Born at Arezzo, 1304.--Died 1374. Petrarch was the final blossom and perfection of the Troubadours. See Biog. Lit. vol. ii. p.27, &c. NOTES ON PETRARCH'S [1] SONNETS, CANZONES, &c. VOL. I. Good: SONNET. 1. Voi, ch' ascoltate, &c. 7. La gola, e 'l sonno, &c. 11. Se la mia vita, &c. 12. Quando fra l'altre, &c. 18. Vergognando talor, &c. 25. Quanto più m' avvicino, &c. 28. Solo e pensoso, &c. 29. S' io credessi, &c. CANZ. 14. Sì è debile il filo, &c. Pleasing: BALL. 1. Lassare il velo, &c. CANZ. 1. Nel dolce tempo, &c. This poem was imitated by our old Herbert; [2] it is ridiculous in the thoughts, but simple and sweet in diction. Dignified: CANZ. 2. O aspettata in ciel, &c. 9. Gentil mia Donna, &c. The first half of this ninth canzone is exquisite; and in Canzone 8, the nine lines beginning: O poggi, o valli, &c. to 'cura', are expressed with vigour and chastity. CANZ. 9. Daquel dì innanzi a me medesmo piacqui, Empiendo d'un pensier' alto, e soave Quel core, "ond' hanno i begli occhi la chiave." Note. O that the Pope would take these eternal keys, which so for ever turn the bolts on the finest passages of true passion! VOL. II. CANZ. 1. Che debb' io far? &c. Very good; but not equal, I think, to Canzone 2, Amor, se vuoi ch' i' torni, &c. though less faulty. With the omission of half-a-dozen conceits and Petrarchisms of 'hooks, baits, flames,' and 'torches', this second canzone is a bold and impassioned lyric, and leaves no doubt in my mind of Petrarch's having possessed a true poetic genius. 'Utinam deleri possint sequentia':-- L. 17-19. --e la soave fiamma Ch' ancor, lasso! m' infiamma Essendo spenta, or che fea dunque ardendo? L. 54-56. --ov' erano a tutt' ore Disposti gli ami ov' io fui preso, e l'esca Ch' i' bramo sempre. L. 76-79. --onde l' accese Saette uscivan d' invisibil foco, E ragion temean poco; Chè contra 'l ciel non val difesa umana. And the lines 86, 87. Poser' in dubbio, a cui Devesse il pregio di più laude darsi --are rather flatly worded. [Footnote 1: These notes, by Mr. C., are written in a Petrarch in my possession, and are of some date before 1812. It is hoped that they will not seem ill placed here. Ed.] [Footnote 2: If George Herbert is meant, I can find nothing like an imitation of this canzone in his poems. Ed.] LUIGI PULCI. Born at Florence, 1431.--Died about 1487. Pulci was of one of the noblest families in Florence, reported to be one of the Frankish stocks which remained in that city after the departure of Charlemagne:-- Pulcia Gallorum soboles descendit in urbem, Clara quidem bello, sacris nec inhospita Musis. Verino 'De illustrat. Cort. Flor.' III. v. 118.