The king was pleased with the poetry, and the young page
became quite a favourite with him. He afterwards became known as the
"Father of English Poetry." His name was Chaucer, and he achieved
immortality by his "Canterbury Tales." He was not only successful in his
own love affairs, but assisted John o' Gaunt with his, and was
instrumental in obtaining for him the hand of Blanche of Lancaster, who
had inherited from her father, the Duke of Lancaster, an enormous
fortune, of which Kenilworth formed a part. Chaucer wrote an
allegorical history of that love story in his poem entitled "Chaucer's
Dream," and John o' Gaunt being a true friend, as was shown by his
protection of his friend John Wiclif, the great reformer, Chaucer had no
reason to regret the services he had rendered, for his fortunes rose
with those of John o' Gaunt, whose great power and wealth dated from the
marriage. Chaucer described Woodstock Park as being walled round with
green stone, and it was said to have been the first walled park in
England. Richard III held a tournament in it at Christmas 1389, at which
the young Earl of Pembroke was accidentally killed. Henry VII made
additions to the palace, and built the front gate-house in which his
granddaughter Elizabeth, afterwards Queen of England, was imprisoned by
command of her sister Mary, when she wrote with charcoal on one of the
window shutters:
Oh, Fortune, how thy restless wavering state,
Hath fraught with cares my troubled witt.
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