imes has been completed the work of the histories depicted within
in mosaic. And we find, from ancient records, that the figure of the
sun carved in mosaic, which says: "_En giro torte sol ciclos, et rotor
igne_," was done by astronomy, and when the sun enters into the sign
of Cancer, it shines at mid-day on that place through the opening
above, where is the turret.

Sec. 61.--_Of the coming of the Goths and Vandals into Italy, and how
they destroyed the country and besieged the city of Florence in the
time of S. Zenobius, bishop of Florence._

END OF SELECTIONS FROM BOOK I.

BOOK II.

_Here begins the Second Book: how the city of Florence was
destroyed by Totila, the scourge of God, king of the Goths
and Vandals._

[Sidenote: 440 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Inf. xv. 67.]

[Sidenote: 450 A.D.]

Sec. 1.--In the year of Christ 440, in the time of S. Leo the Pope, and
of Theodosius and Valentinian emperors, in the northern parts there
was a king of the Vandals and of the Goths, which was called Bela, and
surnamed Totila. This man was a barbarian and had no religion, and was
cruel in customs and in all things, born of the province of Gothland
and Sweden, and in his cruelty he slew his brother and subdued many
divers nations of peoples by his might and lordship; and afterwards he
was minded to destroy and take away the Empire of the Romans, and lay
Rome waste; and thus by his sovereignty he gathered together
innumerable people from his own country, and from Sweden and from
Gothland, and afterwards from Pannonia, which is Hungary, and from
Denmark, to enter into Italy. And when he desired to pass into Italy,
he was opposed by the Romans and Burgundians and French, and a great
battle was fought against him in the district of Lunina, that is to
say of Friuli and Aquilea, with the greatest number of slain that had
ever been in any battle, both on one side and on the other; and the
king of Burgundy was slain. And Totila, being discomfited, returned to
his own country with the followers which were left to him. But
afterwards, desiring to carry out his purpose of destroying the Empire
of Rome, he gathered a larger army than before, and came into Italy.
And first he laid siege to the city of Aquilea; so it continued three
years, and then he took it, and burnt and destroyed it with all the
inhabitants; and when he had entered into Italy, after the same manner
he destroyed Vicenza, and Brescia, and Bergamo,