chapel at the remotest extremity of the church. In this chapel there are
some bas-reliefs by him, and also a large crucifix, with a marble Christ
upon it. I think there has been no better sculptor since the days of
Phidias. . . . .

The church was founded by seven gentlemen of Florence, who formed
themselves into a religious order called "Servants of Mary." Many
miraculous cures were wrought here; and the church, in consequence, was
so thickly hung with votive offerings of legs, arms, and other things in
wax, that they used to tumble upon people's heads, so that finally they
were all cleared out as rubbish. The church is still, I should imagine,
looked upon as a place of peculiar sanctity; for while we were there it
had an unusual number of kneeling worshippers, and persons were passing
from shrine to shrine all round the nave and choir, praying awhile at
each, and thus performing a pilgrimage at little cost of time and labor.
One old gentleman, I observed, carried a cushion or pad, just big enough
for one knee, on which he carefully adjusted his genuflexions before each
altar. An old woman in the choir prayed alternately to us and to the
saints, with most success, I hope, in her petitions to the latter, though
certainly her prayers to ourselves seemed the more fervent of the two.

When we had gone entirely round the church, we came at last to the chapel
of the Annunziata, which stands on the floor of the nave, on the left
hand as we enter. It is a very beautiful piece of architecture,--a sort
of canopy of marble, supported upon pillars; and its magnificence within,
in marble and silver, and all manner of holy decoration, is quite
indescribable. It was built four hundred years ago, by Pietro de'
Medici, and has probably been growing richer ever since. The altar is
entirely of silver, richly embossed. As many people were kneeling on the
steps before it as could find room, and most of them, when they finished