PETR 
The heft is one alfo of Venice, 1756, 2 vols. 4to. He is 
(hid to have had twenty-five different biographers. Of 
thefe the Abbe de Sade is the moft copious and curious 
in his refearches. We may alfo mention a life of him, 
publifhed by Jerome Squarzaficus of Alexandria, very 
fcarce, but printed in the curious edition of Petrarch’s 
Latin works, in folio, at Venice, in 1501. It alfo con¬ 
tains his will, which is rather fingular for the whimfical 
and good-humoured fatire with which he difpofes of his 
legacies to his friends and domeftics. He bequeaths to 
Lombardus Afericus his filver gilt goblet, out of which 
lie is to drink tuater, which he likes better than wine ; 
cum quo bibat aquam , quam libenter bibit, multo libentius 
quam vinum; to John de Bochetta, veftry-keeper of his 
church, his great breviary, which had coft him a hundred 
francs ; to John de Certaldo feu Boccatio, fifty gold 
florins, of Florence, to buy him a winter-garment, fit for 
his (Indies and his vigils ; to Thomas de Bambafia de 
Ferrare, his lute, that he might make ufe of it, non pro 
mnilate fceculifugacis, but to fing the praifes of the Lord ; 
to Bartiielmi de Sienne, called Pancaldus, twenty ducats, 
with the provifo, Quos non hulat, that he does not game 
them away. 
A Life of Petrarch has alfo been publifhed by our 
countrywoman Mrs. Dobfon, in 2 vols. 8vo. but chiefly 
colleXed and abridged from the French. In this work 
we have the following elegant and juft charaXer of Pe¬ 
trarch. “Few charaXers, perhaps, have fet in a ftronger 
light the advantage of well-regulated difpofitions than 
that of Petrarch, from the contraft we behold in one par¬ 
ticular of his life, and the extreme mifery he fuffered from 
the indulgence of an affeXion, which, though noble and 
delightful when juftly placed, becomes a reproach and a 
torment to its poffeffor when once direXed to an impro¬ 
per objeX. For, let us not deceive ourfelves or others ; 
though (from the character of Laura) they are acquitted 
of all guilt in their perfonal intercourfe, yet, as (lie was a 
married woman, it is not poffible, on the principles of re¬ 
ligion and morality, to clear them from that juft cenfure 
which is due to every defection of the mind from thofe 
law's which are the foundation of order and peace in ci¬ 
vil fociety, and which are ftamped with the (acred mark 
of divine authority. In this particular of his character, 
therefore, it is fincerely hoped that Petrarch will ferve as 
a warning to thofe unhappy minds, who, partaking of the 
fame feelings under the like circumftances, but not yet 
fullering his mifery, may be led, by the contemplation of 
it, by a generous regard to the honour of human nature, 
and by a view to the approbation of that all-feeing Judge 
who penetrates the moft fecret recedes of the heart, to 
check every unhappy inclination in its birth, and deftroy, 
while yet in their power, the feeds of thofe pafiions which 
may otherwife deftroy them. 
“As to the cavils or cenfures of thofe w'ho, incapable 
of tendernefs themfelves, can neither enjoy the view of 
it when prefented in its moft perfeX form, nor pity its 
fufterings when, as in this work, they appear unhappily 
indulged beyond the bounds of judgment and tranquillity; 
to fuch minds I make no addrefs, well convinced, that, as 
no callous heart can enjoy, neither will it ever be in dan¬ 
ger of being milled, by the example of Petrarch in this 
tender but unfortunate circumftance of his charaXer. 
To fufceptible and feeling minds alone Petrarch will b$ 
ever dear. Such, while they regret his failings, and con- 
fider them as warnings to themfelves, will love his vir¬ 
tues ; and, touched by the glowing piety and heart-felt 
contrition which often itnprefled his foul, will ardently 
defire to partake with him in thofe pathetic and fublime 
reflexions which are produced in grateful and afteXion- 
ate hearts, on reviewing their own lives, and contempla¬ 
ting the works of God. 
“Petrarch had received from nature a very dangerous 
prefent. His figure was fo diftinguifhed as to attraX uni- 
verfal admiration. He appears, in his portraits, with 
large and manly features, eyes full of fire, a blooming coin- 
Vol. XX. No. 1346. 
