regards religous revelations, of which he had a dim presentiment, but, as Thode has shown, she set him the example of singing them in her verses. It was during the early days of their friendship that the first “Spiritual Sonnets” of Vittoria appeared.[1] She sent them to her friend as soon as she had written them.[2]
He found a consolatory charm, a new life in them. A beautiful sonnet which he addressed to her in reply bears witness to his tender gratitude:
“Blessed spirit who, by your ardent love, keeps my old heart, so near the point of death, alive, and who, in the midst of your possessions and your pleasures, distinguish me alone among so many nobler beings—so you appeared formerly to my eyes, so now, in order to console me, you show yourself to my soul. … That is the reason why, receiving this favour from you, who think of me in my troubles, I write to thank you. For it would be a piece of great presumption and a great shame if I offered
- ↑ “Rime con giunta di xvi Sonetti spirituali,” 1539.“Rime con giunta di xxiv Sonetti spirituali e Trionfo della Croce,” 1544. Venice.
- ↑ “I possess a little parchment book which she gave me some ten years ago,” wrote Michael Angelo to Fattucci on March 7 1551. “It contains one hundred and three sonnets, without counting the forty on paper, which she sent me from Viterbo, and which I have had bound in the same little book. … I have also many letters which she wrote me from Orvieto and Viterbo. That is what I possess of her.”
him better,” said Giannotti, “or possessed his work more perfectly.” No one has addressed to him a more magnificent homage than the fine sonnet beginning with the words: “Dal ciel discese. …” (“Poems,” cix, 37). He was equally well acquainted with Petrarca, Cavalcanti, Cino da Pistoja, and the classics of Italian poetry. His style was modelled upon them. But the sentiment which vivified everything was his ardent platonic idealism.
