Homes and Haunts of the Most Eminent British Poets, Vol. 1 (of 2)Howitt, William
History
Homes and Haunts of the Most Eminent British Poets, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Howitt, William
Literary landmarks -- Great Britain; Poets, English -- Homes and haunts
pardon for him, but without aiding him in his exile, where he became
greatly distressed for want of pecuniary supplies. Such ingratitude, we
may suppose, gave him more uneasiness than the consequences of it; but
it did not lessen his courage, as he soon ventured to return to England.
On this he was discovered, and committed to the Tower, where, after
being treated with great rigor, he was promised his pardon if he would
disclose all he knew, and put it in the power of the government to
restore the peace of the city. His former resolution appears now to have
failed him; or, perhaps, indignation at the ungrateful conduct of his
associates, induced him to think disclosure a matter of indifference. It
is certain that he complied with the terms offered; but we are not told
what was the amount of his confession, or what the consequences were to
others, or who they were that he informed against. We know only that he
obtained his liberty, and that an oppressive share of blame and obloquy
followed. To alleviate his regret for this treatment, and partly to
vindicate his own conduct, he now wrote The Testament of Love; and
although this piece, from want of dates and obscurity of style, is not
sufficient to form a very satisfactory biographical document, it at
least furnishes the preceding account of his exile and return."
This account is attended with its difficulties. Chalmers states this
exile to have occurred about the 3d or 4th of Richard II.; Tyrwhitt in
the eleventh of that reign. One thing is certain, that if it occurred in
the eleventh, the whole period of his exile and troubles lasted only two
years; for in the 13th of Richard II. he was in great favor at court,
and made clerk of the works at Westminster. Again, the two years during
which he claimed protection from the king are stated by Chalmers to be
from the 2d of Richard, and by Tyrwhitt, quoting Rymer, are dated from
the twenty-first of that reign. It appears, however, pretty certain that
he was reduced to great pecuniary distress, and obliged to screen
himself from the persecutions of his creditors under the royal grant of
protection. There can be little doubt that Rymer is the correct
authority, and that it occurred in the 21st of Richard. About the time
of the termination of this grant of protection, he would see his
protector also reduced to the need of protection himself; which he did
not find, but was deposed, and succeeded by Henry IV., who confirmed to
our poet the grants of the unfortunate monarch Richard.
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