Francis, an Italian poet, a native of Pistoja, and the friend of Pope Urban VIII. was born about the year 1566. Removing to Florence, he was admitted into the academy there, and devoted himself to literature. At Rome he entered into the service of Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, with whom he afterwards went to France. After the death of Clement VIII. he returned to his own country, and for some years prosecuted his studies in retirement. When his patron Barberini was elected pope, under the name of Urban VIII., Bracciolini repaired to Rome, where he was well received, and made secretary to the pope's brother, Cardinal Antonio. He had also the honour conferred on him of taking a surname from the arms of the Barberini family, which were bees; and he was afterwards known by the name of Bracciolini dell' Api. He resided in Rome during the whole of Urban's pontificate, frequenting the most illustrious academies, and listened to with general applause, but, at the same time, censured for his sordid avarice. On the death of this pontiff he returned to his native city, where he died in the year 1645. Bracciolini, was a copious writer. There is scarcely any species of poetry, epic, dramatic, pastoral, lyric, or burlesque, which he did not attempt. He is principally noted for his mock-heroic poem entitled Scherno degli Dei, which disputes priority of date with Tassoni's Sechia Rapita. In merit, indeed, its inferiority is acknowledged, yet it obtained considerable applause. Of his serious heroic poems, the most celebrated is the Croce Racquistata, which by some is placed next to the great works of Ariosto and Tasso, sed magno intervallo. He celebrated the elevation of his patron Urban VIII. in a poem of twenty-three books, which shows with what facility he could write verses. His dramatic pastoral, entitled L'Amoroso Sdegno, is accounted one of the best productions of the age in which it was written; and some of his tragedies met with much applause, particularly his Eseandro. The following is a pretty correct list of his acknowledged works: 1. La Croce Racquistata, poema eroico, canti xv. Paris, Ruelles, 1605, 8vo; 2. Lo Scherno degli Dei, poema eroico-giocoioso, canti xiii. Florence, 1618, 4to; 3. L'Eletzione di Papa Urbano VIII. Rome, 1628, 4to; 4. La Roccella espugnata, Rome, 1630, 12mo; 5. La Bulgheria Convertita, poema eroico in xx. canti, Rome, 1637, 12mo; 6. L'Eseandro, l'Arpolice, la Pentesilea, tragedies, Rome, 1612, 1613, and 1615, 8vo; 7. L'Amoroso Sdegno, favola Pastorale, Venice, 1597; 8. Ero e Leandro, favola Marittima con gli internamente Apparenti, Rome, 1630, 12mo; and Il Monserrato, a drama, Rome, 1629, 12mo. The titles of his other and less considerable performances may be found in Mazzucchelli.

Brace is commonly taken for a couple or pair, and applied by huntsmen to several kinds of game, as a brace of bucks, foxes, hares, grouse, and the like.