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. Niccolo, it appears, had omitted to do 
220 
