ITALIAN GARDENS OF THE RENAISSANCE 



held it scarcely possible to love him better ; so nobly 

 did he bear himself, that the fame of him whom I had 

 not seen was not diminished, but greatly increased by 

 his presence. Live, therefore, happy in the posses- 

 sion of such a friend, and remember me." 



Unfortunately, this friendship did not long sur- 

 vive Zanobi's death, which happened in the following 

 year in 1362. Indeed, Petrarch wrote again to the 

 Grand Seneschal, congratulating him on the conquest 

 of Sicily which he had achieved, and rejoicing that 

 he was allowed to call him friend. 



" It would take the pen of Homer to record the 

 glorious deeds by which you have restored peace to 

 Sicily, and made Naples happy. Now Arethusa wakes 

 to new joy, Etna restrains her fury, and Charybdis 

 becomes mild out of reverence for your person. Con- 

 tinue, O great one, your illustrious career, adorned 

 by so many virtues, more than all by that modesty 

 which is your most splendid ornament, and which 

 suffers me to call you friend." 



He concludes by alluding to the death of King 

 Louis, which had lately happened : 



" Ah ! forgive me," he exclaims, " forgive me if in 

 my grief I say that had he lived obediently to your 

 counsels he would have led a happier life, met death 

 gladlier, and left a fairer memory behind him." 



In the following year comes a letter of a differ- 

 ent strain. Niccol6, it appears, had omitted to do 



220 



