2. HISTORICAL ALLUSIONS. The references to contemporary history are but few. The death of the Lady Blaunche is commemorated in the Book of the Duchesse. He refers to good queen Anne, L. G. W. 255, 275, 496; to the archbishop of Canterbury, C. T., B 4635; to 'this pestilence,' C 679; to Tyler's rebellion, A 2459; and Jack Straw, B 4584. Perhaps the Complaints of Mars and Venus refer to real personages; see the Notes to those poems. He mentions Dante, H. F. 450, L. G. W. 360, C. T. B 3651, D 1126; Petrarch, C. T., E 31, 1147; Pedro the Cruel, king of Spain, C. T., B 3565, Bertrand du Gueschlin, 3573, and Sir Oliver Mauny, 3576; Peter, king of Cyprus, 3581; Bernabo Visconti, duke of Milan, 3589, and the 'tyrants' of Lombardy, L. G. W. 374; Ugolino of Pisa and the archbishop Ruggieri, C. T., B 3597, 3606. There are several allusions to recent events in the Prologue, A 51-66, 86, 276, 399; and perhaps in C. T., E 995-1001. His literary allusions are too numerous to be here recited. The reader can consult the Index in vol. vi. § 47. ALLUSIONS TO CHAUCER. One of the earliest allusions to Chaucer as a poet occurs in the works of Eustache Deschamps, a contemporary poet of France. It is remarkable that he chiefly praises him as being 'a great translator.' Perhaps this was before his longest poems were written; there is express reference to his translation of Le Roman de la Rose, and, possibly, to Boethius. The poem tells us that Deschamps had sent Chaucer a copy of some of his poems by a friend named Clifford, and he hopes to receive something of Chaucer's in return. The poem is here quoted entire, from the edition of Deschamps by le Marquis de Queux de Saint-Hilaire, published for the Société des Anciens Textes Français, t. ii. p. 138:-- 'O Socrates plains de philosophie, Seneque en meurs et Anglux en pratique, Ovides grans en ta poeterie, Bries en parler, saiges en rethorique, Aigles treshaulz, qui par ta theorique Enlumines le regne d'Eneas, L'Isle aux Geans, ceuls de Bruth, et qui as Semé les fleurs et planté le rosier, Aux ignorans de la langue pandras, Grant translateur, noble Geffroy Chaucier. Tu es d'amours mondains Dieux en Albie: Et de la Rose, en la terre Angelique, Qui d'Angela saxonne, est puis flourie Angleterre, d'elle ce nom s'applique Le derrenier en l'ethimologique; En bon anglès le livre translatas; Et un vergier ou du plant demandas De ceuls qui font pour eulx autorisier, A ja longtemps que tu edifias, Grant translateur, noble Geffroy Chaucier. A toy pour ce de la fontaine Helye Requier avoir un buvraige autentique, Dont la doys est du tout en ta baillie, Pour rafrener d'elle ma soif ethique, Qui en Gaule seray paralitique Jusques a ce que tu m'abuveras. Eustaces sui, qui de mon plant aras: Mais pran en gré les euvres d'escolier Que par Clifford de moy avoir pourras, Grant translateur, noble Geffroy Chaucier. LENVOY.