He lodged with our poet when he came to Padua, and he communicated to him some critical remarks which had been written at Avignon on Petrarch's letter to Pope Urban V., congratulating him on his return to Rome.

A French monk of the order of St.Bernard passed for the author of this work.

As it spoke irreverently of Italy, it stirred up the bile of Petrarch, and made him resume the pen with his sickly hand.
His answer to the offensive production flows with anger, and is harsh even to abusiveness.

He declaims, as usual, in favour of Italy, which he adored, and against France, which he disliked.
After a suspension the war was again conducted with fury, till at last a peace was signed at Venice on the 11th of September, 1373.

The conditions were hard and humiliating to the chief of Padua.