My Master _Chaucer_, with his fresh Comedies, Is dead alas, chief Poet of _Brittaine_, That whilom made full pitous Tradgedies, The faule of Princes he did complaine, As he that was of making Soveraine; Whom all this Land should of right preferre Sith of our Language he was the load-sterre. Also in his Book which he writeth of the Birth of the Virgin _Mary_, he hath these Verses. And eke my Master _Chaucer_ now is in grave, The noble Rhetore, Poet of _Britaine_, That worthy was the Laurel to have Of Poetry, and the Palm attaine, That made first to distill and raine The Gold dew drops of Speech and Eloquence, Into our Tongue through his Eloquence. That excellent and learned _Scottish_ Poet _Gawyne Dowglas_ Bishop of _Dunkeld_, in the Preface of _Virgil's Eneados_ turned into _Scottish_ Verse, doth thus speak of _Chaucer_; Venerable _Chaucer_, principal Poet without pere, Heavenly Trumpet, orloge, and regulere, In Eloquence, Baulme, Conduct, and Dyal, Milkie Fountaine, Cleare Strand, and Rose Ryal, Of fresh endite through _Albion_ Island brayed In his Legend of Noble Ladies fayed. And as for men of latter time, Mr._Ascham_ and Mr. _Spenser_ have delivered most worthy Testimonies of their approving of him. Mr._Ascham_, in one place calleth him _English Homer_, and makes no doubt to say, that he valueth his Authority of as high estimation as he did either _Sophocles_ or _Euripides_ in _Greek_. And in another place, where he declareth his Opinion of _English_ Versifying, he useth these Words; Chaucer _and_ Petrark _those two worthy Wits, deserve just praise_. And last of all, in his Discourse of _Germany_, he putteth him nothing behind either _Thucydides_ or _Homer_, for his lively Descriptions of Site of Places, and Nature of Persons, both in outward Shape of Body, and inward Disposition of Mind; adding this withal, That not the proudest that hath written in any Tongue whatsoever, for his time hath outstript him. Mr. _Spenser_ in his first Eglogue of his _Shepherds Kalendar_, calleth him _Tityrus_, the God of Shepherds, comparing him to the worthiness of the _Roman Tityrus, Virgil_. In his _Fairy Queen_, in his Discourse of Friendship, as thinking himself most worthy to be _Chaucer_'s friend, for his like natural disposition that _Chaucer_ had; he writes, That none that lived with him, nor none that came after him, durst presume to revive _Chaucer_'s lost labours in that imperfect Tale of the Squire, but only himself: which he had not done, had he not felt (as he saith) the infusion of _Chaucer_'s own sweet Spirit surviving within him. And a little before, he calls him the most Renowned and Heroical Poet, and his Writings the Works of Heavenly Wit; concluding his commendation in this manner: _Dan Chaucer_ well of _English_ undefiled, On Fames eternal Bead-roll worthy to be filed; I follow here the footing of thy feet, That with thy meaning so I may the rather meet.