, arm. Angl. poeta celeberrimus ac Huic facro edificio benefac. infignis. Vixit temporibus Ed. III. et R. 11. Adjoining the monument there hung originally a table granting 1500 days' pardon, " ab ecclefia rite conceffos," for all those who devoutly prayed for his foul."* It is affirmed by Leland,† that Gower was one of the principal benefactors of the Priory of St. Mary Overy's, which had been burnt down in 1212, and that he contributed confiderable fums towards rebuilding it in the reign of Richard II. His monument has been repaired three times; first in 1615, next in 1764, and laftly in 1830 by earl Gower, marquis of Stafford, the present duke of Sutherland. *Caxton's Edition of the Confeffio Amantis, 1483, fol. 211. + Commentarii, p. 416, & Collectanea, 1, p. 106. |