Page:The Voyage of Italy (1686).djvu/177

 ==The Voyage of Italy. Part I. Page 130== Roma mihi mortem tribuit, Florencia vitam: Nemo alius vellet nasci, & obire, locis.

In the midst of this church I found buried an English bishop, called Catrick, who had been ambassador here from England, and likely in the time of the Council of Florence. His arms were three cats argent in a sable field. ln fine, at the very end of this church the left hand stands a neat chapel, with a painted cupola, belonging to the family of the Nicolimi, in which chapel there are excellent statues and pictures.

19. Not far from hence stands the Abbadia, an abbey of Benedictin monks. In the church is the tomb of the founder of this abbey, a German Nobleman, call’d Conte Hugo, who commanded Toscany under the Emperor Otho the III. The occasion of building this Monastery and many others by this Hugo, is too long to tell,and perchance would not find belief everywhere. It’s told publicly every year upon St Thomas his day in high mass time here, by some one or other of the chief wits of the Academy of the Crusca; and he that's curious to know it may hear i there, as I did, with great satisfaction.

20. From thence I went to the Church of Santa Maria Novella belonging to the Dominicans. Here it is, that the Council of Florence spoken of above, was held. There are many good pictures in this church, as also diverse, neat tombs of holy men and women, and others: among which, that of Joseph, Patriarch