Gower’s Lancastrian Affinity: The Iberian Connection

Abstract

John Gower’s Confessio Amantis exists in two translations of the fifteenth century—one in Portuguese and one in Castilian. Unique manuscripts of each have been discovered in the collections of the libraries of Escorial and the royal palace in Madrid, the latter only a few years ago. The assumption commonly held about the provenance of these translations connects them with the two daughters of John of Gaunt who married kings of Portugal and Castile: specifically, that Philippa of Portugal had a translation made for her husband, and then one for her sister, the translator working from the Portuguese into Castilian. (The evidence of the manuscripts is clear on this point—the Castilian was derived from a Portuguese original.) The manuscripts are, however, neither one a presentation copy, nor is either an original draft. The essay explores the significance of these facts, enlarging the field of possible patrons by looking more closely at the Lancastrian affinity in England and Iberia, and Gower’s long-running involvement with Gaunt’s extended household.

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