There is no doubt, however, regarding the sincerity of his strictures upon the Della Cruscan Vocabulary of 1612, or the more famous inquiry into Petrarch's style.

The _Considerazioni sopra le Rime del Petrarca_ were composed in 1602-3 during a sea voyage from Genoa to Spain.

They told what now must be considered the plain truth of common sense about the affectations into which a servile study of the _Canzoniere_ had betrayed generations of Italian rhymesters.

Tassoni had in view Petrarch's pedantic imitators rather than their master; and when the storm of literary fury, stirred up by his work, was raging round him, he thus established his position: 'Surely it is allowable to censure Petrarch's poems, if a man does this, not from malignant envy, but from a wish to remove the superstitions and abuses which beget such evil effects, and to confound the sects of the Rabbins hardened in their perfidy of obsolete opinion, and in particular of such as think they cannot write straight without the _falsariga_ of their model.' I may observe in passing that the points in this paragraph are borrowed from a sympathizing letter which Marino addressed to the author on his essay.

In another place Tassoni stated, 'It was never my intention to speak evil of this poet [Petrarch], whom I have always admired above any lyrist of ancient or modern times.' So independent in his conduct and so bold in his opinions was the author of the _Secchia Rapita_.