One of these was Tommaso da Messina, with whom he had formed a friendship when they were fellow-students at Bologna, and ever since kept up a familiar correspondence.

They were of the same age, addicted to the same pursuits, and imbued with similar sentiments.

Tommaso wrote a volume of Latin poems, several of which were published after the invention of printing.

Petrarch, in his Triumphs of Love, reckons him an excellent poet.
This loss was followed by another which affected Petrarch still more strongly.

Having received frequent invitations to Lombes from the Bishop, who had resided some time in his diocese, Petrarch looked forward with pleasure to the time when he should revisit him.