ABSTRACT
Poggio Bracciolini, the scholar famed in William Roscoe's day for his rediscoveries of major classical texts and for his mastery of the ancient dialogue form, knew how to craft a well-turned opening. This chapter calls up books in the Bodleian, the author has read many more online and bought a hard-to-find volume on the World Wide Web. In outlining William Shepherd's contribution to the understanding of the revival of letters, the chapter emphasizes his place in the shadow of Roscoe. Shepherd seems nearly Machiavellian in his attitude towards factions: The factions which disturbed the peace of the Italian republics tended also in an eminent degree to call forth the energy of abilities, which in other circumstances would have been buried in obscurity. Shepherd's interest in Poggio continued after the publication of his biography in 1802.
