t pagan builders by necromancy to Mars,
the which had been in the river Arno from the destruction of Florence
unto that time; and being found, it was placed on a pillar by the side
of the said river, where now is the head of the Ponte Vecchio. This we
do not affirm nor believe, forasmuch as it seems to us the opinion of
pagans and soothsayers, and not to be reasonable, but very foolish,
that such a stone should have such effect; but it was commonly said by
the ancients, that, if it was disturbed, the city must needs have
great disturbances. And it was said also by the ancients, that the
Romans, by the counsel of the wise astrologers, at the beginning of
the rebuilding of Florence, took the third degree of Aries as the
ascendant, the sun being at his meridian altitude, and the planet
Mercury in conjunction with the sun, and the planet Mars in favourable
aspect to the ascendant, to the end the city might multiply in power
of arms and of chivalry, and in folk eager and enterprising in arts
and in riches and in merchandise, and should bring forth many children
and a great people. And in those times, so they say, the ancient
Romans and all the Tuscans and Italians, albeit they were baptized
Christians, still preserved certain remains of the fashions of pagans,
and began their undertakings according to the constellations; albeit,
this we do not affirm of ourselves, forasmuch as constellations are
not of necessity, nor can they constrain the free will of man or the
judgment of God, save according to the merits or sins of folk. And
yet, in some effects, meseems the influence of the said constellation
is revealed, for the city of Florence is ever in great disturbances
and plottings and in war, and now victorious and now the contrary, and
prone to merchandise and to arts. But our opinion is that the discords
and changes of the Florentines are as we said at the beginning of this
treatise--our city was populated by two peoples, divers in every habit
of life, as were the noble Romans and the cruel and fierce Fiesolans;
for the which thing it is no marvel if our city is always subject to
wars and changes and dissensions and treacheries.

Sec. 2.--_Of the form and size in which the city of Florence was
rebuilt._

[Sidenote: Par. xv. 112.]

[Sidenote: Inf. xvi. 37. Par. xvi. 97-99.]

[Sidenote: Par. xvi. 123.]

[Sidenote: Par. xvi. 124-126.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Par. xv. 97-99.]

The rebuilding of the new city of Florence was beg