DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.55699#0159
THE LIBRARY OF ST. MARK
125
donor, since, in the time of Cardinal Bessarion, no in-
stitution of that kind existed in Venice. It is just, how-
ever, to add, in the words of Tiraboschi: “ Al Petrarca
si dee solo la lode di averne concepito il pensiero, e fatto
cid che in lui era per eseguirlo.”
The passionate attachment of Petrarch to literature is
nowhere more forcibly evinced than in those passages of
his works in which he speaks of his library. In a letter to
his friend Francesco Nelli, he calls it “ the only solace
of his soul, the only stay of his life.” Similar expressions
are profusely scattered throughout his letters. During
the poet’s residence at Vaucluse his librarian was an old
and faithful domestic, whom he has admirably described
in one of his familiar epistles. “ He knew not how to
read, yet he was the guardian of my library. With
anxious eye he watched over my most rare and ancient
copies, which, by long use, he could distinguish from
those which were more modern, or of which I myself
was the author. Whenever I consigned a volume to his
custody, he was transported with joy; he pressed it to
his bosom with sighs; with great reverence he repeated
the author’s name, and seemed as if he had received an
accession of learning and happiness from the sight and
touch of a book.”
Stimulated, probably, by the example of Petrarch,
Cardinal Bessarion, in the year 1468, presented to the
republic of Venice his rare collection of Greek and Latin
manuscripts. In the letter which he addressed on this
occasion to the Doge and senate, he stated that, even
from his boyhood, he had exerted all his labour, care,
and study, in the collection of books in every branch of
125
donor, since, in the time of Cardinal Bessarion, no in-
stitution of that kind existed in Venice. It is just, how-
ever, to add, in the words of Tiraboschi: “ Al Petrarca
si dee solo la lode di averne concepito il pensiero, e fatto
cid che in lui era per eseguirlo.”
The passionate attachment of Petrarch to literature is
nowhere more forcibly evinced than in those passages of
his works in which he speaks of his library. In a letter to
his friend Francesco Nelli, he calls it “ the only solace
of his soul, the only stay of his life.” Similar expressions
are profusely scattered throughout his letters. During
the poet’s residence at Vaucluse his librarian was an old
and faithful domestic, whom he has admirably described
in one of his familiar epistles. “ He knew not how to
read, yet he was the guardian of my library. With
anxious eye he watched over my most rare and ancient
copies, which, by long use, he could distinguish from
those which were more modern, or of which I myself
was the author. Whenever I consigned a volume to his
custody, he was transported with joy; he pressed it to
his bosom with sighs; with great reverence he repeated
the author’s name, and seemed as if he had received an
accession of learning and happiness from the sight and
touch of a book.”
Stimulated, probably, by the example of Petrarch,
Cardinal Bessarion, in the year 1468, presented to the
republic of Venice his rare collection of Greek and Latin
manuscripts. In the letter which he addressed on this
occasion to the Doge and senate, he stated that, even
from his boyhood, he had exerted all his labour, care,
and study, in the collection of books in every branch of