In the April of 1453, the death of Carlo Aretino produced a vacancy in the chancellorship of the Tus can republic, to which Poggio was elected by the unanimous suffrage of his fellow-citizens. He accord ingly quitted the Roman chancery, in which, for fifty-one years, he had held situations of confidence and dignity, and removed his family to the Tuscan capital, where he applied himself, with uncommon as siduity, to the duties of his new office. As an addi tional proof of the esteem of his countrymen, he was elected, soon after his arrival in Florence, one of the Priori degli anti, or presidents of the trading compa nies; associations similar to those into which the citi zens of London are at present. subdivided. Neither his advanced age, nor the dignity of his exalted sta tion, could raise the mind of Poggio above that ten dency to low and indecent abuse, which had already thrown so deep a shade over the splendour of his ta lents and his learning. At the time of his removal from Rome, he was engaged in a violent quarrel with Lorenzo Voila, a scholar of distinguished eminence. A young Catalonian nobleman, who had been Val la's pupil, happened to possess a copy of Poggio's epistles. Having got this book, by some means, in• to his hands, he found on its margin several animad versions on alleged barbarisms in his style. Taking it for granted that Valle must have been the author of these animadversions, he immediately resented the fancied insult in a fierce invective. This attack Voi la endeavoured to repel by an equally violent philip pic, which he addressed to Nicholas V. under the ti tle of Antidotus in Poggium. Poggio replied, and the contest was carried on for some time, on both sides, with all the coarse weapons of falsehood and vul garity. This disgraceful quarrel, however, did not so completely occupy the mind of Poggio, as to prevent him from devoting a considerable portion of his time to studies of a more agreeable and useful na ture. Soon after his final establishment in Florence, he published a dialogue, De miseria humane condi tionis ; which was immediately followed by his ver sion of Lucian's Ass, his object in publishing which was, to establish a point of literary history till then unknown, that Apuleius was indebted to Lucian for the idea of his Asinus Aureus. His last literary
work was his History of Florence, divided into eight books, and comprehending the transactions of the Florentines, from the year 1350, to the peace of Naples in 1455. His son Jacopo translated this his tory into Italian, and the translation almost superse ded the original, till it was republished in a splendid form by Recanati, and afterwards found a place in the magnificent historical collections of Grxvius and 'Muratori. He had not given the last polish to this valuable work, when death terminated his labours on the 30th of October 1459. The Florentines testi fied their respect for his memory, by having his por trait hung up in their public hall, and by erecting his statue on the front of the church of Santa Maria del Fiore.
The character of Poggio, though clouded with considerable stains, is upon the whole respectable and amiable. His violent quarrels with some of his literary contemporaries evince a heart susceptible of keen resentment, yet it was equally susceptible of the more generous feelings of warm and enthusiastic attach ment ; nor did any spirit of jealousy ever prevent him from proclaiming the merits of his literary friends. The politeness of his manner, the extent of his information, the strength of his judgment, and the playfulness of his fancy, rendered his conversa tion extremely engaging ; and his company was courted by the most distinguished of his countrymen. For the laxity of his morals, and the licentiousness of his conduct, it is but a poor apology, that, in the general depravity of the age, his vices attracted little notice, and gave little offence. His literary accom plishments entitle him to distinguished praise. In the Greek language he acquired considerable profi ciency, and with all the Roman classics tie was inti mately conversant. His Latin composition, though not entirely free from barbarisms, is flowing and grace ful; and, when compared with the works of the pre ceding age, its purity is truly astonishing. Sec Shep herd's Life of Foggia. (,(4)