in height, which was rearing up on the
hind-legs; and upon it was seen a young hero in full armour and in
aspect all filled with valour, who had just wounded to death with his
spear, the butt of which was seen at his feet, a vast monster that was
stretched all limp beneath his horse, and already he had laid his hand
on a glittering sword, as if about to smite him again, and seemed to
marvel to what straits the monster had been reduced by the first blow.
That hero represented the true Herculean Virtue, which, as Dante said so
well, chased through every town and banished to Hell the dissipatrix of
kingdoms and republics, the mother of discord, injury, rapine, and
injustice, that evil power, finally, that is commonly called Vice or
Fraud, hidden under the form of a woman young and fair, but with a great
scorpion's tail; and, slaying her, he seemed to have restored the city
to the tranquillity and peace in which she is seen at the present day,
thanks to her excellent Lords, reposing and flourishing so happily.
Which was demonstrated in a manner no less masterly by the device,
placed fittingly on the great base, in which, in the centre of an open
temple supported by many columns, upon a sacred altar, was seen the
Egyptian Ibis, which was shown tearing with the beak and with the claws
some serpents that were wound round its legs; with a motto that said
aptly: PRAEMIA DIGNA.

OF THE BORGO DE' GRECI.

Even so, also, at the corner of the Borgo de' Greci, to the end that in
the turn that was made in going towards the Dogana, the eyes might have
something on which to feast with delight, it was thought well to form a
little closed arch of Doric architecture, dedicating it to Public
Merriment; which was demonstrated by the statue of a woman crowned with
a garland and all joyous and smiling, which was in the principal place,
with a motto in explanation, saying: HILARITAS P.P. FLORENT. Below her,
in the midst of many grotesques and many graceful little stories of
Bacchus, were seen two most charming little Satyrs, which with two skins
that they held on their shoulders were pouring into a very beautiful
fountain, as was done in the other, white and red wine; and as in the
other the fish, so in this one two swans that were under the boys,
played a trick on him who drank too much by means of jets of water that
at times spurted with force from the vase; with a graceful motto that
said: ABITE LYMPHAE VINI PERNICIES. Above and around the