In a Although nothing can be added to authority like this, yet it does not want confirmation, even from the poet's verse. sonnet he tells us, there were things displeasing to Laura both in the place of her residence and where they first met.* If the country was the place here referred to, the meaning of the sonnet, to say the least of it, would be perfectly absurd. What could be displeasing to Laura in the beautiful fields of one of the most lovely portions of France? Make Avignon the place here alluded to, and the interpretation is simple enough, if we believe only half that Petrarch has written of the spotless purity of her character, and remember the well-known profligacy of this city at that time. Laura, we learn from her lover's descriptions of her, was in figure slight and delicate, her eyes blue, soft and tender, and her hair, which was fair, floated in ringlets upon her shoulders.† There are none of the portraits that the poet has left us of her, drawn as they are by the hand of genius and love, that are not * See sonnet xXXVII., part II. Tassoni explains the latter part of this with the passage in the Trionfi "In una cosa a me stessa despiacqui Ch'in troppo umil terren mi trovai nata, resting upon it his favorite theory, that Cabrieres was the birth-place of Laura. But the equal vileness of both Laura's residence and the spot where the lovers first met-showing apparently that both places were one and the same-appears to annoy him somewhat. But he put this difficulty off in the explanation, that although the meeting did not take place in Cabrieres, it was yet in a meadow so near, that it might reasonably be assigned to this place. See Considerazione sopra son. XXXVII., part II. A reason for so singular an exposition, perhaps, may be found in the extreme horror with which all good Catholics appear to regard any reflections upon the Holy See. As a remarkable instance of this, the attention of the reader is directed to the editor's notes upon sonnets xc., CIV., CV., and cvI., part 1., Rome ed., 1821, which are given to the city of Rome, abandoned by the Pope, when they are clearly intended for Avignon, then the place of his residence. See further, as decisive of this question, Baldelli del Petrarca e delle sue opere, p. 190, who transcribes a number of memoranda written by Petrarch in the Virgil at Milan, among which is the following: "Qui obiisse dicitur Babilone seu Avenione de mense maii," &c. † See particularly canzone iv., part 11. pre-eminently beautiful, whether we see her surrounded by her gay and happy companions, sitting alone sad and dejected, standing with all the consciousness of beauty and rank among the rich, the noble and the great, or lying upon the bed of death, when her eyes were closing upon the world forever. Undoubtedly, much that Petrarch wrote upon the subject of Laura is now irreparably lost, and the destruction of these writings, whether dictated by prudence or caprice, leaves us, too often, in doubt in regard to the most important particulars concerning her.* Still, despite of all this, these facts, at least, seem certain-her family was both noble and wealthy, and in age she was only a few years younger than the poet himself.† Nor can the question of her marriage be considered in any way doubtful. The correct interpretation of a contested abbreviation in the dialogues with St. Augustine must be considered conclusive of the fact; to which we may add, that the poet calls her mulier or fœmina, donna or madonna always-virgo puella or donzella never; sang her praises in the Triumph of Chastity, not Virginity, and has represented her with the crown and garland worn only by the married. He speaks, besides, of the interference of some one both envious and jealous, in a manner which can only refer to a husband. Although the birth-place of Laura may, at first, seem involved in some uncertainty, from apparent contradiction in the poet's verse, there can be, still, but little doubt that she was a native of Avignon. Certain proof of this, we think, is to be * Baldelli del Petrarca e delle sue opere, who says the number of pieces condemned by the poet to the flames amounted to more than a thousand. See the III Dialogue with St. Augustine and Sonnet CLXXVIII., part 1. beginning" In nobil sangue vita umile e queta." There is another proof of Laura's nobility noticed by Tassoni. After her victory, in the Triumph of Chastity, she returns thanks. "Nel tempio di Pudicizia, non di gente plebea, ma di patrizia." The splendor of some of her dresses and ornaments are frequently alluded to. Baldelli del Petrarca e delle sue opere-p. 178. See sonnets CLXII. and CLXXXV., part 1; also sonnets CXIII. and cxxxv., together with the canzone xv., part 1., and the Trionfo d'Amore, cap. III. ? Sonnets xx. and LXIII., part I. found in a fragment usually placed at the end of most of editions of Petrarch's poems *-evidence the more positive, as it can scarcely be said to be contradicted by a passage elsewhere, in which this honor is assigned only more precisely to the suburbs of the city, rather than to the city itself. † That Laura resided at Avignon, seems evident from two poems, one of which we have but a moment before quoted. But the sonnet addressed to the river Rhone, while it puts an end to Tassoni's hypothesis of a residence at Cabrieres, would still lead us to suppose that Laura was a denizen of the country. But even this is by