With regard to the services which the Household Books prescribe for the esquires, I shall say nothing. In the public records, however, I have found special services to which the individual esquires were assigned. In the first place certain of these men—even those who appear in the list of 1368 as "esquiers," and in that of 1369 as "esquiers de greindre estat," or "esquiers de meindre degree"—performed special functions of a character which makes it seem unlikely that they ever did the service which the Household Books required of an esquire of the king's household. In the list of 1368, for example, Esmon Rose was custodian of the great horses of the king [Footnote: Issues, P. 216, mem. 18.], Hugh Lyngeyn was a buyer of the household [Footnote: Pat. Roll 1384, p. 435.], Nicholas Prage was first king's minstrel, and later serjeant at arms, [Footnote: Issues, P. 228, mem. 24, 36 Edw. III, P. 273, mem. 11, 50 Edw. III.] Simond de Bokenham was chief serjeant of the larder [Footnote: Cal. Pat. Roll 1378, p. 165.], and John Legge was serjeant at arms [Footnote: Rymer III, 2,891.].

Secondly, certain of the esquires held special offices in the king's chamber. John Herlyng and Walter Walsh were ushers of the king's chamber [Footnote: Cal. Pat. Roll 1378, p. 133, idem p. 150.]. John de Beauchamp was keeper of the king's jewels or receiver of the king's chamber for some years up to 11 Richard II [Footnote: Cal. Pat. Roll 1384, p. 488.]; then for a short time he was Seneschall (steward) of the king's household [Footnote: Issues, P. 316, mem. 2.].

Thomas Cheyne was in 43 Edward III keeper of the keys of the coffers of the king's jewels [Footnote: Pat. Roll 279, mem. 33.]. John de Salesbury was at different times called usher of the king's chamber and keeper of the king's jewels [Footnote: Cal. Pat. Roll 1385, p. 15, Cal. Pat. Roll 1381-5 passim.]. Helmyng Leget was from 1362 for many years receiver of the king's chamber, his business being to keep the king's money, receive it from various people and pay it out [Footnote: Rymer, vol. 3, p. 911.]. Thirdly, esquires were frequently being sent about England on the king's business. For example in 1385 Simon de Bukenham was appointed buyer of horses for the king's expedition into Scotland [Footnote: Cal. Pat. Roll, p. 579.]; in 1370 Laurence Hauberk was sent to Berwick-upon-Tweed and from there by sea-coast to retain shipping for the passage of Robert Knolles to Normandy [Footnote: Devon's Issues, p. 136.]; similarly at other times Helmyng Leget and John Romesey, John de Salesbury and Thomas Spigurnell were detailed to take ships for royal expeditions [Footnote: Issues, p. 270, mem. not numbered, p. 262, mem. 13, p. 298, mem. 23. Rymer, vol. 3, p. 90.]. Again, Walter Whithors in 1370 was sent to York to borrow money from divers abbots, priors and others for the king's use [Footnote: Devon's Issues, p. 111.], in 1370 John de Beauchamp was sent to the abbot of Gloucester to borrow money for the king's use [Footnote: idem, p. 153. Issues, P. 308, mem.], and in 7 Richard II Walter Chippenham was assigned to raise money for the king's use out of the lands of the late Edmund Mortimer, Count of March [Footnote: Similarly Geoffrey Stucle, P. 298, mem. 23.]. In 5 Richard II Simon de Burgh was appointed to inquire into the possessions held by the rebels who had lately risen against the king in Cambridge [Footnote: idem, P. 305, mem. 3.]. In 47 Edward III, Nicholas Dabridgecourt was appointed to convey the children of Charles of Bloys from the custody of Roger Beauchamp to that of Robert de Morton [Footnote: idem, p. 262, mem. 14.]. Of less importance but equal frequency are the employments of esquires to convey money from the king's treasury or from some customs house to the king's wardrobe; John de Beauchamp de Holt le ffitz, Hugh Cheyne, Rauf de Knyveton, Walter Chippenham and Robert la Zouche were at various times so employed [Footnote: Issues, P. 229, mem. 24, P. 217, mem. 22, Devon, P. 156, P. 281, mem. 2, P. 213, mem. 24, P. 229, mem. 19.].

Of course during the King's wars many of the esquires served in the army abroad. In the Issues of the Exchequer for 1370, for example, many entries of this type appear—John de Beverle—L107 15 s. 5 d. due in the wardrobe for the expenses of himself, his men at arms and archers in the war. Devon p. 483. Hugh Cheyne, idem, p. 449, Robert de Corby, idem, p. 461. Collard Dabridgecourt, p. 461. Helming Leget, idem p. 447. John Legge, idem p. 449. Thomas Spigurnell, p. 490, etc.

Most interesting with relation to Chaucer, however, is the employment of esquires on missions abroad. Apparently certain individuals were assigned especially to this kind of business and many of these were kept almost constantly engaged in it. For example, George Felbrig, in 51 Edward III, was sent on the King's secret business to John Duke of Brittany in Flanders. [Footnote: Issues, P. 274, mem. 11.] In 2 Richard he was sent with John Burle and others on King's secret business to Milan. [Footnote: idem, P. 298, mem. 20.] In 4 Richard II he was sent to the King of the Romans and of Bohemia on secret business touching the King's marriage. [Footnote: idem, P. 303, mem 2.] In 5 Richard II he was sent again to Flanders. [Footnote: idem, P. 305, mem 13.] In 11 Richard II (being then Knight of the King's chamber) he was sent to Middelburgh to receive the homage of the Duke of Gueldres, [Footnote: idem, P. 316, mem. 2.] and again in 14 Richard II he was sent on the King's business to the King of the Romans and of Bohemia. [Footnote: idem, P. 323, mem. 5.] That the service was not a special honour but merely a business function of the esquire is clear from the fact that Felbrig was on one occasion called, "King's messenger beyond seas." [Footnote: Cal. Pat. Roll 1384, P. 367.]

Similarly Geoffrey Stucle (whose career, I have already pointed out, closely parallels Chaucer's) made many voyages abroad in the King's business between 33 Edward III and 2 Richard II. In 33 Edward III, and again in 35 Edward III, he was sent to Normandy on the King's business. [Footnote: Issues, P. 223, mem. 17, A 169, mem. 30, mem 38.] On many of his missions he merely carried letters to John of Gaunt, (in Devon's Issues 1370, for example, five such missions in a single year are mentioned), or to various nobles directing them to arm themselves for an expedition under John of Gaunt. [Footnote: idem, P. 262, mem. 9.] Likewise Stephen Romylowe was employed on many missions from 25 Edward III on. [Footnote: idem 25 Edw. III, P. mem 21, 37.] In 30 Edward III he was sent "in nuncio domini Regis" to Flanders, [Footnote: idem, P. 214, mem. not numbered.] in 31 Edward III on another mission, [Footnote: idem P. 217, mem. 18.] in 32 Edward III with John de Beauchamp, banneret, to Holland, Flanders, Zealand, etc. [Footnote: idem P. 220, mem. 15.] These are the most important examples of such employment, but many other esquires—notably John Padbury, who in 1368 was an "esquier survenant" [Footnote: Issues, P. 294 (?) mem. 20, P. 211, mem. 7, P. 214, mem. 23, P. 218, mem. 2, etc.]—made occasional voyages.