Ah, harlot! squinting with lascivious brows
    Upon a hapless wife’s adulterous spouse,
    Is this thy faith, to waste another’s wealth. 
    The guilty fruit of perfidy and stealth! 
    She durst not be my foe in open light. 
    But in my foe’s embraces spent the night.

Meanwhile, Marquard, Bishop of Augsburg, vicar of the Emperor in Italy, having put himself at the head of the Lombard league against the Viscontis, entered their territories with the German troops, and was committing great devastations.  But the brothers of Milan turned out, beat the Bishop, and took him prisoner.  It is evident, from these hostilities of the Emperor’s vicar against the Viscontis, that Petrarch’s embassy to Prague had not had the desired success.  The Emperor, it is true, plainly told him that he had no thoughts of invading Italy in person.  And this was true; but there is no doubt that he abetted and secretly supported the enemies of the Milan chiefs.  Powerful as the Visconti were, their numerous enemies pressed them hard; and, with war on all sides, Milan was in a critical situation.  But Petrarch, whilst war was at the very gates, continued retouching his Italian poetry.

At the commencement of this year, 1356, he received a letter from Avignon, which Socrates, Laelius, and Guido Settimo had jointly written to him.  They dwelt all three in the same house, and lived in the most social union.  Petrarch made them a short reply, in which he said, “Little did I think that I should ever envy those who inhabit Babylon.  Nevertheless, I wish that I were with you in that house of yours, inaccessible to the pestilent air of the infamous city.  I regard it as an elysium in the midst of Avernus.”

At this time, Petrarch received a diploma that was sent to him by John, Bishop of Olmuetz, Chancellor of the Empire, in which diploma the Emperor created him a count palatine, and conferred upon him the rights and privileges attached to this dignity.  These, according to the French abridger of the History of Germany, consisted in creating doctors and notaries, in legitimatizing the bastards of citizens, in crowning poets, in giving dispensations with respect to age, and in other things.  To this diploma sent to Petrarch was attached a bull, or capsule of gold.  On one side was the impression of the Emperor, seated on his throne, with an eagle and lion beside him; on the other was the city of Rome, with its temples and walls.  The Emperor had added to this dignity privileges which he granted to very few, and the Chancellor, in his communication, used very flattering terms.  Petrarch says, in his letter of thanks, “I am exceedingly grateful for the signal distinction which the Emperor has graciously vouchsafed to me, and for the obliging terms with which you have seasoned the communication.  I have never sought in vain for anything from his Imperial Majesty and yourself.  But I wish not for your gold.”