Page [15]. Matheu Gournay de comitatu Somerset. This personage, whose name has been inserted by the second hand, was a very distinguished warrior in the French wars, and has been supposed to have been the model of the Knight in Chaucer's Canterbury
Pilgrims. His epitaph at Stoke upon Hampden in Somersetshire, which has been preserved by Leland, describes him as "le noble et vaillant chivaler Maheu de Gurney, iadys seneschal de Landes et capitain du chastel Daques por nostre seignor le Roy en la duche de Guyene, qui en sa vie fu a la batail de Beaumarin, et ala apres a la siege Dalgezire sur les Sarazines, et auxi a les batailles de Lescluse, de Cressy, de Yngenesse, de Peyteres, de Nazara, Dozrey, et a plusiurs autres batailles et asseges, en les quex il gaina noblement graund los et honour per lespece de xxxxiiij et xvj ans, et morust le xxvj jour de Septembre, l'an nostre Seignor Jesu Christ Mccccvj, que de salme Dieux eit mercy. Amen." (See Records of the House of Gournay, by Daniel Gurney, esq. F.S.A. p. 681.)
Page [68]. Sir John Fastolfe's victualling of the Bastille. This anecdote is illustrated by the following passage of one of sir John's books of accompt:—
"Item, in like wise is owing to the said Fastolfe for the keeping and victualling of the
Bastile of St. Anthony in Paris, as it appeareth by writing sufficient, and by the creditors
of sir John Tyrel knight, late treasurer of the King's house, remaining in the exchequer
of Westminster of record, the sum of xlij li.
(Paston Letters, iii. 269.)