Petrarch used to compare Convennole to a whetstone, which is blunt itself, but which sharpens others.  His old master, however was sharp enough to overreach him in the matter of borrowing and lending.  When the poet had collected a considerable library, Convennole paid him a visit, and, pretending to be engaged in something that required him to consult Cicero, borrowed a copy of one of the works of that orator, which was particularly valuable.  He made excuses, from time to time, for not returning it; but Petrarch, at last, had too good reason to suspect that the old grammarian had pawned it.  The poet would willingly have paid for redeeming it, but Convennole was so much ashamed, that he would not tell to whom it was pawned; and the precious manuscript was lost.

Petracco contracted an intimacy with Settimo, a Genoese, who was like himself, an exile for his political principles, and who fixed his abode at Avignon with his wife and his boy, Guido Settimo, who was about the same age with Petrarch.  The two youths formed a friendship, which subsisted between them for life.

Petrarch manifested signs of extraordinary sensibility to the charms of nature in his childhood, both when he was at Carpentras and at Avignon.  One day, when he was at the latter residence, a party was made up, to see the fountain of Vaucluse, a few leagues from Avignon.  The little Francesco had no sooner arrived at the lovely landscape than he was struck with its beauties, and exclaimed, “Here, now, is a retirement suited to my taste, and preferable, in my eyes, to the greatest and most splendid cities.”

A genius so fine as that of our poet could not servilely confine itself to the slow method of school learning, adapted to the intellects of ordinary boys.  Accordingly, while his fellow pupils were still plodding through the first rudiments of Latin, Petrarch had recourse to the original writers, from whom the grammarians drew their authority, and particularly employed himself in perusing the works of Cicero.  And, although he was, at this time, much too young to comprehend the full force of the orator’s reasoning, he was so struck with the charms of his style, that he considered him the only true model in prose composition.

His father, who was himself something of a scholar, was pleased and astonished at this early proof of his good taste; he applauded his classical studies, and encouraged him to persevere in them; but, very soon, he imagined that he had cause to repent of his commendations.  Classical learning was, in that age, regarded as a mere solitary accomplishment, and the law was the only road that led to honours and preferment.  Petracco was, therefore, desirous to turn into that channel the brilliant qualities of his son; and for this purpose he sent him, at the age of fifteen, to the university of Montpelier.  Petrarch remained there for four years, and attended lectures on law from some of the most famous professors of the science.  But his prepossession for Cicero prevented him from much frequenting the dry and dusty walks of jurisprudence.  In his epistle to posterity, he endeavours to justify this repugnance by other motives.  He represents the abuses, the chicanery, and mercenary practices of the law, as inconsistent with every principle of candour and honesty.