ITALIAN GARDENS OF THE RENAISSANCE 
of Melfi, which Niccolo’s eldest son, Lorenzo, then 
scarcely more than a boy, defended valiantly during a 
long siege. But the victor’s triumph was destined to 
prove of short duration, and in a few months, alarmed 
by an outbreak of plague at Naples, he returned home, 
leaving a German governor to rule the province. 
Meanwhile, Niccolo having successfully pleaded 
Louis and Joanna’s cause at Avignon, and collected a 
fleet at his own expense, landed at Naples with the 
king and queen, who entered the city in the month 
of August 1348. They found the unhappy kingdom 
a prey to the ravages of Hungarians and free com¬ 
panies, but by degrees the efforts of Niccolb, now 
Grand Seneschal of the realm, met with success, and 
at length, on the 27th of May 1352, Louis of Taranto 
was crowned at Naples with great solemnity. 
It was on this occasion that Petrarch — who, 
although not personally acquainted with Niccolb, had 
been seized with admiration for his great qualities, 
and saw in him the deliverer of Naples—addressed 
his famous letter to the Grand Seneschal, congratu¬ 
lating him on the triumph of his arms, and giving 
him admirable advice for the guidance of his royal 
pupil in all things necessary to his own welfare and 
public good. 
“ At length, you have conquered, O Signor,” he 
begins ; “ at length the battle ceases, treachery yields 
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