The life of Poggio Bracciolini

The book is titled The Life of Poggio Bracciolini. The preface says the services rendered to the cause of literature by Poggio Bracciolini have been noticed with due applause by Mr. Roscoe in his celebrated Life of Lorenzo de’ Medici. The preface says the writer was led to imagine that the history of Poggio must contain a rich fund of information respecting the revival of letters.

The text says that Martin V. died on the 20th of February, 1431, and that, though this pontiff was unable to accomplish the extinction of heresy, he had the good fortune to witness the termination of the famous schism of the West. An exhortation in the text asks, “Why then do you trouble kings and princes?” and urges, “Imitate his contrition, and acknowledge that you have sinned against the Lord.” The text says Francesco Barbaro was descended from a noble Venetian family, which formerly bore the name of Magadesi but exchanged that appellation for the honourable title of Barbaro, or de’ Barbari. The text says Francesco was born at Venice in the year 1398 and was placed at an early age under the tuition of John of Ravenna.