PETRARCH THE CRITIC AND READER 



randa of things important to him, sorrowful or other- 

 wise, with which the margins of his manuscripts are 

 filled. The best known of these is the note which relates 

 to the death of Laura, in his copy of Virgil. Another 

 famous one is that in which he speaks of the death of 

 his son Johannes, born to give him labor and grief — 

 " a source of perpetual and heavy care in his youth, and 

 by his death a cause of deep pain." The manuscripts 

 are full, too, of remarks of a different kind, principally 

 observations which show conclusively that he well 

 digested what he read. Others are curious, some are 

 droll, some very mysterious. 



Petrarch did not buy for show, although he loved 

 beautiful books, good bindings, and neat, clear hand- 

 writing. The delight that he himself took in his books 

 he wished others to share with him; and so he had 

 copies made and distributed them. One great desire 

 of this true humanist was to leave his collection in such 

 a state that it might be accessible to all who loved 

 literature. Apparently he is the first man of modern 

 times to conceive of founding a public library. He 

 chose Venice as the safest place. In his offer to the 

 Grand Council he is very explicit as to what he wishes 

 to have done. " Francesco Petrarcha desires, if it is 

 the pleasure of Christ and the blessed St. Mark, that 

 the church of the latter inherit a certain number of 

 books which he has now or which he may possess some 

 day, on condition that they be not sold nor dispersed in 

 any way whatsoever, but be preserved forever in a spe- 



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