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YET ANOTHER LOOK AT ENCINA AND THE EGLOGA INTERLOCUTORIA* CHARLOTTE STERN Randolph-Macon Woman's College In the controversy surrounding the authorship of the Egloga interlocutoria investigators concur that the play is associated in some way with Juan del Encina, but disagree over how it is related. Both Henry Sullivan and Ana Maria Rambaldo regard it as an authentic text. Sullivan contends that Encina composed it in 1499 while he was still nursing a grudge against his rival Lucas Fernández.' But that date conjures up the image of Encina blatantly plagiarizing his published works. Conversely, Rambaldo believes Encina wrote the Interlocutoria before his other plays, perhaps as early as 1492. Her choice of date derives from two topical allusions: The first appears to refer to the fall of Granada, the second to the imminent departure of the Jews. She compares these references to similar allusions recorded in Encina's Cancionero. The closing panegyric presumably honoring the Duke and Duchess is also strongly reminiscent of Encina . But the picture of the dramatist returning time and again to an unpublished play of dubious merit to borrow a line or two for a new composition is hardly flattering. The early date also becomes somewhat problematic in light of recently discovered biographical documents which suggest that Encina did not enter the service of the Duke and Duchess of Alba until 1495. ' I agree with Rambaldo and Sullivan that the play reminds us of Encina. I also recognize that many of the textual imperfections may be ascribed to a defective manuscript or a careless typesetter. But there are also inconsistencies in plot, characterization, and language as well as metrical lapses that cannot be dismissed so easily. They suggest that Encina never composed a play resembling the Interlocutoria as we know it. Consequently, I should like to propose a different scenario which I hope will account for some hitherto unexplained features. I see the Interlocutoria as a hastily assembled pastiche which draws on several plays by Encina, but particularly Églogas I, VI, VIII and IX and 47 48Bulletin ofthe Comediantes perhaps on unpublished works as well. It also betrays the influence of Fray Iñigo's nativity scene, the Coplas de Mingo Revulgo and perhaps the patriotic égloga of Francisco de Madrid. In arranging and reworking these materials, the composer was motivated less by the urge to create a literary masterpiece than by the desire to produce a work that would pass for Encina's. We do well to recall that controversy swirls around all of Encina's plays. Although critics have not challenged the authenticity of the églogas contained in the 1496 Cancionero, they disagree over their date of composition/ The uncertainties multiply, however, when we survey the remaining plays. At issue are not only the date and place of performance, but in the case of the Auto del repelón, its ascription to Encina/ The Egloga de Fileno y Zambardo has also aroused spirited debate because of similarities between it and Tebaldeo's Second Eclogue. 5 So the Interlocutoria becomes yet another uncertainty in an already confusing situation. Moreover, we do well to remember that in Encina's time dramatists wrote plays for performance not publication. Consequently, the majority of Christmas pieces composed in that period are probably lost forever. Indeed it is surprising that Encina esteemed his pastoral theatre enough to include it in his Cancionero.6 While we may hesitate to take literally his assertion that the Cancionero represents «la copilación de todas sus obras» (Églogas I, Vili)7 he nonetheless appeared bent on publishing his poetry and plays either out of pride or a desire to prevent their being usurped and corrupted by others. It behooves us then to consider the particular circumstances surrounding the printing of the chap-book version of the Interlocutoria, which is the only version we have. F. J. Norton stresses the meteoric rise in the chap-book trade during the second decade of the sixteenth century. The activity «was centered in Seville on the presses of Jacobo Cromberger.»' The increase was due in part to the appearance in 1511 of Hernando del Castillo's Cancionero general. That collection joined the ranks of the traditional...

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