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Vox Clamantis ("the voice of one crying out") is a Latin poem of 10,265 lines in elegiac verse by John Gower. The first of the seven books is a dream vision giving a detailed account of the Peasants' Rebellion of 1381. Macaulay described the remaining books:"The general plan of the author is to describe the condition of society and of the various degrees of men, much as in the latter portion of the Speculum Meditantis."[1]: xxx Fisher concludes that books II-V were written in the 1370s while the author was writing similar passages in Mirour de l'Omme.[2]: 104
Versions
Wickert divides the manuscripts into two groups:A-text (=Macaulay initial version= Fisher b-version) and B-text (=Macaulay final version= Fisher c-version). The A-text for Book VI condemns the advisors of a young King Richard; the corresponding B-text condemns "the king's corrupt and corrupting young associates."[3]: 10 There is a unique manuscript (MS Laud (Misc) 719 SC10601) which omits the Visio and numbers the books I-VI. Fisher calls this the a-version.[2]: 101–2 Both Wickert and and Fisher agree that the existence of this manuscript is strong evidence that the bulk of Vox was written before the Peasants' Revolt.[3]: 3 [2]: 101–3
Structure and Content
All books are divided into chapters. Each chapter is preceded by a prose heading which summarizes the chapter. Three books have prologues.
Book I (also Visio)
The Visio has 2150 lines describing the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. Gower recounts the events of the revolt in "the form of a personal nightmare".[4]: 157 RDM Rigg has little to say about other books
"What distinguishes Gower's views from those of many of his contemporaries, and places him among the progressive thinkers of this day, is his emphasis upon legal justice and regal responsibility for all the estates, defined in terms of "le biencoomue," "bonus communi," or "the common good," depending on the language in which be happened to be writing" [2]: 178
Book II Prologue
Macaulay observes this is a short prologue to the following books.[1]: xxxi Gower argues that the problems of the day are the result of sin rather than fortune. Man should have faith and accept its divine order.[2]: 179
Book III Clergymen
The conduct of various clergymen especially prelates including the pope is criticized. Priests are also accused of misconduct. Of the 29 chapters only Chapter XXVII states that some priest have honour.[1]: xlv Fisher compared the criticism of Book III with similar passages in Mirour. The tone here is "much more legalistic". The remedy is to subject the clergy to the laws of laymen.[2]: 179
Book IV Religious Orders
Book IV deals with the failings of various religious orders including monks, Canons regular, nuns, and mendicant friars. RDM: need citation which contrasts book IV with Chaucer's GP satire. Also citation re anti-semitic comment in CAP XXII/XXIII XXIV Macaulay[1]: 394 notes Burnel is a bad order Speculum Stultorum.
Book V Knights, Peasant & Townsmen
Knights, peasants and town-dwellers are discussed here. Knights exist to protect the rights of the Church, foster the common good, uphold the orphan and widow.[5]: 196 Pursuit of love, money and fame are the failings of knights. Agricultural workers are criticized in Chapters 9 and 10 as lazy, greedy and complaining. Wickert observes: "Of course, one does not expect sympathies for the agricultural worker, be he bound or free, in a country squire of the time -- even before the Peasants' Revolt."[3]: 17 Chapter 15 begins with a condemnation of a mayor who "kindles malice amoung his fellow citizens".[5]: 215 John Northampton who "was popular with the poorer classes" is the most probable object of Gower's disapprobation.[5]: 437–8 The final chapter censors the talebearer who "utters many slanders in abuse of people".[5]: 216
Book VI Lawyers & Advice for a Prince
The first three chapters are a condemnation of lawyers. "Chapter 2, which is written with real feeling, ironically places Gower on the same side as the peasants, who hated lawyers and attacked them in the Great Revolt."[5]: 440 Critics are divided on how Gower obtained his legal knowledge. His translator observed:
The first four chapters of Book VI should effectively dispose of the conjecture that Gower was a lawyer. He condemns them uncompromisingly.[5]: 440
Meindl argues that Gower only condemns false lawyers. Fisher observes that Gower "emphasizes legal justice and regal responsibility".[2]: 178
What Wickert calls the "Mirror for a Prince" runs from Chapter 7 to Chapter 18. Much of the the advice is created from contemporary truisms and thus not need a systematic foundation. The king must govern himself and be governed by law. Much of the advice is a conventional catalog of virtues.[3]: 101–15
The damage to a kingdom which can be inflicted by a wicked leader is discussed in Chapter 7. The pleas for justice lacks conceptual clarity and is permeat with ideas from the Bible and Cicero's ''De Republica''[3]: 101–15 Bad counsel from elders given to the boy king was condemned in the first version. The final version blames youthful comrades instead.[5]: 232–3
The praise of the Black Prince in Chapter 13 contradicts the notion of Gower as a pacifist follower of Christ.[6]: 105
Some of the chapters were revised in the final version.