ARCH. £ 
plexion, and a countenance that befpoke all the genius 
and fancy which fhone forth in his works. In the flower 
of his youth, the beauty of his perfon was fo very ftri- 
king, that, wherever he appeared, he was the objeX of at¬ 
tention. He poffefied an underftanding aXive and pene¬ 
trating, a brilliafit wit, and a fine imagination. Iiis 
heart was candid and benevolent, fufceptible of the moft 
lively affeXions, and infpired with the nobleft fentiments 
of liberty. But his failings mull not be concealed. His 
temper was, on fame occafions, violent, and his paflions 
headftrong and unruly. A warmth of conftitution hur¬ 
ried him into irregularities, which were followed with 
repentance and remorfe. Noeflential reproach, however, 
could be caft on his manners, till after the 23d year of 
his age. The fear of God, the thoughts of death, the 
love of virtue, and thofe principles of religion which were 
inculcated by his mother, preferved him from the fur¬ 
rounding temptations of his earlier life.” 
Between theEuganean hills, a few leagues from Padua, 
is fituated the village of Arqua, where travellers continue 
to vifit the refidence of Petrarch to this very day. A 
more beautiful country than this could fcarcely be found 
in Italy, where nature has been fo univerfally profufe of 
her bounty. The hills are every-where covered with 
vines, corn, and fruit-trees. A romantic lake and a fine 
ftream cool the air, which is otherwife very pure and fa- 
lubrious. Fifli and fowl, abound in thefe parts, and the 
mountains, which are loft in the diftance, prefent views 
of the moft piXurefque charaXer. The houfe is ftili 
(landing, and in tolerable prefervation. It is fimpie, but 
yet worthy of a man of fortune, and a lover of the arts ; 
it confifts of an entrance-hall, a faloon, five rooms of dif¬ 
ferent dimenfions, and the offices ufually attached to fuch 
a habitation. The door is in the ruftic ftyle ; the hall is 
painted, and reprefents the triumphs celebrated by the 
poet. A back door oppofite to the entrance leads into 
the garden and to the neighbouring hills. On the left, 
a paflage conduXs to the Room of the Vifions, as it is 
called; and the latter to the faloon, which is adorned with 
paintings of various mythological fubjeXs, from the 
charming Paftorals of the founder. A broad flight of 
(lone fteps leads out of this faloon into the court-yard ; 
it is covered at the top with a fmall portico, fupported by 
pillars, an acceflbry frequently met with in Italian villas. 
Adjoining to the faloon there is another room, the chim¬ 
ney-piece of which is painted in a variegated manner, 
and where foreigners of all nations have infcribed their 
names. In a contiguous clofet is preferved an embalmed 
cat, which was Petrarch’s conftant companion ; (he is kept 
in a glazed niche, and is likely to furnilh travellers for a 
long time to come with an evidence of the great poet’s 
attachment to her. Petrarch’s chair and a half-decayed 
cheft are alfo preferved, as well as his cat, in this villa. 
Both would have been completely deftroyed long fince, 
from the defire of travellers to poflefs a piece of them as 
acuriofity; for w’hich reafon it was found neceflary to 
fecure them by a grating from farther injury. Soon 
after the death of the poet, indeed, fuch was the venera¬ 
tion teftified by travellers for this his laft abode, that the 
walls were covered with names and fentiments in profe 
and verfe. To give a better direXion to this mania, the 
owners of the houfe provided an Album, in which ftran- 
gers might exprefs their feelings on vifiting the habita¬ 
tion of Petrarch. This book was unfortunately loft; it 
muff: have contained a great number of remarkable names 
and effufions. In 1787 a new Album was procured for 
the ufe of travellers ; it is called II Codice di Arqua. 
That it might not wholly experience the fate of the for¬ 
mer Codice, Bettoni, the bookfeller, extraXed the heft 
pieces that it contains, and publifhed them in 1810, in a 
neat oXavo volume. The whole of thefe compolitions, 
to be fure, are upon one and the fame fubjeX, namely, 
praife of Petrarch, and veneration for this his laft abodes 
but the feelings of the writers are fo varioully exprdfed, 
that the whole volume may be read through with pleafure. 
1 C The 
