174 EX.miNAriON of an HISTORIC J L HrPO THESIS 



■whole of thofe works, there is not to be found zfingle pajfcge^ 

 which intimates that Laura was a married woman. Is it to 

 be conceived that the poet, who has exhaufled language itfelf 

 in faying every thing pofTible of his miftrefs ; who mentions 

 not only her looks, her drefs, her geftures, her converfations ; 

 but her companions, her £ivourlte walks and her domeftic occu- 

 pations, would have omitted fuch capital fa(fls, as her being 

 married, and the mother of many children ; married too, as the 

 author of the Memoires afl'erts, to a man who was jealous of her, 

 and who ufed her with harlhnefs and unkindnefs on Petrarch's 

 account ? 



idb. Would this harfli and jealous hufband have permitted 

 this avowed admirer of his wife, this importunate gallant, who 

 followed her as her lliadow wherever flie went, and attended 

 her in town and in the country, to fee her daily, and converfe 

 with her alone, to write to her, to make affignations with her, 

 and to fend her prefents as tokens of his attachment ? Yet, that 

 Petrarch enjoyed all thefe liberties, is evident from number- 

 lefs pafTages of his works*. That the poet and his miftrefs 

 were wont even to walk together in the public gardens, is 

 evident from the incident alluded to in the 208th fonnet. 

 Due rofe frefche : A friend, who met them together in a gar- 

 den, taking them both by the hand, prefented each with a 

 rofe, declaring, at the fame time, that the fun never flione on a 

 truer pair of lovers. And that their paflion was the common 



difcourfe 



* Son. 41. Perch' to t' hahhia. Son. 59. ^tando giunfe. Canz. 14. Perche quel. 

 Canz. 15. Volgendo gli occhi. Son. 49. Se voi fote/le. Canz. 12. Perch' al vifo. 

 Canz. 4. Nel dolce tempo. Son. 19. Milk fiate. Canz. 8 5? e dehile. 'Prion/, di 

 Morte, cap. 2. Sic. &c. In the 42d fonnet, (Se col cieco dejir), Petrarch complains 

 that Laura had failed to keep an appointment that flie had made with him, and in 

 which, he had flattered' himfelf, be was to be indulged in freely declaring his 

 palTion. 



