His constant assiduities, his eyes continually riveted upon her, and the wildness of his looks, convinced her of his inordinate attachment; her virtue took alarm; she retired whenever he approached her, and even covered her face with a veil whilst he was present, nor would she condescend to the slightest action or look that might seem to countenance his passion.
Petrarch complains of these severities in many of his melancholy sonnets.

Meanwhile, if fame could have been a balm to love, he might have been happy.

His reputation as a poet was increasing, and his compositions were read with universal approbation.
The next interesting event in our poet's life was a larger course of travels, which he took through the north of France, through Flanders, Brabant, and a part of Germany, subsequently to his tour in Languedoc.
Petrarch mentions that he undertook this journey about the twenty-fifth year of his age.

He was prompted to travel not only by his curiosity to observe men and manners, by his desire of seeing monuments of antiquity, and his hopes of discovering the MSS.

of ancient authors, but also, we may believe, by his wish, if it were possible, to escape from himself, and to forget Laura.
From Paris Petrarch wrote as follows to Cardinal Colonna.