Afterword: Three Letters

Fraternity and Governance in Fifteenth-Century English Literature

“…The fact that most of the manuscripts were "texts prepared for aristocratic or upper-class patrons," as Derek Pearsall points out, suggests that those whom Lydgate hoped to warn against particular behaviour were those who were almost certainly in positions of power and governance. 41 during the years following 1422, and the number of manuscripts is a testament to the popularity of the poem in the fifteenth century. Additionally, whether the poem was composed before or after the death of Henry V, English copiers and readers alike living after this event would have been able to draw a parallel between the real brothers in charge of their kingdom, and the literary brothers who were unable to rule together.…”

“…This chapter, Chapter Two, and Chapter Five all examine issues that arise when the very nature of fraternity appears to be inherently contradictory, with brothers existing as both allies and rivals simultaneously. 41 In the case of Cain and Abel, the competition between them, whether real or imagined by Cain, is enough to overcome feelings of loyalty or emotional ties, meaning that in the Christian world, fratricide is actually older than brotherly love. Thus, in a religion based in part upon love for one's fellow Christian, the idea of brotherly love is a learned and adopted behaviour rather than inherent within the bond itself.…”

“…For the most part, in Lydgate's text, a good brother is a good leader, and a poor brother is a poor leader. 41 Stephen Bank and Michael Kahn note this paradoxical nature of sibling relationships, suggesting that "loyalty is a major theme or dimension of sibling relationships" as is "rivalry, conflict, and competition." Bank and Kahn, "Intense Sibling Loyalties," in Sibling Relationships: Their Nature and Significance Across the Lifespan, eds.…”

“…Anthony Bale suggests that "[l]etters, whether historical or fictional, with their assumptions of intersubjective communication, are a productive place to look at how emotional situations are rendered into written documents in specific circumstances, and can help us explore the intersection of affect, feeling, and emotion." 41 In the fifteenth century, fraternal terms of address appear frequently in personal letters between brothers, signaling the ability of these terms to represent and evoke the emotional connection between brothers as well as expected obligations of fraternal loyalty.…”

“…Pearsall argues that Lydgate's "whole theory of poetry is based on the idea that poets should teach by offering examples of behaviour," quoting The Fall of Princes in which Lydgate writes:"Their cheeff labour is vicis to repreve / With a maner covert symylitude. "42 The connection between the Siege and Lydgate's contemporary world is also highlighted by Lois A. Ebin who argues that "[i]n his poetry, Lydgate responds to contemporary events with a vision of the poet as a civilizer and orderer of man" and stresses that "[i]n Lydgate's own career, the Troy Book and the41 Pearsall, Lydgate, 151 42. Ibid., 12; The Fall of Princes III, 3830-1 43.…”