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1 of 253523 objects
Confessio amantis [fragment] 2 September 1483
33.3 x 26.6 x 0.5 cm (book measurement (conservation)) | RCIN 1057919







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This is a fragment from the first printed edition of John Gower’s poem, originally completed in 1390. Despite the Latin title, the Confessio Amantis (“The Lover’s Confession”) is written in the Middle English dialect of Kent/Suffolk area. Like Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, it presents a frame story to justify the telling of shorter stories: in this case the protagonist Amans (literally meaning “lover” in Latin) invokes the goddess Venus, who summons her chaplain Genius (which in Latin refers to “psyche”) to hear his confession. Amans seeks spiritual guidance concerning the Seven Deadly Sins, and so Genius offers counsel on a range of issues including love, virtue, sin, and the role of Fortune through stories and allegories.
The stories in the Confessio largely echo Ovid’s Metamorphoses as well as classical mythology and biblical narratives. Gower composed the first version of the poem for Richard II, while a second version was completed about two years later and dedicated to Henry of Lancaster: the future Henry IV; a third followed in 1393. The text circulated widely following completion and was one of the first English texts to be printed. The fragment in the Royal Library consists of the first 12 pages of the edition printed by William Caxton.
Binding description
Twentieth-century quarter-bound vellum and pink-orange paper. Covers decorated with gilt roll to separate leather from paper; white label with title in black on upper cover, framed by gilt border with star tools at the corners. Endpapers of modern plain paper.Provenance
Rebound by Roderick Lane of the Royal Bindery (active 1976-2016), apparently from a damaged Kloss binding. However, there is no lot corresponding to this fragment in the catalogue of Dr Georg Kloss' library that was sold in 1835, some of which was acquired by William IV.
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Creator(s)
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Measurements
33.3 x 26.6 x 0.5 cm (book measurement (conservation))
Category
Other number(s)
ISTC : Incunabula Short Title Catalogue – ISTC ig00329000Alternative title(s)
Confessio amantis [fragment] / John Gower.
Place of Production
City of Westminster [London]