remained peaceable possessor of the empire.
Among the fetes that were given to Charles, a ball was held at Avignon, in a grand saloon brightly illuminated.

Thither came all the beauties of the city and of Provence.

The Prince, who had heard much of Laura, through her poetical fame, sought her out and saluted her in the French manner.
Petrarch went, according to his custom, to pass the term of Lent at Vaucluse.

The Bishop of Cavaillon, eager to see the poet, persuaded him to visit his recluse residence, and remained with Petrarch as his guest for fifteen days, in his own castle, on the summit of rocks, that seemed more adapted for the perch of birds than the habitation of men.

There is now scarcely a wreck of it remaining.
It would seem, however, that the Bishop's conversation made this retirement very agreeable to Petrarch; for it inspired him with the idea of writing a "Treatise on a Solitary Life." Of this work he made a sketch in a short time, but did not finish it till twenty years afterwards, when he dedicated and presented it to the Bishop of Cavaillon.
It is agreeable to meet, in Petrarch's life at the shut-up valley, with any circumstance, however trifling, that indicates a cheerful state of mind; for, independently of his loneliness, the inextinguishable passion for Laura never ceased to haunt him; and his love, strange to say, had mad, momentary hopes, which only deepened at their departure the returning gloom of despair.