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Article: A new fragment of Gower's 'Confessio Amantis'.(poet John Gower)
- Article from:
- The Modern Language Review
- Article date:
- October 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Modern Humanities Research Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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There have been few recent additions to the materials for the study of the text of Gower's Confessio Amantis. (1) Discoveries have been largely confined to the identification of various extracts from this work. (2) Recently, however, a new fragment has come to light, one that is part of one of the most significant early authorities for the text of Gower's poem.
Huntington Library MS EL 26.A.17, fols 1-169v is the so-called 'Stafford Gower'. It was copied before the close of the fourteenth century, very probably for the future Henry IV before he became king. (3) It is the earliest witness for the second recension of Gower's poem. Gower's editor describes it thus: ...