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Part I. Morning, I gave my eyes such a Breakfast as princes eyes would be glad to feed upon.

But before I come to the particulars of what I saw in Florence, I will consider it in great, and then come to the Retail of it.

Florenc.

Divers good Authors are of opinion that this Town was first built by Sylla's Souldiers, to whom he had given this Soyl, for their Services done him in his Civil Wars. They built it near the Current of two Rivers (Arno and Munio) and from thence it was called at first Fluentia (as Coblentz, in Germany, from the meeting of Rivers, is called Confluentia. Afterwards by the Inhabitants it was called Florentia, by reason of the fruitful soyl which made it flourish with all delicacies; as also for the flourishing Wits of the Inhabitants, who were so famous antiently in point of Wit, that the very Romans used to send their Children first into Tuscany, to be bred in Learning and Religion, and then into Greece, to learn Greek and Philosophy.

Having enquired the Name of this Town, I began to desire its better acquaintance, and attained it easily in a Months space which I spent here: The things I observed most, were these:

The Chapel of S. Laurence.

1. The Chapel of S. Laurence, which is the neatest thing that ever eye beheld. All the inside of it is to be over-crusted with Jasper Stones, of several Colours and Countrys, with other rich Stones, all above Marble, and all so neatly polished and shining, that the Art here exceeds the Materials. This Chapel is round, and round about are to be fixed