176 EXAMINATION of an HISTORICAL HTPOTHESIS 



the hand, and (after the fafliion of his country) fainted her, by 

 kiffing her forehead and her eyes : a mark of regard, fays the 

 poet, which was approved of by all the ladies who were pre- 

 fent, but which he himfelf beheld with envy. The commenta- 

 tors are not agreed as to the prince of whom this anecdote i#K 

 recorded. M. de la Bastie is of opinion that it was Robert, 

 King of Naples, who is known to have dirtinguiihed Petrarch 

 by many marks of friendfliip and beneficence, and whom the 

 poet has. In various parts of his writings, celebrated with the 

 higheft eulogy; and" this is likewife the opinion of Bembo, Da- 

 niel, and others. The Abbe de Sade, on the other hand, has 

 adduced fome (Irong arguments to fliew, that the prince here 

 alluded to was Charles of Luxembourg, fon of John, king of 

 Bohemia. The difpute, as to the perfons, is of no confequence ; 

 the anecdote muft be admitted as true, and it has ever been re- 

 garded as highly honourable both for the poet and his miftrefs. 

 In that light we are afTured it was confidered by the ladies who 

 •were prefent ; and, as is it is no part of the female chara<fler, to 

 view with complacency an unmerited preference fhewn to a rival 

 in beauty or accomplifhments, we mufl hold this as an une- 

 quivocal proof, that they confidered this flattering mark of di- 

 ftindlion as defervedly beflowed, and, of courfe, that they re- 

 garded the attachment of Petrarch and of Laura as an ho- 

 nourable and virtuous flame. Now, let it be fuppofed, with 

 the Abbe de Sade, that this lady, thus highly diftinguifhed as 

 the objedl of the poet's paflion, had been the wife of a man of 

 rank and character, the mother of a family, is it poffible to be- 

 lieve that this foreign prince, who is defcribed as a paragon in 

 every courtly accompliihment, fliould have thus openly braved 

 every law of decency and of propriety, and, in a full aflTembly 

 (met to do him honour) have infulted, not only the hufband 

 of this lady, but every woman of honour or of virtuous cha- 



rader 



