conjecture that Chaucer’s ancestors were merchants, of no valydytye.] Next yo{u} seme to implye by a coniecturall argumente, that Chaucers auncesters sholde be m{e}rcha{n}ts, for that in place where they haue dwelled the armes of the marchantes of the staple haue bin seene in the glasse windowes. This ys a mere coniecture, and of no valydytye. For the m{a}rchantes of the staple had not any armes granted to them (as I haue bin enformed) vntill longe after the deathe of Chaucers parentes, w{hi}che was aboute the 10 or 12 of Edwarde the thirde; and those merchantes had no armes before the tyme of Henrye the sixte, or muchewhat thereaboutes, as I dobt not but wilbe well proued, yf I be not mysenformed. But admytte the staplers had then armes, yt ys no argume{n}te that chaucers auncesters were merchantes because those armes were in the wyndowes, as you shall well p{er}ceave, yf yo{u} drawe yt into a syllogisme, and therefore yo{u} did well to conclude, that yt was not materiall whether they were merchants or noo. [Sidenote: Master Speight misquoteth Gower.] In the title of Chaucer’s educat{i}one, yo{u} saye that Gower in his booke entituled confessio amantis termethe Chaucer a worthye poet, and maketh hym as yt were the iudge of his woorkes; in w{hi}che Booke, to my knowledge, Gower dothe not terme hym a worthye poet, (althoughe I confesse he well deserueth that name, and that the same may be gathered oute of Gower comendynge hym,) nether doth he after a sorte (for any thinge I canne yet see) make hym iudge of his workes, (whereof I wolde be glad to be enformed,) since these be Gowers woordes, vttered by Venus in that booke of confessio Amantis: And grete well Chaucer when ye mete, As my disciple and my poet: for in the flowere of his youthe, In sondrye wise, as he well couthe, of dytyes and of songes glade the whiche for my sake he made, the laude fulfilled is ouer all: wherefore to hym in especiall aboue all others I am most holde; for thy nowe in his dayes olde, thow shalt hym tell this message, that he vppon his latter age sett an ende of all his werke, as he whiche is myne owne clerke do make his _testament of Love_, as thow hast done thy shrift ab[o]ue, so that my Courte yt may recorde, &c. [Sidenote: Chaucer submitteth his works to Gower, not Gower to Chaucer.] These be all the verses w{hi}che I knowe or yet canne fynde, in whiche Gower in that booke mentioneth Chaucer, where he nether nameth hym worthye poet, nor after a sorte submyttethe his workes to his iudgmente. But quite contrarye Chaucer doth submytte the correctione of his woorks to Gower in these playne woordes, in the latter ende of the fyfte booke of Troylus: O Morall Gower, this booke I directe To the, and the philosophicall stroode, To vouchesafe where nede is to correcte Of your benignityes and zeales good.