Table of Contents
Introduction xi
Part I On His Letters
1 To his Socrates 2
2 To Francesco of the Holy Apostles, arguing that loyalty is enough in exchanges between friends and one should not aim for style 24
3 To his Socrates, the closure of this book 34
4 To his dear Simonides, a preface 40
Part II His Life and His World
1 To Dionigi of Borgo Sansepolcro of the Order of Saint Augustine and Professor of Sacred Scriptures, concerning his own anxieties 44
2 To Giovanni Colonna of the Order of Preachers, that one should not love sects but the truth, and concerning the famous places of the city of Rome 62
3 To his Socrates, in lamentation over the unprecedented outbreak of the plague that has occurred in their time 74
4 To his own brother Gherardo, a Carthusian monk, an exhortation 86
5 To Giovanni Boccaccio, on the plague of the recent age, and the folly of astrologers 92
6 To Luca da Penne, papal secretary about the texts of Cicero 100
7 To Giovanni Boccaccio, on his intention of crossing the Alps 114
8 To Philippe, bishop of Cavaillon, in friendly mood 118
9 To the same, that one should avert envy by going into hiding 120
10 To the same 124
11 To the same 126
12 To Francesco of the Holy Apostles, about his rustic and solitary life 128
13 To Stefano Colonna, provost of Saint Omer, on the troubled condition of almost the whole world 134
14 To Guido Sette, archbishop of Genoa, a detailed account of his own condition 146
15 An incorrigible youth is severely reproached and denied permission to return to his home 160
16 To Pandolfo Malatesta, who had invited him to healthy places in a time of plague 172
17 To Giovanni Boccaccio of Cerraldo, on not breaking off study because of old age 176
Part III The Scholar and Man of Letters
1 To Giovanni dell'Incisa, charging him to search for manuscripts 204
2 To Giovanni Colonna, cardinal of the Roman Church, consulting him on where to accept the laurel crown 212
3 To the same, in confirmation of his advice 214
4 To Giacomo Colonna, bishop of Lombez, on the same topic 216
5 To Robert, king of Sicily concerning his laurel crown, and against those who always praise the ancients and despise contemporaries 220
6 To Barbato of Sulmona, royal secretary, concerning the same crown of laurel 228
7 A dispute with a certain well-known man, against those who display borrowed knowledge and those who pick out fancy flowers 230
8 To the same, the rest of the controversy, and a memory of his studies at Bologna 240
9 To Giacomo of Florence, on Cicero and his works 248
10 To Francesco of the Holy Apostles, on the happy outcome of his business in the Curia, and the three styles 254
11 To Peter, abbot of Saint-Bénigne, on the same question, and on the incurable addiction to writing 258
12 To Nicholas Sigeros, magistrate of the Greeks, thanks for the delivery of the book of Homer 270
13 To Crotus, grammarian from Bergamo, concerning Cicero's book called The Tusculan Investigations and praise for that great man 278
14 To Marco of Genoa, an encouragement to persevere in the course of study he has begun, and discussion of ancient orators and legal experts, and the lawyers of our age 284
15 To Neri Morando of Forlì, congratulating him on his restored health and advising him to avoid dangerous effort, and much besides about Petrarch's own acute personal misfortune 302
16 To Giovanni [Boccaccio] of Certaldo, self-exoneration against the slander cast upon him by envious men 314
17 To Francesco of the Holy Apostles, on the mingling of the sacred and profane styles 330
18 To Giovanni [Boccaccio] of Certaldo, that a writer is often more easily deceived about what he knows intimately, and on the law of imitation 334
19 To the same, about the young man whom he employs as an assistant in writing, and that no work is so well corrected that it lacks nothing 348
20 To the same, on the plague of the recent age and the folly of astrologers 356
21 To the same, on the instability of human decisions 370
22 To the same, on the terrible death of a pitiable friend 376
23 To Federico of Arezzo, concerning some inventions of Vergil 382
Part IV The Moralist
1 To Bruno of Florence, that the judgments of lovers are blind 416
2 Reclaiming a friend from, dangerous love affairs 418
3 To his Socrates, that everything should be shared with one's friend, and in particular one's friendships 430
4 To Guido Gonzaga, lord of Mantua, that love evens out disparities 434
5 To Niccolosio of Lucca, that virtue and renown for virtue is the best recommendation of friendship 438
6 To both Niccola and Giovanni, in exhortation to mutual friendship and their original love 444
7 To Pandolfo Malatesta the Younger, Lord of Rimini, whether it is appropriate to take a wife and what kind to choose 458
8 To Lombardo della Seta, on residing in the country or the town 464
9 To his dear Socrates, about a vision by night, arguing that poverty in leisure should be preferred to wealth in anxiety 472
10 To his Socrates, against those who urge in favor of desires 478
11 To Olympius, exhorting him to moderation in his desires, arguing that one should not postpone plans to live a better life 484
12 To Francesco Bruni of Florence, that there is scope for virtue and glory in both poverty and wealth 500
13 To Giovanni of Arezzo, chancellor of the lords of Mantua, expanding on the same theme [the death of Giacomo da Carrara] 510
14 To Peter of Poitou, on the changes of Fortune, arguing that they derive from a change in customs, and in particular in military discipline 518
15 To Cardinal Giovanni Colonna, in consolation for the death of his brother Giacomo, that most illustrious man 542
16 To Giovanni of Arezzo, why it is that we want to do one thing, but do another 562
Note on the Text and Notes 581
Notes to the Translation 583
Concordances 689
Bibliography 695
Index 713
