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For virtue only finds eternal Fame.

Petrarch

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
I would have preferred to have been born in any other time than our own.
PETRARCH

Born Ourselves Preference Time
Ruthless striving, overcomes everything.
PETRARCH

Overcome Ruthless Strive
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
Ruthless striving, overcomes everything.
PETRARCH

Endurance Perseverance Strive
Events appear sad, pleasant, or painful, not because they are so in reality, but because we believe them to be so and the light in which we look at them depends upon our own judgment.
PETRARCH

Appearance Judgement Ourselves Pain Reality Sadness
An equal doom clipp’d Time’s blest wings of peace.
PETRARCH

Equality Peace Time Wings
To be able to say how much love, is love but little.
PETRARCH

Calculation Love
I rejoiced in my progress, mourned my weaknesses, and commiserated the universal instability of human conduct.
PETRARCH

Human Mourn Progress Weakness
The aged love what is practical while impetuous youth longs only for what is dazzling.
PETRARCH

Age Difference Love Practice Relationship
Sameness is the mother of disgust, variety the cure.
PETRARCH

Cure Disgust Mother
To begin with myself, then, the utterances of men concerning me will differ widely, since in passing judgment almost every one is influenced not so much by truth as by preference, and good and evil report alike know no bounds.
PETRARCH

Beginning Bound Difference Influence Man Myself
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 Merit Throne
I freeze and burn, love is bitter and sweet, my sighs are tempests and my tears are floods, I am in ecstasy and agony, I am possessed by memories of her and I am in exile from myself.
PETRARCH

Bitter Burn Freeze Memories Myself Sweet
Nothing mortal is enduring, and there is nothing sweet which does not presently end in bitterness.
PETRARCH

Bitterness Endurance Mortal Present
How fortune brings to earth the over-sure!
PETRARCH

Earth Fortune
Books can warm the heart with friendly words and counsel, entering into a close relationship with us which is articulate and alive.
PETRARCH

Alive Book Friendship Heart Relationship Warm
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
Rarely do great beauty and great virtue dwell together.
PETRARCH

Greatness Togetherness
Death had his grudge against me, and he got up in the way, like an armed robber, with a pike in his hand.
PETRARCH

Death Grudge Hands Himself
It is better to will the good than to know the truth.
PETRARCH

Better Goodness Known Willing
Who over-refines his argument brings himself to grief
PETRARCH

Argument Grief Refine
When the poet died his cat was put to death and mummified.
PETRARCH

Animal Cat Death Poet
A short cut to riches is to subtract from our desires.
PETRARCH

Desire Ourselves Rich
Who over-refines his argument brings himself to grief.
PETRARCH

Argument Grief Himself
I desire that death find me ready and writing, or if it please Christ, praying and intears.
PETRARCH

Death Desire Finding Myself Ready
From thought to thought, from mountain peak to mountain. Love leads me on; for I can never still My trouble on the world’s well beaten ways.
PETRARCH

Leadership Love Mountain Myself Thinking Well World

For virtue only finds eternal Fame.

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For virtue only finds eternal Fame.

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