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TACITUS AND BRACCIOLINI.

THE ANNALS FORGED IN THE XVth CENTURY.

by JOHN WILSON ROSS (1818-1887)

Originally published anonymously in 1878.

Non ulli Tacitus patuit manifestius unquam.
SOSSAGO. Epigrammata.

    Excellentissimum Poggium, immortalem quidem virum, sed prope
    hac aetate sepultum, redivivium donaveris nobis.
               BICCIONI. Epistola Hyacintho de Lan inscripta.

    Is … reliquit, quae et facundiam, et mirificam ingenii
    facilitatem ostendunt. Tendebat toto animo, et quotidiano
    quodam usu ad EFFINGENDUM … Sed habet hoc dilucida illa
    divini hominis in dicendo copia, ut estimanti se imitabilem
    praebeat, experienti spem imitationis eripiat. Eam
    igitur dicendi laudem POGGIUS si non facultate, at certe
    voluntate complectebatur. Scripsit … Historiam …
    magnuum munus.
         PAOLO CORTESE (Bishop of Urbino). De Hominibus Doctis.

    Quaestio … contra communem totius orbis traditionem ac fidem,
    contra tot historicocum … nemine contradicente, consensum,
    demum agitari coepta est; et a nobis … tam abunde ventilate,
    ut magis copia quam inopia laborare videamur.
         GISBERT VOET. Spicilegium ad Disceptationem Historicam de
                       Papissa Johanna.

LONDON: 1878

I DEDICATETO MY ESTEEMED AND ESTIMABLE BROTHERROBERT DALRYMPLE ROSS

This Research
into
The Authorship of the Annals of Tacitus

AS A VERY SLIGHT TOKENOF MY AFFECTIONAND ALSOOF MY ADMIRATIONFOR HIS RARE ASSEMBLAGE OF QUALITIESLOFTY MORAL RECTITUDETHE KINDLIEST FEELINGS OF THE HEARTDEVOTION TO HIGH OCCUPATIONAPTITUDE FOR BOOKS AS FOR AFFAIRS

AND

A REFINED ENLIGHTENMENTTO APPRECIATETHE GENIUS OF TACITUS AND OF BRACCIOLINI

AND

FULLY TO APPREHENDAN INVESTIGATION UNDERTAKENIN THE TRUE INTERESTS OF HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE.

PREFACE

The theory broached in this book involves a charge of thegrossest fraud against a most distinguished man, who rose to highposts in public affairs and won imperishable fame in letters.There being blots on his moral character, it would be censurableto fasten upon his memory this new imputation of dishonesty, wereit not substantiated by irresistible evidence.

The title of this book quite explains what its design is,—tocontribute something towards settling the authorship of the Annalsof Tacitus, which encomiastic admirers imagine to be the mostextraordinary history ever penned, and the writer "but one degreeremoved from inspiration, if not inspired." This wondrous writer Iassert to be the famous Florentine of the Renaissance, PoggioBracciolini, in favour of which view I have tried to make out acase by bringing forward a variety of passages from the "History"and the "Annals" to show an extensive series of contradictions asto facts and characters, departures from truth about mattersconnected with ancient Roman life, laches in grammar and use ofwords that never could have proceeded from any patrician orplebian of the world-renowned old Commonwealth, with a number ofother things that will readily strike the intelligent

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