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

| Of the kind and to awaken Ia the Roman no.
| bility q proper reverence for tho ruins OF Rome
| regarded a. the witnesses 10 her glorious past.
| Tho impulse given by him to the preservation
| and Understanding Of these ruins led to that
! scientific study OF the antiquities OF Rome
which was q necessary preparation for tho re-
vivni OF tho classical taste in art.
| 1t was in vaucluse. the charming valley
whore retrarch lived :or some three yenrs In
retirement after his return from Rome that
he received a letter from the Roman
Senate. inviting him to receive from their
hands a rub bile coronation as poet laureate.
In the Il 'ternoon OF the same day another mes-
senger brought a lettor from the Chancellor OF
tho University OF Paris. proffsrinG to Petrarch
the same honor in that city. This would seem
marvellous coincidence wore 1t not the truth
that for many months tho poet had been plan
ming and working In both quarters to obtain
the distinction. To him tho bestowal OF the
lsurels was no empty ceremony. nor was 1t
merely tho recognition BY his contempo t aries
Of bis literary rreTminence. His revor.
epoe for ANTIQUITY invested tho laurel crown
with a peculiar fascination In his eyes,
Tho same honor hnd heen bestowed. according
to tradition. upon Virgil. Hotaoe aud Status.
and for that reason Dante, while viewine tho
spleudors Of Paradise. had longsd for such .
tribute from his native Florence. Petrarch
confesses that bis own desire for tho laurel
had cost him long viRs and piteous sighs. He
hes!tatod for while whether to accept the In
vitaton from Rome or that from Paris. which
was then tho centre OF learning IN western
Europp. Deciding finally to prefer Rome. he
arrived there in the carly part OF April. ls41.
and the coronation TOOK place on Easter SUM-
day Pstrnrch delivered an GRAFTON Ia Latin.
whose thems was line from Virgil. Love
draws mo through the steep deserts
Of Parnassua." Tho diploma received by
retrarch from tho Senate conferred upon
him tho citizenship OF Rome. with perpetual
privilege OF wearing crown OF laurel and .
poetic garb In later years the recipient con-
fessed that those honors were bestow ed promo.
ture!y and brought him no real advantage. 1t
certainly illustrates the injustice Of the world
that Petrarch. at the age OF 81. whom but few
OF his writings were published. should have
obtained the recognition which Dante died
without receiving. But tho truth doubtless 10
that the crown ostenaibly conferred upon the
poet was really given 10 tho scholar. As the
apostle Of the now culture. Petrarch deserved
the gratitude which his countrytnen express
cd. The unexampled popularity OF Petrarch
proved to be no moro transitory fashion. but
continued undated until his death. nearly
forty years after his co.. onation. During all
that period his position as autocrAt OF lot
ters was uncha lenRed. Popes showered
iavors upon him in spite OF his cpsn condemna-
ton Of the corruption OF tho Papal Court, and
he was five times offered the important post OF
apostolic secretary. He was frequently ON
ployed on important embassies and was re-
ceived by sovereiens as an equal. In whatever
CITY he visited he was welcomed with honors
such as wore paid to TO foreign prince. II
he walked the streets OF Milan the citizens un.
covered their heads: in Venice he was ushered
to tho seat OF honor ct the right hand OF tho
Doee. and the Senate Of that city decreed that
there was no philosopher and no Christian
poet. either In tho present or the pa.t. to DO
compared with him." His letters. finally. were
so highly valued that the couricrs who bore
them were often stopped on tho way until his
admirers could mako copies Of the precious
documents.
v.
An Interesting episode In Pstrarch's life was
his relation to Cola di Rienzi. The ardent young
enthusiast. who. in l347, attempted to restore
the dignity OF ancient Rome. Like Petrarch
h. lived in the past rather than In the present.
aud failed to measure tho distance between
tho populace of his day-the scum and sedi-
ment Of countless rae 8 barbarized by the lin
Gering mseries OF the Middle ARes-apd the
Popuius Romonus OF tho old republic. Rienzis
dream had long been known to Petrarch. and
his career was watched with fervsnt sympathy.
We can understand then tho delight with
which he learned. In l347. that without she'd
ding drop Of blood Rienzi had become the
master OF Rome under tho long obsolete title
Of tribune Petrarch at once addressed to the
new tribune and the Roman people . long let.
tor Of congratuIation. in which he hailed Rien.
I'll as now Romulus, Q second Brutus and
another Camilus. Indeed. the plans OF Risnzi
wore not limited to Rome. his dream
being Identical with that cherished lat
or by Mazzini. the dream OF uni cd
Italy resuming her former importance
In tho world. But. az it Is we'll known. tine sud
den elevation to power turned Rienzi's head.
and Petrarch's counsels and warnings were II
no avail to stay his downfall. Becoming panic
stricken on account OF an insignificant rumor
he at once concluded that all was lost. and vol
unfairly threw up as ONCE. Petrarch did not
latters II IS Of power. He only reproache him
with two mistakes: first, that he did not when
he had the chiefs Of the Roman nobility In his
power. destroy Thorn at ono stroke. instead OF
flowing them to 20 forth FREQ to renew their
conspiracy; second. that he ned from the capl-
tai when nowhere in the world could hs have
died more glnriously." OF RienzIs second
brief and disastrous attempt to rule as Roman
Senator under Papal sanction Petra, CHI makes
NO mention. nor Of his miserable death ut tho
hands OF tho Roman people on tho stops OF that
Capitol that the poet thought 70 glorious .
place in which to die.
VI.
1t was in 1913. tho rear nfter Rienzl's tribu.
maze. that tho black death swept over Europe.
Among tho countless victims carried away by
tho pestilence-ono-halfo OF the Inhabitants Of
Avgnon are said to have perished-was the
Laura who had 90 long boon the object OF
Petrarchs worship. In tho manuscript COPY
Of Virgil previously referred 10. is the poets
brief record Of hsl death: Laura. illnstrious
for her own virtues. md Ion. celebrated BY nv
verses. nrst appeared to my eyes IN my early
youth on the 9Th day OF April. 1927. In tho
enrly morning. In the Church u Santa Clara at
AviRnon. And In the same city. in the same