Bracciolini

, one of the most noted names in the history of classical study, was born at Terranova, near Florence, in 1380. He studied Latin under John of Ravenna, and Greek under Manuel Chrysoloras, after which he became a copyist of manuscripts, in which pursuit his dexterity brought him the acquaintance of the chief scholars of Florence, by whose aid he was received into the service of the Roman curia (1403) as a secretary. In this office he showed himself an enthusiastic advocate of classical study, and took a most important part in the revival of learning, caring little or nothing for the exciting political and ecclesiastical movements of the period. Bracciolini (or Poggio, as he is usually called) is best known for his remarkable success in recovering the lost masterpieces of Latin literature by his researches in the libraries of monasteries and convents, where manuscripts of priceless value to the classicist were lying hitherto unknown. In one of his epistles he relates how he discovered at St. Gall, in Switzerland, Quintilian, Verrius Flaccus (in part), and the commentaries of Asconius Pedianus. To him, likewise, we owe manuscripts of Lucretius, Columella, Silius Italicus, Manilius, Vitruvius, Ammianus Marcellinus, Nonius Marcellus , Probus, Flavius Caper, and Eutyches. At Langres he unearthed Cicero's oration Pro Caecina, and at Monte Cassino a codex of Frontinus. No considerations of morality stood in Bracciolini's way when the question of securing a valuable manuscript was before him. If a codex could be gained only by fraud, he employed fraud, as when he actually bribed a monk at Hersfeld to abstract manuscripts of Livy and Ammianus from the convent library.

Bracciolini was an extensive traveller, and has left some lively pictures of the contemporary life and customs of different European countries, especially of England and Switzerland, as well as some curious notes on the remains of antique art in Rome. He likewise describes the trial of Jerome of Prague. To pure literature he was a voluminous contributor, writing orations, epistles, treatises on rhetoric, translations from the Greek, moral essays, and fabliaux, all in Latin, as well as a history of Florence, written in imitation of the style of Livy. His Facetiae are remarkable alike for their indecency and for their caustic satires on the secular clergy. Of this class, his most famous writings are his violent and often filthy diatribes against Valla and Filelfo, who retorted in kind, and thus established a bad precedent which was followed in the later controversies of the Scaligers (q. v.), Scioppius, Salmasius, and Milton.

Bracciolini, who remained a layman until his death, retired in 1452 to Florence, of which republic he became the chancellor and historian. There he died in 1459, and was buried in the Church of Santa Croce. A statue of him by Donatello commemorates his services to the humanities. His life has been written in English by Shepherd (Liverpool, 1802). See also SymondsA. , The Renaissance in Italy (1886).