no means conclusive as to a permanency of residence; if it is, the allusion is still applicable to the suburbs of the city of Avignon, which might very easily have presented all the charming beauties of the country. This supposition, too, is the more probable, as it is sustained by tradition, which pointed to a house near the limits of Avignon, still standing as late as the sixteenth century, which once, it is said, she inhabited. § * Dove Sorga e Durenza in maggior vaso La mia Accademia un tempo e'l mio Parnasso The juncture of these two streams takes place about half a league from the city of Avignon. † See sonnet III., part 1., and de Sade Mem. de Petrarque, p. 17, at the end of vol. III. De Sade preces justificative, No. X., says, upon the authority of John de Fournes, that the suburb of the Franciscano was the only suburb of Avignon at that time. Sonnets ccxx. and xxxvII, parts I. and II. || Sonnet CLXXII., part 1. The Rhone does not pass near Cabrieres. See de Sade Mem. de Petrarque, vol. III., p. 37, and pieces justificative, No. x., who quotes a work of Henry James and a letter of John de Fournes to show that Laura was born precisely in this house. But they both say nothing of the kind, nor anything more than simply "this was called the house of Laura. Dominæ Lauræ vulgo nuncupatæ, and la quale si domanda anch ora la casa di Madonna Laura." If we take the abbe's signification of the above words, Domina and Madonna, (and we suppose we may,) we might rather be inclined to believe that Laura resided here after her marriage. The situation of this house upon the banks of a rivulet, If the character of Petrarch's love, in some passages of his writings, may be considered as doubtful, in others, despite of his constant declarations upon the purity of his passion, it is more clearly expressed. In one poem* he envies the happiness of Pigmalion; in a second† he mentions Laura's indignant answer to his addresses, which shows, at least, she knew what he meant; while in one of his dialogues with St. Augustine, ‡ he not only confesses he sought favors that could not be properly granted, but that, moreover, he left nothing undone to ruin the virtue he admiredan admission which, however it may exalt the force that successfully resisted, can convey no admiration for the power that attempted its overthrow.. The evidence of a lover, upon the happy fortunes of his love, generally, may be considered as questionable, but when, however, this is not too flattering to personal vanity and the success is merely partial, in the absence of other testimony, it may, perhaps, be allowed. The poet's passion was not long in making itself known to the object of it. Love, however, deaf and blind, is always communicative, but the result was as violent as it was unexpected, and Petrarch was repulsed with the deepest scorn.|| But Laura, nevertheless, it is certain, afterwards relented, her lover mentions a change of color upon an occasion when he came "fonte vero omnium rege Sorgia," agrees besides exactly with the locality of Laura's residence. Mi revedrai sovr 'un rascel corrente Ove l'aura si sente Ivi e'l cor, e quella che'l m'involo, Qui veder puoi l'immagine mia sola. * Sonnets LVII., part I. Pigmalion quanto lodar ti dei De l'immagine tua! se mille volte † Canzone I., part 1. See the third dialogue with St. Augustine. to tell her good-bye* and we have an entire poem propitiatory of her jealousy on the mere suspicion that he admired another, from which we would suppose that this defection was not a matter of the most perfect indifference to the subject of his verse.† In all his poems upon the subject of his love, Petrarch constantly asserts the severity of Laura's treatment of him. So far the declamations of the poet are positive; the only question is how far may we believe them. It is here evident that our only authority is interested. What lover would represent the object of his affections, while loving, as weak or criminal, when an improper or untimely confession would put an end to any further hope of favor, or would blacken her memory when dead for the only fault of having yielded to his wishes? Besides, does not Petrarch aver to the purity of his affections even while he is comforted by his own words? A passion, however, that would last for a period of twenty years, without either reward or encouragement, would certainly be an anomaly in the list of human weaknesses, and if the evidence just mentioned may be doubted, for its partiality, it may more readily be admitted, when it ceases to be favorable, even while a peculiar energy of expression confirms its truth. We have here reference to Petrarch's allusions to promises which had been broken; the nature of these, it is true, is but darkly hinted at, yet in terms too * Sonnet XLVI., part II. t.Canzone XXXIV., part I. S'il disse mai, etc. See in further proof of a reciprosity of feeling, the Tumfo della morte, cap II., when the poet makes Laura say "Fur quasi eguali in noi fiamme amorose Almen poi ch' io m'avvide del tuo foco Ma l'un l'appaleso, l'altra l'ascose. See in particular sonnet ccxiv., part 1., O bel viso a me dato in dura sorte Di ch'io sempre pur pianga e mai non goda. Yet elsewhere the poet does acknowledge the receipt of some favors, but in a manner rather ungraciously, we must allow. See sonnet XLIII,, part i. E s'i' ho alcun dolce e dopo, tanti amari Che per disdegno il gusto si dilegua. |