ng
her military power as embodied in the Imperial dignity, which now has
its residence in that nation and appears to be entirely concentrated
there; and the other representing Tuscany, apparelled in religious
vestments and with the sacerdotal lituus in the hand, which in like
manner demonstrated the excellence that the Tuscan nation has always
displayed from the most ancient times in the Divine cult, insomuch that
even at the present day it is seen that the Pontiffs and the Holy Roman
Church have chosen to establish their principal seat in Tuscany. Each of
these had at her side a nude and gracious little Angel, one of whom was
seen guarding the Imperial crown, and the other the crown that the
Pontiffs are wont to use; and one figure was shown offering her hand
most lovingly to the other, almost as if Austria, with her most noble
cities (which were depicted under various images in the vast canvas that
was as an ornament and head-piece, at the entrance to that street,
facing towards the Porta al Prato), wished to signify that she was come
parentally to take part in the rejoicings and festivities in honour of
the illustrious bridal pair, and to meet and embrace her beloved
Tuscany, thus in a certain sort uniting together the two most mighty
powers, the spiritual and the temporal. All which was declared
excellently well in the six verses that were written in a suitable
place, saying:

Augustae en adsum sponsae comes Austria; magni
Caesaris haec nata est, Caesaris atque soror.
Carolus est patruus, gens et faecunda triumphis,
Imperio fulget, regibus et proavis.
Laetitiam et pacem adferimus dulcesque Hymeneos
Et placidam requiem, Tuscia clara, tibi.

Even as on the other side Tuscany, having yielded the first place at
the first Gate to Florence, her Lady and her Queen, was seen with an
aspect all full of joy at receiving so great a Princess; having likewise
in company with her, in a similar painted canvas beside her, Fiesole,
Pisa, Siena, and Arezzo, with the most famous of her other cities, and
with the Ombrone, the Arbia, the Serchio, and the Chiana, all depicted
in various forms according to custom; and expressing her contentment in
the six following verses, written in a way similar to the others, and in
a suitable place:

Ominibus faustis et laetor imagine rerum,
Virginis aspectu Caesareaeque fruor.
Hae nostrae insignes urbes, haec oppida et agri,
Haec tua sunt; illis tu dare j