Philip de la Vache ""The Canterbury Tales"". However, the reference to Vache in Chaucer's poem may on good grounds also be a pun on his own name. The phrase Vache, leve! in the first line of the Envoy corresponds to medieval French Vache, reïs!, 'cow, leave!'. The French phase reïs, Vache!, (REISVACHE), when reversed, becomes CHAVSIER, the French form of the poet's name (this is a so-called palindrome). In the First Book of Kings in the Old Testament, the cows on their way to Beth Shemesh are likened to holy men, or monks on their way to the Heavenly Jerusalem. Chaucer may have regarded
Richard de la Vache for a new campaign in France. In 1356 he became Knight of the Garter upon the death of John de Lisle. In 1358, Richard was steward of the forest of Sherwood. In 1361 he was appointed constable of the Tower of London for life and was succeeded by Sir Alan Buxhull, a fellow Knight of the Garter. In 1362 and 1364 he received letters of safe conduct for travel to the continent, probably to participate in military campaigns. Richard's son, Sir Philip, was also a Knight of the Garter. Richard de la Vache Sir Richard de la Vache, KG (d.1366)