The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-06

UN, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBEl
day 10 m anifest from the circumstance tina,
when Petrnrehs enemies sought for ISLANDERS
with which to blacksn his name not one o.
Thorn thought OF mentioning his iegi;imate
children us disgrace to him or to his profes.
sion. although their existence was we'll known
aud Acknowledged. From the first. Indeed
Potrarch seems to have taken charge OF his
children. having both leeitimatized by a rapal
bull. and making himself responsible for their
education. The son. during the whole OF his
short life. brought nothing but dscredit and
annoyance to his father. In his daughter.
From the time OF her marriage In 1868, she
made homo for her father until his death.
| VIII.
TITS in his relation with Boccaccio that we
see the most delightful side Of Petrarch' 8
character. Petrarch and Boccaccio we're the
greatest living writer's. not only OF Italy but
OF the world. And It was certainly Of ad-
| vantage to literature that, instead OF any RI
| valry between them. thcre existed only the
| most cordial affection. Instead OF each form
| ing a school. they worked together in perfect
| harmony. the one perfectipR It'll m verse tho
| other creating italian prose. and both labor
Ing to arouse the world to know edge md
| appreciation OF tho long neglected classics.
| On one point they differed. Boccaccio mildly
reproved his friend for not having in his own IL
brary copy OF tho Divine Comedy" Petrarch
rerlied that he had Intentionally neglected
Dante for fear OF unconsclously initiating
him. He conceded to Dante the first rank
among the writer's Of the vulgar tongue But
Petraroh sincerely believed that hisown works
would outrank Daute's because they we're
written In the noble Latin tongue. while
Dantes were In tho vernacular. Petrarch
could mover believe that Italian. the tongue OF
the common people. would ever become the
language OF literature. He rested his hope Of
Immortality mainly on his great Latin epic
Africa" whose very name 10 now forgotten.
Petrarch. IL seems.was never weary OF bestow-
ing substantial favors upon Boccnccio. When
the latter was In need. as often happened. his
friend forced money upon him. He urged him
again and again to share his homo and bis
fortune. II cannot make you rich" he said.
but have plenty for two who have only ono
heart and live under one roof" why do you
talk to mo OF debt" he writes again. you owe
me nothing but love. and that you h ave already
paid In advance" 1t 10 also interesting to
recall that It was owing to Petrarch's influence
that Boccaccio began tho study Of Greek and
laborcd for its revival In Italy. Petrarch had
himself attempted to learn the language some
years earlier. but had been deprived OF his
teacher before he had made moro than a be-
ginning. He never ceased to regret that
Homer was mute to him while no was deaf to
Homer" He now urged Boccaccio to selze tho
opportunity that had escaped him. and he
aided him In securing tho services OF Leontius
Pllatus. Greek scholar who happened to DO
in Venice during ono OF Boccaccio's visits to
the poet 1t Is curious fact, in view OF the
intimacy between those two writer's that
Pstrarch should have long remained ignorant
OF the work upon which Boccaccio . fame chief
~ rests. Whatever may have been tho cause.
the "Decamsron" only came into Petrarchs
hands In the last year OF his life. He WAS
willing to overlook tho freedom and licen-
tiousness OF some OF the tales ION account Of
tho youth Of the au hor. the langu ago In which
they wore written. and tho audience for which
they were composed" The beautiful story OF
Grisslda so charmed Petrarch that he learned
It by heart. aud unwilling to leave 1t TO 80
limited an audience and 80 short life, as he
supposed It would obtain In tho vulgar tongue.
he himself transla'ed it into Lain.
Whom Petrarch died In July. 1374-only ono
day before tho seventeen anniversary OF his
birth-it was found that no had remembered
Boccaccio In his will. leaving him fifty gold
studies. although he WAS ashamed. he said.
Ito leave so small a sum to so great a man."
Boecnccio was overwhelmed with grief at his
friends death. and survived him but a few
months.
1t is worth while to recall the patnstak ing
caro- which Petrarch bestowed upon SO small a
thing as n single sonnet. 1t was his custom
with his Italian. as we'll as his Latin writings.
to keep them BY hin for months allowing q
sonnet Ito lie polishing in his mind like a peb-
bio on the seashore" until his taste was salts.
fed with tho result. His taste was not always
unerrnc. and it would not be difficult to Gull
from his poems examples OF extravagaut
hyperboe and far-fetched conceits. But after
all possible deductions have been made upon
that score. enough OF grace. OF melody and OF
artistic perfection remains to justify his title
OF prince OF lyric poets. 1t Is nevertheless
true that the sonnets must be perused spgly
and not collectively II ono would avoid an rk-
some impression OF monotony, Schlegel was
right when he said that Laura herself might
have been surfeited had she read at one sitting
all the stanzas in which Pc rarch immortalized
her beauty and his own passion. NJ W. II.
Herbert Spencer on womnn's Rights.