gonal basin, on a pedestal four palms high, are Sirens with
wings in place of arms, one at each corner; and above these Sirens,
which are twined together in the centre, are four Tritons eight palms
high, which likewise have their tails twined together, and with their
arms they support a great tazza, into which water is poured by four
masks superbly carved. From the centre of that tazza rises a round shaft
that supports two most hideous masks, representing Scylla and Charybdis,
which are trodden under foot by three nude Nymphs, each six palms high,
above whom is placed the last tazza, which is upheld by them with their
arms. In that tazza four Dolphins, with their heads down and their tails
raised on high, forming a base, support a ball, from the centre of
which, through four heads, there issues water that spouts upwards, and
so also from the Dolphins, upon which are mounted four naked little
boys. On the topmost summit, finally, is a figure in armour representing
the constellation of Orion, which has on the shield the arms of the city
of Messina, of which Orion is said, or rather is fabled, to have been
the founder.

Such, then, is that fountain of Messina, although it is not so easy to
describe it in words as it would be to picture it in drawing. And since
it much pleased the people of Messina, they caused him to make another
on the shore, where the Customs-house is; which also proved to be
beautiful and very rich. Now, although that fountain has in like manner
eight sides, it is nevertheless different from that described above; for
it has four straight sides that rise three steps, and four others,
smaller, that are semicircular, and upon these stands the fountain with
its eight sides. The borders of the great basin on the lowest level have
at each angle a carved pedestal of an equal height, and in the centre of
four of them, on the front face, is another pedestal. On each side where
the steps are semicircular there is an elliptical basin of marble, into
which water pours in great abundance through two masks that are on the
parapet below the carved border. In the centre of the great basin of the
fountain is a pedestal high in proportion, on which are the arms of
Charles V; at each angle of that pedestal is a Sea-horse, which spouts
water on high from between its feet; and in the frieze of the same,
beneath the upper cornice, are eight great masks that pour jets of water
downwards. And on the summit is a Neptune of five