Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 1.djvu/472

458 of iron, around which moved the iron star, whereby the planks forming the basin were supported. The whole machine was upheld by a strong beam of pine-wood, well bound with iron, and placed across the main timbers of the roof: to this beam was fastened the ring which held the basin suspended and balanced; the latter, as seen from below, really presenting the appearance of a heaven. Within the lower edge of the machine were then fixed brackets of wood, exactly large enough to give space for the feet to stand on, but not larger, above each of these, at the height of a braccia, was provided an iron fastening; this was done to the end that a child of about twelve years old might be placed on each bracket, and the child was so bound to the iron above that it could not possibly fall even if it would. These children, twelve in number, being arranged as we have said, were dressed to represent angels with gilded wings, and hair formed of gold threads; they took each other by the hand at the proper time, and waving their arms appeared to be dancing, the rather as the basin was perpetually moving and turning round. Within this concave frame-work and above the heads of the angels were fixed three chaplets or garlands of lights, formed of minute lamps that could not be overturned, and which when seen from below, had the appearance of stars. The brackets also, being covered with cotton wool, presented the semblance of clouds. From the ring above described, there proceeded a very strong iron bar with a second ring, to which was affixed a slender cord, descending towards the ground, as shall be explained in due time; this strong bar of iron had eight branches or arms, which revolved in an arc sufficiently large to fill the space of the hollow basin: at the end of each arm was a stand about the size of a plate, and on every stand was placed a child of about nine years old, well secured to an iron fixed in the upper part of the branch or vane, but yet in such a manner that it could turn itself in all directions. These eight angels, upheld by the above-mentioned iron bar, were gradually lowered by means of a small windlass, and descended from the hollow of the circular space, to the depth of eight braccia below the level of the woodwork supporting the roof, in such sort that they could be seen without concealing from view the twelve angels within the edge of the machine. In the centre of this bouquet of the eight angels, (for so was