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

her would be to die. The conflict between
love and mysticism continued until Laura's
death.
Tho author OF this sketch strikes the keynote
Of Petrarchs personality when she speaks OF
him as the first modern man. His feet was
still immeshed In the middle ages. but his face
was turned toward the new time. He had tho
eager. restless. insatiate curiosity which was
to characterize the age OF discovery. He loved
10 travel for the sake OF travel. not a. others
did. for tho purposes OF business. secular or
ecclesiastic. He was apparently the fist
mediHval man to chamber no the s,eep sides Of
q mountain merely for tho sake OF the view
to be obtained from the summit So unusual
VAS his taste for sightseeing that Petrarch
often feels obliged to apologize for 1t and as.
signs other reasons for his journeys. not tbs
least plausible being the hope OF unearthing In
remote libraries unknown manuscripts OF the
Latin authors. "O:her motives were in
vented." he says. TO excuse my going in the
eyes OF my elders. but the real propelling cause
was my eaesrness for new scenes"
1t WINS while an inmate Of the Colonna house,
hold that Pstrarch began his wanderings. row
ing through Fran, .. belgium. Germany. and
Switzerland. He travelled. probably. at his
paron's expense: at NIL events. he sent to
Cardinal Colonna detailed reports OF his i'm
press;ons and experiences. Petrarch wa. q
keen observer an q skilled narrator. aud II
his notes OF travel could have been preserved
unfortunately only two OF tho letters to the
Cardinal are extant-they would sienally help
us to understand tho civilization OF his date
An incident Of his journey through Belgium
was the finding at Liege OF two works OF
Cicero hitherto unknown to him. Ono OF these
he copied with his own hand. He relates that
It WAS only after a long and tedious search
through the city that he was able to ob.
tain any lux. ana whom found 1t was
as yellow as saffron. He 10 astonished
to encounter in the Rhine country
and tho Netherlands. SO much courtesy and
splendor In tho cities. 80 much dignity in the
mon. and so much grace In tho women" The
general effect. however, Of his travels. at this
time IS well rs afterward. was TO make him
moro In love with Italy than ever and more
grateful Tor having been born an Italian. 1t
was therefore with the liveiest delight that he
looked forward to the first sight OF Rome. His
longing however. to behold tho Eternal City
was not to be gratifed until he was SO years
old. Meanwhile. be- was. for the first limo In
his life. pu, In possession OF definite income
and rendered independent OF patronage bv
Benedict NIL. who made him canon OF Iom-
bes. 1t was through an Invitation Of the
enabled TO make tho journey to which hs had
looked forward. 1T is past belief" he says In
q letter written shortly before sottine out. how
Hong to hehoid shat city which. although desc.
lated. Is still tn" image OF ancient Rome. Sen.
sca seeEs beside himself With Joy when no
writes to Lucilius from tho villa Of Scipio Afri.
canus. and IN deems It . grand shing to have
seen the place where 80 great man lived
In exile And whore no lais tho bones which ho
refused to bis country. II hs. . Bpanisrd, felt
thus. what must l. an Itsiisn. feel 1t the
thought Of seeing not merely Linturnum, or
the tomb Of Soipio. bit Rome itself. whore he
was born and grew up. and whore countless
other great men have lived whose fame will
never grow less7"
Having travelled BY tho aea from Mnrseiles
to Civita Vecch!s. Petrarch landed in Italy
early In January. 1887. 81 unsafe had all tho
roads been made by the war between tho
Orsint And Colonna families tina: 1t required
. guard OF two hundred horssmen to escort
the poet to :be city from, tho castle o! capran-
lea. twenty OF thirty miles distant OF his first
Impressions Of Rome Pstrarch has loft but lit
tic record. Tho following referencxto them
10. however. encountered IN . lettsf to the
Cardinal J"ha Co!onna at Avignon: "You
u'SS w ~ w aSoo~oO from COMING, 1857
the sight o: these ruins not corresponding to
their fame. and 70 tho conception ! have
formed iron. books. my love for Rome might
cool. But sight has diminished nothing; It
hAs marvsllously increased everything. and
Home and her ruins are far greater than had
IMAGINED them. no longer wonder that this
city conquered the world. but that she was 90
long 10 doing It." In bis rambles about the city,
Shs post was accompanied by . brother OF
Stephen Co,onnA . man OF great cultivation,
who had travelled through Egypt Persia, and
Arabia and who vas able to communicate
much vslusbis Information. The beginning
Of the rsbirth OF antiquity may be said to
date from these walks OF Petrarch In Rome.
He Was the hrst 10 see the value OF the ruined
temples. monuments. and palaces considered
- historical data. cut OF which . byaons civil
lization might BE- reconstructed. Nothing so
moved him a. the shameless 10 Inference OF tho
Dsople Of Rome to her former greatness. So
Indifferent were they to classic associations
that the mobiles themselves were not ashamed
to carry on disgracsful traiilc In their ruined
monumsnts and palaces. eefaclns them stil
further to sell marbles to tho NsapolitanA
From thiR ti~s Patriarch unada IL ma ~ tia