of the Abbe de S A BE. 171 



borne the word thus contradled ; and that the queftion were. 

 Whether it ought to be explained partuhns or perturbation'ibus ? 

 This queftion, it muft be allowed, would be beft refolved by con- 

 sidering the fenfe of the context. Let us now, therefore, fee 

 what is thence to be drawn. Petrarch, in the dialogue in 

 queftion, feigns a converfation between himfelf and St August- 

 ine, in which the latter is endeavouring to convince him of the 

 impropriety of abandoning himfelf to the influence of a paflion,. 

 whofe imperious power had enflaved to itfelf, and rendered 

 fubordinate, every feeling of his nature. Among other argu- 

 ments, he urges the folly of fetting his whole afFedion on an 

 obje(fl of which death might fb foon deprive him. Petrarch 

 anfwers, that he hopes he Ihall never live to fee that day ; and 

 obferves, that, in the courfe of nature, Laura being the young- 

 er, ought to furvive him. To this St Augustine replies, that 

 fuch an event is neverthelefs the moft probable : " quod corpus 

 " illud egregium morbis ac crebris ptbs exbaujlum multum prijlini 

 " vigoris amijit." Whether ought we, along with all the edi- 

 tors of the printed works of Petrarch, to explain this con- 

 tradtion by perturbationibtis^ frequent difquietude or conflidls of 

 mind ; or, with the Abbe de Sade, to fuppofe it to mean par- 

 tubus or child-bearing ? The anfwer immediately made by Pe- 

 trarch, muft refolve the doubt. " It is probable,'' fays St Au- 

 gustine, " that Laura, though the younger of the two, will 

 '' fooneft be the victim of death ; for her conftitution, by much 

 " ficknefs, as well as "Xw'bSg,'''' has loft a great deal of its for- 

 " mer vigour." — '* I too," fays Petrarch, " have had my fhare 

 "^ of mental inquietude, and that more fevere than hers, and I am 

 " confiderably more advanced in life : Ego quoque et curis gravior, 

 " et atate prove£iiorfa£lusfim.^^ If we admit the common read- 

 ing, the reply is rational and confonant : " I have fuffered from 

 ** the fame caufe, and more than £be has :" If we adopt the inter- 

 pretation. 



