DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.55699#0158
124 THE LANDSCAPE ANNUAL.
Pilate, his instructor in the Greek language a Latin
translation of the Iliad and the Odyssey by the same
person, copied by the hand of his pupil Boccaccio, to-
gethei' with the greater part of the works of Cicero,
which the poet had himself transcribed. It seems doubt-
ful whether the whole of these manuscripts came into
the possession of the Venetian state, since, according to
some writers, the library of Petrarch was dispersed at
his death. Guinguene supposes that after his donation to
the senate he had formed another collection. Various
MSS. exist in public libraries, which were formerly in
the possession of Petrarch •> a fact which proves either
that the whole of his books were not presented to the
Venetians, or that by their most culpable negligence
they were subsequently dispersed.
Indeed the history of the volumes thus munificently
presented to the Venetians by Petrarch is involved in
much obscurity. It is certain that a mansion was assigned
to the poet, the Palazzo delle due Torri, of which he has
himself left a description; and it is supposed by De
Sade, that in this house the books were deposited.
Other writers, again, have stated, that the collection was
placed in a small room above the church of St. Mark;
a supposition which was strengthened by the discovery
of some ancient MSS. in that place in the year 1635.
The small number of the volumes thus found would show
that the library of Petrarch was by no means extensive.
Unless these books formed part of the poet’s library, no
trace remains of the donation. Certainly, the volumes
presented by the poet were not deposited by the senate
in a public library, according to the intentions of the
Pilate, his instructor in the Greek language a Latin
translation of the Iliad and the Odyssey by the same
person, copied by the hand of his pupil Boccaccio, to-
gethei' with the greater part of the works of Cicero,
which the poet had himself transcribed. It seems doubt-
ful whether the whole of these manuscripts came into
the possession of the Venetian state, since, according to
some writers, the library of Petrarch was dispersed at
his death. Guinguene supposes that after his donation to
the senate he had formed another collection. Various
MSS. exist in public libraries, which were formerly in
the possession of Petrarch •> a fact which proves either
that the whole of his books were not presented to the
Venetians, or that by their most culpable negligence
they were subsequently dispersed.
Indeed the history of the volumes thus munificently
presented to the Venetians by Petrarch is involved in
much obscurity. It is certain that a mansion was assigned
to the poet, the Palazzo delle due Torri, of which he has
himself left a description; and it is supposed by De
Sade, that in this house the books were deposited.
Other writers, again, have stated, that the collection was
placed in a small room above the church of St. Mark;
a supposition which was strengthened by the discovery
of some ancient MSS. in that place in the year 1635.
The small number of the volumes thus found would show
that the library of Petrarch was by no means extensive.
Unless these books formed part of the poet’s library, no
trace remains of the donation. Certainly, the volumes
presented by the poet were not deposited by the senate
in a public library, according to the intentions of the