Tacitus and Bracciolini | Page 3

on the subject to Niccoli quoted, and examined. IX. Failure of
his attempt, and he proceeds with the forgery of the Annals.
BOOK THE THIRD.
THE LAST SIX BOOKS OF THE ANNALS.
CHAPTER I
.
THE CHARACTER OF BRACCIOLINI.
I. The audacity of the forgery accounted for by the mean opinion
Bracciolini had of the intelligence of men. II. The character and tone of
the last Six Books of the Annals exemplified by what is said of Sabina
Poppaea, Sagitta, Pontia and Messalina. III. A few errors that must
have proceeded from Bracciolini about the Colophonian Oracle of
Apollo Clarius, the Household Gods of the Germans, Gotarzes,
Bardanes and, above all, Nineveh. IV. The estimate taken of human
nature by the writer of the Annals the same as that taken by Bracciolini.
V. The general depravity of mankind as shown in the Annals insisted
upon in Bracciolini's Dialogue "De Infelicitate Principum".
CHAPTER II
.
THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY.
I. The intellect and depravity of the age. II. Bracciolini as its exponent.
III. Hunter's accurate description of him. IV. Bracciolini gave way to
the impulses of his age. V. The Claudius, Nero and Tiberius of the
Annals personifications of the Church of Rome in the fifteenth century.
VI. Schildius and his doubts. VII. Bracciolini not covetous of
martyrdom: communicates his fears to Niccoli. VIII. The princes and
great men in the Annals the princes and great men of the XVth century,
not of the opening period of the Christian aera. IX. Bracciolini, and not
Tacitus, a disparager of persons in high places.
CHAPTER III

.
FURTHER PROOFS OF FORGERY.
I. "Octavianus" as the name of Augustus Caesar. II. Cumanus and Felix
as joint governors of Judaea. III. The blood relationship of Italians and
Romans. IV. Fatal error in the oratio obliqua. V. Mistake made about
"locus". VI. Objections of some critics to the language of Tacitus
examined. VII. Some improprieties that occur in the Annals found also
in Bracciolini's works. VIII. Instanced in (_a_) "nec--aut". (_b_)
rhyming and the peculiar use of "pariter". IX. The harmony of Tacitus
and the ruggedness of Bracciolini illustrated. X. Other peculiarities of
Bracciolini's not shared by Tacitus: Two words terminating alike
following two others with like terminations; prefixes that have no
meaning; and playing on a single letter for alliterative purposes.
CHAPTER IV
.
THE TERMINATION OF THE FORGERY.
I. The literary merit and avaricious humour of Bracciolini. II. He is
aided in his scheme by a monk of the Abbey of Fulda. III. Expressions
indicating forgery. IV. Efforts to obtain a very old copy of Tacitus. V.
The forgery transcribed in the Abbey of Fulda. VI. First saw the light in
the spring of 1429.
CHAPTER V
.
THE FORGED MANUSCRIPT.
I. Recapitulation, showing the certainty of forgery. II. The Second
Florence MS. the forged MS. III. Cosmo de' Medici the man imposed
upon. IV. Digressions about Cosmo de' Medici's position, and fondness
for books, especially Tacitus. V. The many suspicious marks of forgery
about the Second Florence MS.; the Lombard characters; the attestation
of Salustius. VI. The headings, and Tacitus being bound up with
Apuleius, seem to connect Bracciolini with the forged MS. VII. The
first authentic mention of the Annals. VIII. Nothing invalidates the
theory in this book. IX. Brief recapitulation of the whole argument.
BOOK THE FOURTH.
THE FIRST SIX BOOKS OF THE ANNALS.

CHAPTER I
.
REASONS FOR BELIEVING THAT BRACCIOLINI WROTE BOTH
PARTS OF THE ANNALS.
I. Improvement in Bracciolini's means after the completion of the
forgery of the last part of the Annals. II. Discovery of the first six
books, and theory about their forgery. III. Internal evidence the only
proof of their being forged. IV. Superiority of workmanship a strong
proof. V. Further departure than in the last six books from Tacitus's
method another proof. VI. The symmetry of the framework a third
proof. VII. Fourth evidence, the close resemblance in the openings of
the two parts. VIII. The same tone and colouring prove the same
authorship. IX. False statements made about Sejanus and Antonius
Natalis for the purpose of blackening Tiberius and Nero. X. This spirit
of detraction runs through Bracciolini's works. XI. Other resemblances
denoting the same author. XII. Policy given to every subject another
cause to believe both parts composed by a single writer. XIII. An
absence of the power to depict differences in persons and things.
CHAPTER II
.
LANGUAGE, ALLITERATION, ACCENT AND WORDS.
I. The poetic diction of Tacitus, and its fabrication in the Annals. II.
Florid passages in the Annals. III. Metrical composition of Bracciolini.
IV. Figurative words: (_a_) "pessum dare" (_b_) "voluntas" V. The
verb "foedare" and the Ciceronian use of "foedus". VI. The language of
other Roman writers,--Livy, Quintus Curtius and Sallust. VII. The
phrase "non modo--sed", and other anomalous expressions, not