and below her is sitting
Abraham, its inventor. Music has the musical instruments, and below her
is sitting Tubal-Cain, who is beating with two hammers on an anvil and
is standing with his ears intent on that sound. Geometry has the square
and the compasses, and below, Euclid. Astrology has the celestial globe
in her hands, and below her feet, Atlas. In the other part are sitting
seven Theological Sciences, and each has below her that estate or
condition of man that is most appropriate to her--Pope, Emperor, King,
Cardinals, Dukes, Bishops, Marquises, and others; and in the face of the
Pope is the portrait of Clement V. In the middle and highest place is S.
Thomas Aquinas, who was adorned with all the said sciences, holding
below his feet some heretics--Arius, Sabellius, and Averroes; and round
him are Moses, Paul, John the Evangelist, and some other figures, that
have above them the four Cardinal Virtues and the three Theological,
with an infinity of other details depicted by Taddeo with no little
design and grace, insomuch that it can be said to have been the best
conceived as well as the best preserved of all his works.

In the same S. Maria Novella, over the tramezzo[17] of the church, he
also made a S. Jerome robed as a Cardinal, having such a devotion for
that Saint that he chose him as the protector of his house; and below
this, after the death of Taddeo, his son caused a tomb to be made for
their descendants, covered with a slab of marble bearing the arms of the
Gaddi. For these descendants, by reason of the excellence of Taddeo and
of their merits, Cardinal Jerome has obtained from God most honourable
offices in the Church--Clerkships of the Chamber, Bishoprics,
Cardinalates, Provostships, and Knighthoods, all most honourable; and
all these descendants of Taddeo, of whatsoever degree, have ever
esteemed and favoured the beautiful intellects inclined to the matters
of sculpture and painting, and have given them assistance with every
effort.

Finally, having come to the age of fifty and being smitten with a most
violent fever, Taddeo passed from this life in the year 1350, leaving
his son Agnolo and Giovanni to apply themselves to painting,
recommending them to Jacopo di Casentino for ways of life and to
Giovanni da Milano for instruction in the art. After the death of Taddeo
this Giovanni, besides many other works, made a panel which was placed
on the altar of S. Gherardo da Villamagna in S. Croce, fourteen yea