Of the Abbe de SADE. i6i 



the Baronefles and the Ladies of Quality of the city *. Now, 

 from the evidence of this document, extending the exception to 

 the wives and daughters of perfons of a certain rank, wc are un- 

 doubtedly warranted to infer, that this fplendour and luxury 

 of drefs of the ladies of Avignon, was common to both the un- 

 married and married women. We know for certain that Lau- 

 ra was a woman of noble blood. Of this the poet informs us 

 in numberlefs paflages of his writings. Confidering, therefore, 

 her rank and condition, her drefs will certainly appear to dif- 

 play no extraordinary magnificence. In the loth fonnet, (Se la 

 mia vita J, the poet fays no more than that his miftrefs wore 

 garlands and green clothes f. In the 1626. fonnet, (Vnurafe- 

 rena^), he fays, that her hair, which formerly fhe wore loofe, 

 was now braided and adorned with pearls and jewels J ; a cuflo- 

 mary diftindlion of drefs, as Castelvetro remarks, between 

 young girls (fanciuUe), and grown women. Now, if the re- 

 mark of the Abbe de Sade be jufl, that this mode of adorning 

 the hair was peculiar to married women, thofe paflages which 

 indicate that Laura adorned her hair in that manner will prove 

 a great deal more than the Abbe intends they fhould do : for they 

 will demonftrate that Petrarch was acquainted with Laura 



while 



• " Quod nulla domjna, feu mulier, cujufcunque conditlonis exiftat, exceptis do- 

 minabus de parentela domini noftrse Papae, et uxorum ac filiarum dominorum 

 Marefchalli et Vicarii, et exceptis etiam dominabus baroniffis et majoribus in civi- 

 tate habitantibus, nunc et in futurum aufa ilt portare in aliqua rauba feu vefte, ali- 

 quem reverfum de fubtus nee de fupra, neque in martis variorum, erminiorum, feu 

 quarumcunque aliarum pellium, feu rerum, five de auro, de argento, nee de ferico." 

 9raconifationes anni l^'jz.—Mem de Pet. torn. 2. p. 92. 



f E lajfar le ghirlande, e i "verdi panni.— » 



X E It ciiome hor avvolte in perhy eV gemmc, 

 Alhora fciolte, &c. 



