Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Thomas Hoccleve

English Poet and Clerk

"Prudence, temperance, strengthe, and right, The foure ben vertues principal."

"Lament for Chaucer - ALLAS! my worthi maister honorable, This landes verray tresor and richesse! Deth by thy deth hath harme irreparable Unto us doon: hir vengeable duresse Despoiled hath this land of the swetnesse Of rethorik; for unto Tullius Was never man so lyk amonges us. Also who was hier in philosophie To Aristotle in our tonge but thou? The steppes of Virgile in poesie Thou folwedist eeke, men wot wel ynow. Thou combre-worlde that the my maister slow-- Wolde I slayn were!--Deth, was to hastyf To renne on thee and reve the thi lyf... She myghte han taried hir vengeance a while Til that sum man had egal to the be; Nay, lat be that! sche knew wel that this y1e May never man forth brynge lyk to the, And hir office needes do mot she: God bad hir so, I truste as for the beste; O maister, maister, God thi soule reste! "

"If those men who to be lovers pretend Behaved more faithfully and did not lie, And dreaded to deceive or to offend, Then women might not choose to pass them by. But each man's heart's a fickle butterfly Which can alight on one just a short while. Can it be wrong in this case to beguile?"

"As for the moré part Youth is rebél Unto Reasón, and hateth her doctrine."

"Many a servant unto his Lord saith That all the world speaketh of him honóur, When the contrary of that is sooth in faith"

"O master dear and reverend father, my master Chaucer, flower of eloquence, mirror of fruitful wisdom, O universal father of knowledge! Alas, that on thy mortal bed thou mightest not bequeath thine excellent prudence! What aileth Death? Alas, why would he slay thee?"

"With books of his ornate writing That is to all this land illuminating."