BOCCACIO, or BOCCACE, JOHN, sometimes call ed JOHN DE CERTALDO, a celebrated Italian writer, was born at Certaldo, in Tuscany, in the year 1313.* Though his father was a peasant with a large family, he resolved to educate him for the mercantile profes sion ; and, with this view, placed him under a mer. chant at Florence, who carried him with him to Pa ris. From his knowledge of accounts he at first gained the affection of his master ; but his taste for poetry began to relax his attention to business, and, after a service of six years, his master dismissed him for negligence. He now began the study of the canon law ; but neither the remonstrances of his friends, nor the hopes of preferment, could induce him to continue a study which was at such variance with his taste for poetry and He per severed, however, in his studies till the death of his father, when he abandoned all his -professional views, and devoted himself wholly to poetry. He put him self under the instruction of Petrarch, and sought for knowledge from every other master he could procure ; but his small patrimony was insufficient for such ex penses, and he was compelled to accept the genero sity of Petrarch, who supplied him both with money and books. About this time he met with Lemm; Pilatus, a learned Greek of Thessalonica, whom he received into his house, and loaded with kindness, and by whom he was initiated into Greek literature. He hard him read Homer ; he conversed with him' familiarly for almost three years ; and, as Boccacio himself remarks, " his best memory was unable to retain the infinite number of things he told me, my mind being also perplexed with other cares, had I not committed them to writing." The reputation which Boccacio soon acquired, in consequence of his intellectual attainments, attracted the attention of the republic of Florence, who honoured him with the freedom of the city, and employed him in many of their public concerns. In consequence of the turbu lent state of Florence, which was then agitated with contending factions, Petrarch (1350) withdrew from that city into security and retirement. The republic regretted the loss of this illustrious poet, and com missioned (1351) Boceacio to negotiate his return ; but, instead of succeeding in this attempt, Boccacio was inspired by Petrarch with the same love of tran quillity, and he henceforth resolved' to quit Flo rence. After having visited several parts of Italy; he went to the court of Naples, where lie met with a kind reception from King Robert. Here he fell in
love with Mary of Arragon, the natural daughter of that prince, whom he has celebrated under the name of Fiametta, and from this cause he remained a consider= able time at Naples. From Naples he went to Sici ly, where he attracted the particular notice of Queen Joan. The tranquillity of Florence being in some measure restored, Boccacio returned to that city. In 1359, he went to visit Petrarch at Milan, and, in consequence of some conversation which passed be tween them, he resolved to follow a more serious course of life. This resolution was carried into ef fect in 1361, when he was warned that his life would be short. This warning was given him by Joachim Ci ani, a Curthusian friar of Sienna, who can.e to him at Florence, and requested a private audience. " I came hither," said the friar, " at the desire of the blessed Father Petroni, a Carthusian of Sienna, who, though he never saw you, by the illumination of heaven knows you thoroughly. He charged me to sent to you your extreme danger, unless you reform your manners and your writings, which are the in struments the devil uses to draw men into his snares, to tempt them to sinful lusts, and to promote the de pravity of their conduct. Ought you not to blush for such an abuse of the talents God has given you for his glory ? What a reward might you have ',ob tained, had you made a good use of that wit and elo quence with which he has endowed you! On the contrary, what ought you not to fear from devoting yourself to lust, and waging war with modesty, by giving lessons of libertinism both in your life and writings ! The blessed Petroni, celebrated for his. miracles and the sobriety of his life, speaks to you by my voice. He charged me in his last moments, to beseech and exhort you, in the most sacred manner, to renounce poetry and those profane studies that have been your constant employment, and prevented you from discharging your duty as a Christian. If you do not follow my directions, be assured you have but a short time to live, and that you shall suffer eternal punishments after your death. God has re vealed this to Father Petroni, who gave me strict charge to inform you •of it." Terrified at this so: lemn admonition, Boccacio.asked the friar how Pe troni came to know him ; to which Ciani replied, that Petroni saw all this in a vision, and charged him with this and other commissions at Naples, France, and England.