The Story of LondonWheatley, Henry B. (Henry Benjamin)
History
The Story of London
Wheatley, Henry B. (Henry Benjamin)
London (England) -- History
Robert Grosvenor, or his ancestors, said, No: but that he was once in
Friday Street, London, and walking up the street he observed a new sign
hanging out, with these arms thereon, and inquired what inn that was
that had hung out these arms of Scrope? And one answered, saying: "They
are not hung out, Sir, for the arms of Scrope, nor painted there for
those arms; but they are painted and put there by a knight of the county
of Chester, called Sir Robert Grosvenor," and that was the first time he
ever heard speak of Sir Robert Grosvenor, or his ancestors, or of anyone
bearing the name of Grosvenor.'[66]
Friday Street was close by old St. Paul's, the glory of the city, which
was magnificent within and without. When Chaucer knew it, the fine tomb
of Sir John Beauchamp (d. 1358), constable of Dover Castle, in the
middle aisle of the nave, was new. This monument was the chief object in
the nave, and came to be called incorrectly Duke Humphry's Tomb, and the
nave from it was styled Duke Humphry's Walk. The stately tomb of John of
Gaunt (d. 1399), which was later on the most prominent object in the
choir, was probably not erected in Chaucer's lifetime.
The old Cathedral was full of chantries, as were the other churches of
London. The number of chantry priests gave great offence, as appears in
_Piers Plowman_, and the works of the other poets. The Poor Parson is
described in the Prologue of the _Canterbury Tales_ as attending to his
own flock, and not performing the services of the dead at other
shrines:--
'He sette not his benefice to hire,
And lette his sheep accombred in the mire,
And ran unto London, into Seint Paules,
To seken him a chaunterie for soules.'
Outside Newgate, Chaucer went up Cow Lane (now King Street) to
Smithfield, the open space appropriated to tournaments, markets and
shows, to prepare for the jousts to be held before the King and his
Queen in 1390.
Passing from London to Westminster we come to the Mews (the site of the
present National Gallery), which Chaucer had for a time under his
charge. He settled in the precincts of Westminster Abbey, and there
passed away. It has been erroneously stated, on the authority of Stow,
that Chaucer was first buried in the cloisters. This is refuted by
Caxton's distinct statement that the body was first buried in front of
the Chapel of St. Benedict. In 1555 or 1556 it was removed to its
present position in the tomb prepared for it by Nicholas Brigham, where
it has become the central object of the world-renowned Poets'
Corner.[67] The last place to be mentioned, and the one which he has
chiefly immortalised, is the High Street, Southwark, called also Long
Southwark. Here was the Tabard,[68] where gathered the Canterbury
Pilgrims, who set out on their pilgrimage under the leadership of Harry
Bailly. Bailly was a real personage, and at one time Member of
Parliament for Southwark.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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