RDM: XIX to XXI regret for good men of past, condemn moderns "Paul is reconverted into Saul"
Book VII 1-8 Sundry Sins
This sermonizing summary of the preceding five books begins with a reinterpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a statue (Daniel 2:31-44) comprising gold, brass, iron and clay segments.[5]: 21 In the second chapter Gower associates the iron of the statue with misers. A rich man who lacks charity is condemned. The third chapter associates clay with lechery. Stockton observes this is the only place where courtly love (a major theme in Confessio) is mention in Vox.[5]: 458 Chapter eight introduces an idea which Fisher considers a major theme. Man as a microcosm whose sin taints the cosmos" can be traced back to four Latern Council.[2]: 153 This theme first appears in Mirour.[1]: 403
Book VII 9-19 Seven Deadly Sins & Decay of a Corpse
Chapters 9-17 associate different aspects of the decay of a corpse with the seven deadly sins. This was not an original idea.[5]: 464 The mediation on death which occurs in chapters 9-19 is unusual in medieval literature. Wickert knows of only one other example.[3]: 129 Chapter 23 summarizes this treatise on the worldly estates.
Book VII 24-25 Patriotic Conclusion
Gower's "deep love for England" is displayed in Chapter 24. He laments the nations's decay due to sin.[5]: 22–3 Chapter 25 is the author's apology. The contents are attributed to the "voice of the people" rather than the author's ideas. The A-text ended with:
I am worse than all men; but may the found of the world grant me relief through a priest. Amen[5]: 470
The B-text replaces this couplet with a prose transition to Cronica Tripertita.
RDM: Fisher's summary of Book seven [2]: 185 Sins which are not specific to any estate are condemned: I-III lechery, avarice, fornication, IV Things that were good are now changed into the opposite forms, truth into falsehood, wisdom into folly, love into lust, learned into ignorant; servants become masters and masters servants. IX-XVIII Consequences of death to various classes of sinners: envious man,anger, avarice, sloth, gluttonny, lechery, all of preceding. he who rules himself is a true king, XIX introduces Christian theology (last judgement) "days are coming which Christ foretold" XXIII evils of estates are recapped XXIV this country of mine, which brought me up from childhood and in which I dwell, cannot suffer evil without affecting me: We need justice and peace "land barren of virtue" XXV final chapter "verses which came to me by inspiration in my sleep" Macaulay observed that conclusion has been altered to be a fitting form of introduction for the Chronica Tripertita which comes in as an appendix added in later years.
Chronica Tripertita
Chronica Tripertita is a 1,062 line Latin poem is leonine hexameter.[5]: 37 It was published in the manuscripts of Wickert's B-text. Fisher summarizes the content as "Lancastrian propaganda under the guise of history.[2]: 109 Three parts deal with different historical events.
The first part treats the events of 1387-88 (Merciless Parliament). "Instead of calling his historical personages by name, Gower follows the literary convention of using heraldic terms, especially those based upon the names of birds and animals."[5]: 38 "the King's party are throughout called greedy, treacherous plotters, and the Appellants model Englishmen."[2]: 110
The second part skips to 1397 where Richard exacted his revenge.
The final parts describes the events of 1399 when Henry supplanted Richard as king. "Gower ... approaches his material directly, with no allegory in his way."[5]: 40
Explication
Vox Clamantis in Deserto, alludes to the Vulgate translation of the Gospel of Mark 1:1–3 and of the Gospel of John 1:22–23 (where the voice is that of John the Baptist), quoting the Book of Isaiah 40:3.
Translations
- Stockton, Eric William (1962). The Major Latin Works of John Gower. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 503. prose, includes Chronica Tripertita
- Meindl, Robert J. (2016). "Vox Clamantis Translations". Gower Translation Wiki. Gower Project. Retrieved 8 May 2018. verse, Book VI only
References
- ^ a b c d e G.C. Macaulay (ed.). "Introduction, Life of Gower". The Complete Works of John Gower, Vol 4 The Latin Works (PDF). p. vii–xxx.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k John H. Fisher (1964). John Gower: Moral Philosopher and Friend of Chaucer. New York University Press. ISBN 978-0814701492.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - ^ a b c d e f Wickert, Maria (2016). Studies in John Gower. Translated by Robert J. Meindl. Temp, Arizona: Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.
- ^ Rigg, A. G.; Moore, Edward S. (2004). "The Latin Works: Politics, Lament and Praise". In Sian Echard (ed.). A Companion to Gower. Boydell & Brewer Ltd. ISBN 9781843842446.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Stockton, Eric William (1962). The Major Latin Works of John Gower. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 503.
- ^ Aers, David (2000). Faith, Ethics, and Church: Writing in England, 1360-1409. Boydell & Brewer. p. 153. ISBN 0859915611.