Stanzas on the Death of His Father

Jorge Manrique (c.1440-79) came from an exemplary aristocratic background. His grand-father Pedro Manrique was governor of Leon and married Leonor of Castile, granddaughter of King Enrique II. Jorge's father Rodrigo was a towering figure of the fifteenth-century reconquest, a reputation founded on his military campaigns at the frontier. Rodrigo was honoured by King Juan II as Count of Paredes and elected Master of the Order of Santiago. Jorge's uncle, Gomez Manrique, was also a distinguished figure. A highly respected court poet and dramatist, he was corregidor of Toledo for fourteen years, an appointment possibly connected to his support for Isabel and Fernando, the Catholic Monarchs. As for Jorge himself, he too was actively involved in the political affairs of his time, often acting alongside his father for the cause of Isabel and Fernando. He became a captain of the Holy Brotherhood of Toledo in the later stages of his life and, as a result of military action at the castle of Garcimunoz, died from his injuries in April 1479.Patrick McGuinness is Professor of French and Comparative Literature at Oxford, and Sir Win and Lady Bishoff Fellow in French at St Anne's College. He works on modern literature in French, as well as British and American poetry. His books include two volumes of poetry, two novels, and translations from a number of writers, including Mallarme, Helene Dorion and Gilles Ortlieb. His most recent books are a novel, Throw Me to the Wolves (2019), and Real Oxford (2021), an exploration of the city behind the dreaming spires.