PETRARCH.

THE SONNETS, TRIUMPHS,
AND OTHER POEMS

OF

PETRARCH.

NOW FIRST COMPLETELY TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH VERSE

BY VARIOUS HANDS.

WITH A LIFE OF THE POET
BY THOMAS CAMPBELL.

ILLUSTRATED WITH SIXTEEN ENGRAVINGS ON STEEL.

LONDON: GEORGE BELL AND SONS, YORK STREET,COVENT GARDEN.1879.

[Reprinted from Stereotype plates.]

[Pg iii]

PREFACE.

The present translation of Petrarch completes the Illustrated Libraryseries of the Italian Poets emphatically distinguished as "I QuattroPoeti Italiani."

It is rather a singular fact that, while the other three Poets of thisworld-famed series—Dante, Ariosto, and Tasso—have each found severaltranslators, no complete version of the fourth, and in Italy the mostpopular, has hitherto been presented to the English reader. This lacunebecomes the more remarkable when we consider the great influence whichPetrarch has undoubtedly exercised on our poetry from the time ofChaucer downwards.

The plan of the present volume has been to select from all the knownversions those most distinguished for fidelity and rhythm. Of the morefavourite poems, as many as three or four are occasionally given; whileof others, and those by no means few, it has been difficult to find evenone. Indeed, many must have remained entirely unrepresented but for thespirited efforts of Major Macgregor, who has recently translated nearlythe whole, and that with great closeness both as to matter and form. Tothis gentleman we have to return our especial thanks for his liberalpermission to make free use of his labours.

Among the translators will be found Chaucer, Spenser, Sir Thomas Wyatt,Anna Hume, Sir John Harington,[Pg iv] Basil Kennett, Anne Bannerman, Drummondof Hawthornden, R. Molesworth, Hugh Boyd, Lord Woodhouselee, the Rev.Francis Wrangham, the Rev. Dr. Nott, Dr. Morehead, Lady Dacre, LordCharlemont, Capel Lofft, John Penn, Charlotte Smith, Mrs. Wrottesley,Miss Wollaston, J.H. Merivale, the Rev. W. Shepherd, and Leigh Hunt,besides many anonymous.

The order of arrangement is that adopted by Marsand and other recenteditors; but to prevent any difficulty in identification, the Italianfirst lines have been given throughout, and repeated in an alphabeticalindex.

The Life of Petrarch prefixed is a condensation of the poet Campbell'stwo octavo volumes, and includes all the material part of that work.

York Street, Covent Garden,
June 28, 1869.

[Pg v]

LIST OF PLATES.