On the Latin Language

...the Cassinese fragment was carried away from there, which will be discussed below. It is certain that Boccaccio first knew these books in the fourteenth century, and the same is probable for Petrarch. In his letter to Varro among the letters to ancient illustrious men (Letters on Familiar Matters, Book XXIV, 6, vol. III, p. 276, ed. Fracassetti, Flor. 1863), he writes: "No remains of your works exist, or they are extremely mangled; some of which I saw long ago, and I am tormented by the memory of the sweetness tasted, as they say, with the very tips of the lips." These words surely seem to pertain to Varro’s Agriculture rather than the grammatical books. He is thought to have "expected" it from his friend Gulielmo Pastrengico and received it from him (cf. Letters on Familiar Matters XXI 11 III, p. 151 Frac. and P. de Nolhac, Petrarch and Humanism, Paris 1892, pp. 173, 278, 307 ff.). But the same person writes to Giovanni de Certaldo, that is, Boccaccio (Letters on Familiar Matters XVIII 4 = II, p. 479 Frac.), that he had received "a book of Varro's and Cicero's short works, which were excellent and entirely rare," written in his hand. We attribute this all the more correctly to the books On the Latin Language or parts thereof, because it is established that Boccaccio also used them at times—he uses ten passages from the fifth book and one from the seventh twice (cf. Hortis, Studies on Boccaccio’s Latin Works, Trieste, 1879, p. 435)—and Petrarch himself cites at least one passage from this writing, and from that part which Petrus Diaconus exhibited, "Tuscus Vicus" Etruscan Quarter, in such a way that it appears he himself extracted it. It is also added that Antonio Loschi seems to have seen this among Petrarch’s books (cf. P. de Nolhac, pp. 243 and 307 ff.). Nor should it be neglected in this question that we read in that letter to Varro: "Your Cicero, who wrote many things to you and to whom you wrote many things..." It is also memorable that in the year 1401, Leonardo Bruni of Arezzo published a dialogue On the Three Florentine Poets, in which he produces Niccolò Niccoli and Coluccio Salutati conversing with each other (p. 17 and 19, ed. Wotke): "N. Do we not see what an ample and most beautiful patrimony our times have been despoiled of? Where are the books of M. Varro, which alone could make men wise, in which was the explanation of the Latin language?" etc. "S. M. Varro is lost. It is to be lamented, I confess, and to be borne with distress," etc. These words of Leonardo Bruni demonstrate that he did not know then of the codex that had meanwhile been moved to Florence (F), nor did he attribute knowledge of it to others, such as Niccolò Niccoli himself (who was thought by some to have acquired that book like so many others!). A little later, however, Varro’s books began to be copied more frequently and diligently in Florence: then finally, the grammarian, oppressed by long darkness, returned to life.

But although we do not know who brought together the unique codex, it is still certain from a probable conjecture whence it came. For the Cassinese codex in...