[Sidenote: How William Thynne’s collection of Chaucer’s MS. was dispersed abroad.] But to leave this, I must saye that in those many written Bookes of Chaucer, w{hic}he came to my fathers hands, there were manye false copyes, whiche Chaucer shewethe in writinge of Adam Scriuener, (as yo{u} have noted) of whiche written copies there came to me after my fathers deathe some fyve and twentye; whereof some had moore and some fewer tales, and some but two and some three. w{hic}he bookes beinge by me (as one nothinge dobting of this whiche is nowe donne for Chaucer) partly dispersed aboute xxvj years agoo, and partlye stoolen out of my howse at Popler: I gave divers of them to Stephen Batemanne person of Newington, and to div{er}s other, whiche beinge copies unp{er}fecte and some of them corrected by my fathers hande yt maye happen soome of them to coome to some of yo{ur} frendes handes, whiche I knowe yf I see agayne: and yf by anye suche written copies yo{u} have corrected Chaucer, yo{u} maye as well offende as seme to do good. But I judge the beste, for in dobtes I will not resolve with a settled judgement, althoughe yo{u} may iudge this tediouse discourse of my father a needlesse thinge in setting forthe his diligence in breaking the yce, and givinge lighte to others, who may moore easely p{er}fecte then begyne any thinge, for facilius est addere qua{m} Invenire, and so to other matters. [Sidenote: He differeth from Master Speight on Chaucer’s family.] Under the tytle of chaucers countaye,[4] yo{u} seme to make yt probable that Richarde Chaucer vinetener of Londone, was Geffrye Chaucers father, But I holde that no moore the{n} that Johne Chaucer of Londone, was father to Richarde; of whiche Johne I fynde in the recordes in Dorso Rotulor. patent. 24 de anno 30. Ed. 1. in the towre. that kinge Edwarde the firste had herde the compleinte of Johne chaucer of London, who was beaten and hurte, to the domage of one thousand pownde (that some amountinge at this daye to thre thowsande pownde;) for whiche a comiss{i}one went forthe to enquire thereof. wherbye yt semethe that he was of some Reconynge. But as I cannott saye that Johne was father to Richarde, or hee to Geffroye: So yet this muche I will deliuer in settinge downe the antiquytye of the name of chaucer, that his anncesters (as you well coniecture) were strangers, as the etymon of his name (beinge frenche in Englishe synyfyinge one who shueth or hooseth a manne) dothe prove, [Sidenote: Chausier, one who hoseth or shueth a man.] for that dothe the Etymon of this worde chausier presente unto us, of whiche name I have founde (besides the former recyted Johne) on Elias chauseryr lyvinge in the tyme of Henrye the thirde and of Edwarde the firste, of whome the record of pellis exitus in the receyte of the Exchequier in the firste yere of Edwarde ye firste hathe thus noted: “Edwardus dei gra{tia} &c. Liberate de thesauro Nostro Elie chauseryr decem solidos super arreragia