PETRARCH THE AUTHOR 



you.'' And then he begins a fine sonorous tirade, only 

 to be interrupted by Petrarch asking urbanely: " While 

 the physician is haranguing, would you permit the sick 

 man, who knows that he is sick, to put in a word ? " 



On the whole, the sparring between the two men is 

 very well done. The style, alert and vivacious, affords 

 good reason for believing that the Philologia, if, com- 

 pared with other humanistic comedies, no masterpiece 

 of dramatic composition, was at least their equal and 

 perhaps their superior in cleverness. 



35 



