The Elsa is a river in Tuscany, rising in the mountains near Colle, and flowing northward into the Arno, between Florence and Pisa. Its waters have the power of incrusting or petrifying anything left in them. “This power of incrustation,” says Covino, Descriz. Geog. dell’ Italia , “is especially manifest a little above Colle, where a great pool rushes impetuously from the ground.” ↩

If the vain thoughts thou hast been immersed in had not petrified thee, and the pleasure of them stained thee; if thou hadst not been

“Converted into stone and stained with sin.”

“Converted into stone and stained with sin.”

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