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Mere elegance of language can produce at best but an empty renown.

Petrarch

How difficult it is to save the bark of reputation from the rocks of ignorance.
PETRARCH

Bark Difficult Ignorance Save
Reality is always the foe of famous names.
PETRARCH

Foe Names Reality
Who over-refines his argument brings himself to grief.
PETRARCH

Argument Grief Himself
Alack our life, so beautiful to see, With how much ease life losest, in a day, What many years with pain and toil amassed!
PETRARCH

Beautiful Life Pain
I know and love the good, yet, ah! the worst pursue.
PETRARCH

Goodness Known Love Pursue Worst
The aged love what is practical while impetuous youth longs only for what is dazzling.
PETRARCH

Age Difference Love Practice Relationship
Do you suppose there is any living man so unreasonable that if he found himself stricken with a dangerous ailment he would not anxiously desire to regain the blessing of health?
PETRARCH

Blessing Dangerous Health Live Man Reason Yourself
Sameness is the mother of disgust, variety the cure.
PETRARCH

Cure Disgust Mother
Where you are is of no moment, but only what you are doing there. It is not the place that ennobles you, but you the place, and this only by doing that which is great and noble.
PETRARCH

Greatness Moments Noble Place Yourself
I rejoiced in my progress, mourned my weaknesses, and commiserated the universal instability of human conduct.
PETRARCH

Human Mourn Progress Weakness
It is more honorable to be raised to a throne than to be born to one. Fortune bestows the one, merit obtains the other.
PETRARCH

Born Fortune Honor Oneself Respect
While life is in your body, you have the rein of all thoughts in your hands.
PETRARCH

Body Hands Life Thinking
Often have I wondered with much curiosity as to our coming into this world and what will follow our departure.
PETRARCH

Curiosity Follow Wonder World
Man has no greater enemy than himself. I have acted contrary to my sentiments and inclination; throughout our whole lives we do what we never intended, and what we proposed to do, we leave undone.
PETRARCH

Enemy Greatness Man Propose
Who over-refines his argument brings himself to grief
PETRARCH

Argument Grief Refine
I looked back at the summit of the mountain, which seemed but a cubit high in comparison with the height of human contemplation, were in not too often merged in the corruptions of the earth.
PETRARCH

Comparison Earth Mountain Myself

Mere elegance of language can produce at best but an empty renown.

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Mere elegance of language can produce at best but an empty renown.

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