56 FLORA DOMESTICA. 



can celebrate; and what flower or tree has been more 

 highly celebrated than this tree, which the resemblance 

 of its name to that of his mistress induced Petrarch to 

 make the continual subject of his pen? Thus, in speaking 

 of the commencement of his passion, he uses this figure : 



" Amor fra 1' erbe una leggiadra rete 

 D'oro e di perle tese sott' un ramo 

 Del 1' arbor sempre verde, ch' i tant' amo 

 Benche n' abbia ombre piu triste, che liete :" 



SONNET 148. 



Love mid the grass laid forth a lovely net 

 Of woven pearls and gold, under the veil 

 Of that fair evergreen I love o well, 

 Although its shade is sad to me while sweet. 



Again : 



" Arbor vittoriosa e trionfale, 

 Onor d' imperadori e di poeti, 

 Quanti m' hai fatto di dogliosi e lieti 

 In qtiesta breve mia vita mortale !" 



SONNET 225. 



O thou victorious and triumphant tree, 

 Glory of poets and of emperors, 

 How many sad and how many sweet hours 

 Hast thou in this short life bestow'd on me ! 



" L' aura celeste ; che 'n quel verde Lauro 

 Spira, ov' Amor feri nel fianco Apollo 

 E a me pose un dolce giogo al collo 

 Tal, che mia liberta tardi ristauro." 



SONNET 164. 



" L' aura che '1 verde lauro, e 1' aureo crine 

 Soavemente sospirando move ; 

 Fa con sue viste leggiadrette, e nove 

 L' anime da' lor corpi pellegririe*. 



SONNET 208. 



* The play upon the word Laura in these passages does not (as the 

 Italian reader will readily perceive) easily admit of translation. 



