Petrarch replied in a letter apparently full of gratitude and satisfaction, but in which he by no means pledged himself to be the gymnasiarch of their new college; and, agreeably to his original intention, he set out from Padua on the 3rd of May, 1351, for Provence.
Petrarch took the road to Vicenza, where he arrived at sunset.

He hesitated whether he should stop there, or take advantage of the remainder of the day and go farther.

But, meeting with some interesting persons whose conversation beguiled him, night came on before he was aware how late it was.

Their conversation, in the course of the evening, ran upon Cicero.

Many were the eulogies passed on the great old Roman; but Petrarch, after having lauded his divine genius and eloquence, said something about his inconsistency.