y fashion of conches, shells, coral, sword-grass, and
sea-weed, by which a no less graceful finish was given to the whole
structure.

But to return to the space of the facade which, turning from the
straight, was supported against the Palazzo degli Spini. In it was seen,
painted in chiaroscuro, a Nymph all unadorned and little less than nude,
placed between many new kinds of animals, who stood for the new land of
Peru, with the other new West Indies, discovered and ruled for the most
part under the auspices of the most fortunate House of Austria. She was
turned towards a figure of Jesus Christ Our Lord, who, painted all
luminous in a Cross in the air (alluding to the four exceeding bright
stars which form the semblance of a Cross, newly discovered among those
peoples), appeared in the manner of a Sun piercing some thick clouds
with most resplendent rays, for which she seemed in a certain sense to
be rendering much thanks to that house, in that by their means she was
seen converted to the Divine worship and to the true Christian Religion,
with the verses written below:

Di tibi pro meritis tantis, Augusta propago,
Praemia digna ferant, quae vinctam mille catenis
Heu duris solvis, quae clarum cernere solem
E tenebris tantis et Christum noscere donas.

Even as on the base which supported that whole facade, and which,
although on a level with that of the Giants, yet did not like that one
project outwards, there was seen, painted as it were by way of allegory,
the fable of Andromeda delivered by Perseus from the cruel Monster of
the sea. And in that which, turning, faced towards the Arno and the
Ponte alla Carraia, there was seen in like manner painted the small but
famous Island of Elba, in the form of an armed warrior seated upon a
great rock, with the Trident in her right hand, having on one side of
her a little boy who was seen sporting playfully with a dolphin, and on
the other side another like him, who was upholding an anchor, with many
galleys that were shown circling about her port, which was painted
there. At her feet, on her base, and corresponding in like manner to the
facade painted above, was seen likewise the fable that is given by
Strabo, when he relates that the Argonauts, returning from the
acquisition of the Golden Fleece, and arriving with Medea in Elba,
raised altars there and made sacrifice to Jove upon them; perhaps
foreseeing or auguring that at another time our present glorious