"But for ye speken of swiche gentillesse,
As is descended out of old richesse."
Cant. Tales, 6691.
—"And he that ones to love doeth his homage
Full oftentymes dere bought is the richesse."
La Belle Dame sans mercy, 323.
The word richesse here is no more plural than gentilnesse, distresse, doublenesse, which the author uses in the same poem; and riches now, in strictness of speech, is no more plural than gentleness, distress, or any other word of similar ending. When Chaucer had occasion for a plural, he wrote the word richesses; as in the Tale of Melibeus: "Thou hast dronke so muche hony of swete temporal richesses and delices and honors of this world," &c.—— Works, vol. 4. p. 170. Bell's edit.
The word riches therefore is in the singular number and merely an abbreviation of richesse; as distress is of distresse; weakness, of weaknesse, &c. and the reason why the plural richesses has been neglected, may be, that the idea it conveys does not admit of number any more than that of wealth, which is also destitute of a plural form.
"Was ever riches gotten by your golden mediocrities?"——Cowley on Cromwell's Gov.
"When love has taken all thou hast away,
His strength by too much riches will decay."
Cowley.