[10] In the carteggio of the Signoria Fiorentina (missive iv. f. 37 of Arch. di Stato di Firenze) is to be found the copy of a letter from the Priori to King Robert, which has been published. The Signoria on April 12, 1329, write to King Robert that the lack of corn in the city is so great as to cause fear of tumult; wherefore they pray him to order the captains of his ships to send certain galleys they had taken with corn to Talamone, where they might buy what they needed. Under this letter is written: "Ad infra scriptos mercatores. Predicta notificata sunt Boccaccio de Certaldo, Baldo Orlandini et Acciaiolo de Acciaiolis, et mandatum est et scriptum, quod litteras predictas domino regi presententur." It follows that Boccaccino was among the first Florentine negozianti then in Naples. But see infra. He must have come into personal relations with King Robert on this occasion, even though hitherto he had not done so.
[11] Cf. Havemann, Geschichte des ausgangs des Tempelherrenordens (Stuttgart, 1846), pp. 261-3, and Crescini, Contributo agli studi sul Boccaccio (Torino, 1887), cap. i. p. 25. Crescini's book is invaluable.
[12] He tells us this in the De Casibus Illustrium Virorum, Lib. IX.
[13] See Desjardins, Négociations Diplomatiques de la France avec la Toscane, Vol. I, p. 12 et seq., and Villari, The First Two Centuries of Florentine History (Eng. trans., 1905), p. 554.
[14] That he was not a mere traveller between Tuscany and France seems certain, for Boccaccio says: "Boccaccius genitor meus, qui tunc forte Parisius negotiator, honesto cum labore rem curabat augere domesticam," etc.
[15] Boccaccio, De Cas. Ill. Vir., Lib. IX. Cf. Crescini, op. cit.
[16] Cf. Crescini, op. cit., cap. i; Antona Traversi, Della patria di Gio. Boccaccio in Fanfulla della Domenica (1880), II, and in Rivista Europea (1882), XXVI. See also B. Zumbini, Il Filocolo del Boccaccio (Firenze, 1879), esp. p. 58; and Crescini, Idalagos in Zeitschrift für Rom. Phil. (1885-6), IX, 457-9, X, 1-21.
[17] Cf. Ameto in Opere Minori (Milan, 1879), p. 186 et seq.; and Filocolo in Opere Volgari, ed. Moutier (Firenze, 1827), Vol. II, p. 236 et seq.
[18] For a full discussion of these allusions and anagrams, cf. Crescini, Contributo agli studi sul Boccaccio (Torino, 1887), cap, i. It will be seen that if our theory be correct, Giovanni Boccaccio bears the names of both his parents—Giovanna and Boccaccio. It is necessary to point out, however, that there is not much in this, for a paternal uncle was called Vanni, and Giovanni may have been named after him, as his brother was named after another uncle. Cf. Baldelli, Vita di Gio. Boccaccio (Firenze, 1806), p. 274, note 1.
[19] In the Filocolo (ed. cit., Vol. II, pp. 242-3) we read: "Ma non lungo tempo quivi ricevuti noi dimorò, che abbandonata la semplice giovane e l' armento tornò nei suoi campi, e quivi appresso noi si tirò, e non guari lontano al suo natal sito la promessa fede a Giannai ad un' altra, Garamita chiamata, ripromise e servò, di cui nuova prole dopo piccolo spazio riceveo." Cf. Baldelli, Vita di Gio. Boccaccio (Firenze, 1806), p. 275.