Three manuscrips from Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374), one of the founders of Humanism, are comprised in this book. (dutch edition by dr. Tazelaar): The top of the Ventoux (a letter from ca. 1343), The Secret (1342 to 1358), and De otio religioso (leisure dedicated to God). (1347 to 1357). The letter is based on Petrarca's climbing of the Mount Ventoux; the third tekst is a written oration to monks in Montrieux (Provence). Central stands The Secret, Petrarca's self analysis (introspection).
In all the three manuscrips Petrarca utters thoughts about perfectness. In the letter he deals with the difficult proces he had to go through in order to obtain understanding wat perfectness is.