Petrarch at the Banquet 



75 



who was generally regarded as the greatest man of his age.^ 

 Petrarch was there, Froissart was there, and perhaps Chaucer 

 was there. ^ Froissart, then, probably saw Petrarch, and possibly 

 Chaucer did ; but is either one likely to have become personally 



Petrarch. 



(From Nolhac, Pctrarqite et P Humanism e.) 



acquainted with him? In attempting to answer this, we must 

 reflect (i) that Froissart does not speak of such a meeting; (2) 



* Magenta i. log, note 4; Mezieres, pp. 377-8; Hutton, p. 154. On 

 Sept. 4, 1362, the governing body of Venice declared that there never had 

 been a moral philosopher or Christian poet to compare v^^ith Petrarch 

 (Korting, p. 362; Mezieres, p. 3/8). 



* Cf . Hist. Background, pp. 182-4. 



