BRACCIOLINI. 



391 





LI. public instruction. Among other eminent scholars, 

 * whom these advantages attracted to Florence, were 

 Giovanni Malpaghino, better known by the name of 

 John of Ravenna; and Manuel Crysoloras, who had 

 been deputed by Paheologus, emperor of the East, to 

 solicit the assistance of several European states, 

 against the growing power of the Turks ; but who, 

 tired of a commission so troublesome and unprofita- 

 ble, had exchanged the office of ambassador for the 

 humbler occupation of reading lectures on the Gre- 

 cian classics. Poggio studied, under Malpaghino, 

 the admired productions of ancient Rome. Cryso- 

 loras was his preceptor in the Grecian language ; 

 that divine language, which, as Mr Gibbon finely ex- 

 presses it, " gives a soul to the objects of sense, and 

 a body to the abstractions of philosophy." The li- 

 terary fame which Poggio afterwards acquired, is the 

 best proof of the proficiency which he made under 

 these celebrated masters. 



After completing his studies, he repaired to Rome, 

 probably about the year 1402 ; and was introduced 

 to the notice of Boniface IX., who appointed him 

 writer of the apostolic letters. He was then about 

 22 years of age ; of a lively fancy, and an ardent 

 constitution. The scantiness of his revenue, how- 

 ever, preserved him from thu dissipation and licenti- 

 ousness which prevailed at the Roman court ; and 

 his leisure hours were either devoted to study, or 

 spent in the company of learned men, from whose 

 conversation he could derive improvement and de- 

 light. He was soon deprived of the patronage of 

 Boniface, who died about two years after Poggio's 

 arrival in Rome j but was fortunate enough to pro- 

 cure the favour of Innocent VII., who succeeded 

 Boniface on the Papal throne. The most gratifying 

 fruit of his influence with Innocent, was the oppor- 

 tunity of advancing the fortune of his friend Leon- 

 ardo Aretino, whom he introduced to the notice of 

 the pope, and whose abilities obtained for him, in de- 

 fiance of competition, the dignity of apostolic scribe. 

 During the violent dissensions which followed the 

 death of Innocent, Poggio removed from the scene 

 of contention, to enjoy, at Florence, the society of 

 his literary friends. On this occasion he was hon- 

 oured with particular regard by Niccolo Niccoli, an 

 eminent scholar, and a distinguished patron of litera- 

 ture. Notwithstanding his retreat from the pontifi- 

 cal palace, Poggio still seems to have retained his 

 office in the chancery, and continued to act as apos- 

 tolical scribe, both to Alexander V., and to his suc- 

 cessor John XXII. The death of Manuel Ciyso- 

 loras, who was a member of the council of Con- 

 stance, called forth a warm funeral panegyric from 

 his accomplished pupil, who likewise perpetuated iiis 

 praises in an appropriate Latin epitaph. 



When John was deposed by the council, and his 

 household was of course dispersed, Poggio remained 

 at Constance, with the view of embracing any oppor- 

 tunity that might occur, of promoting his own in- 

 terest, or that of his friend Leonardo Aretino. The 

 mortifications which all the adherents of John ex- 

 perienced in Germany, rendered him extremely dissa- 

 tisfied with his situation, and seem even to have re- 

 raxed the vigour of his mind. Literary pursuits 

 ceased to afford lz.ra amusement, and for a time his 



studies were totally suspended. From this uneasy Bracciolini. 

 and listless state of mind, he sought relief in an ex- ** -.'- 

 cursion to the baths of Baden ; his description of 

 which, in a letter to Niccolo Niccoli, exhibits a most 

 interesting picture of what a fashionable watering place 

 was in the fifteenth century. S Jon after his return 

 to Connance, he witnessed the trial and execution of 

 Jerome of Prague, which he describes with a degn-r 

 of feeling, highly creditable to his candour and hu- 

 manity. So deep was the interest which he felt and 

 expressed for this great, unfortunate man, that hit 

 friend Leonardo became concerned for his safety, 

 and advised him to speak and write more guardedly 

 on that subject in future. 



Poggio employed the leisure given him by the va- 

 cancy of the pontifical chair, in an expedition of the 

 highest importance to the interests of literature. He 

 had received information that many ancient manu- 

 scripts of classic authors were scattered in various 

 monasteries, and other repositories, in the vicinity of 

 Constance ; and determined to rescue them from the 

 hands of their, ignorant possessors, who allowed 

 them to remain buried in obscurity. In a visit to 

 the convent of St Gallo, he had the happiness to 

 discover a complete copy of Quintilian's works, 

 which had hitherto appeared in a mutilated and im- 

 perfect state. He found, at the same time, the three 

 first beoks, and part of the fourth, of the Argonau- 

 tics of Valerius Flaccus, and Asconius Pedeanus's 

 comment on eight of Cicero's orations. " Some 

 ideas," says Mr Roscoe,. " may be formed of the cri- 

 tical state of these works, from the account that 

 Poggio has left. Buried in the obscurity of a dark 

 and lonely tower, covered with filth and rubbish, 

 their destruction seemed inevitable." Of this happy 

 discovery, Poggio gave immediate notice to his 

 friend Leonardo Aretino, who, in a highly flatter- 

 ing letter, full of the most extravagant expressions 

 of joy, admonishes him to proceed with, fresh dili- 

 gence in his researches. In a monastery of themonhs 

 of CLugny, in the town of Langres, he found a copy 

 of Cicero's oration for Carcin;;, which ho transcri- 

 bed for the use of his Italian friends. In the course 

 of subsequent journies through France and Germany, ' 

 he discovered several other orations of Cicero, the 

 loss of which had long bi-en deplored by the learned. 

 These orations were DC Lrge Agrariu contra Il/il- 

 lum liber primus cjiisdcni li/>cr sfcuiidus; Contra 

 legem Agrariam udpopuluin; In L. Pisn,iem. To 

 a copy of these orations, preserved in the abbey of 

 Santa Maria, at Florence, is affixed a memorandum, 

 which records the fact of their having been discover- 

 ed by Puggio. This memorandum, indeed, makrj 

 mention of seven orations which he had found in his 

 researches ; and, in the catalogue prefixed to the ma- 

 nuscript, besides the works already mentioned, he is 

 allowed the credit of discovering the oration j.ru C. 

 Kabirio Pitonc; pro C.Rnlirto perdaeUituut reo; and 

 pro Iloscio (Jumccdo. At that tune only eight of the 

 comedies of Plautus were- knu.vn to the classical stu- 

 dent. The first complete copy of that author was 

 brought to light by Nicholas of Troves, whom Pog- 

 gio employed to continue the researches in the Ger- 

 man monasteries, It was purchased from Nicholas 

 by the. cardinal Giurdat:o Orjini, who refused to pe'- 



