CHAPTER II.

LEONARDO BRUNI AND THE FLORENTINE HUMANISTS. FRANCESCO FILELFO. COSIMO DE’ MEDICI.

Leonardo Bruni Aretino—Ambrogio Traversari—The Camaldula Convent of the Angeli—Niccolò Niccoli—Niccoli’s Collection of Books—Carlo Marsuppini Aretino—Beginning of the Translation of the Iliad—Giannozzo Manetti—Higher Education and the Universities—Jurisprudence and Statute Law—Palla Strozzi and the University—Rinaldo degli Albizzi, and his Political Writings—Francesco Filelfo of Tolentino in Florence—Filelfo as Teacher and Politician—The Brothers Cosimo and Lorenzo de’ Medici in the World of Letters—Their Connection with Poggio Bracciolini—Cosimo as a Collector—Ciriaco Pizzicolli of Ancona—Roman Want of Culture—Enoch of Ascoli and Antonio of Todi 440