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chiefs of their hosts went to fortify the walls, and the artillerymen*, shot, and brought them down with blood to the grave; and their joy turned into mourning at that time. And they/buried them in their coats, and honored them muchiaboed zied

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779. In that day, the men of Florence chose Malatesta, and gave him the great banner; and he was to them a head, and a Satan. In those days, Don Vitello destroyed and broke the power of the priest of Parma‡, under the tower of Montechios; and they gave the city into his hand, and pursued after him, and they warred the second time; and they made peace between themselves, and the priest returned not to war any more. Po nekoga

780. And when Pero|| heard that the men of Florence were at Forcoli¶, he went there.

And

they went out against him and fell before him; and twenty-five men were taken alive. And they said, "Send us free; and we will send twenty-five men of those who are in the hand of Hercules Rangon** in our stead;" and this was pleasing in his sight and they did so.

781. And it came to pass, on the morrow, that

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Pero returned to war with Palæa*, and his men fell slain to the ground; but Pero and the rest fled for their lives, and he returned into the camp.

782. And the men of Florence went out to hew wood; and the prince fell upon them suddenly, and they arrayed a battle there, and much people died; and the hewers of the wood fled, and the rest returned into the city.

783. And the nobles of Florence gathered four thousand men of the inhabitants of the city exercised in war, and Stefano Colonna was at their head. And the bishop of Faenza came to speak unto Malatesta in the name of the pope, in those days and it came to pass, when he came, that the nobles of Florence envied him, and said to him, " Why is this man come to thee; let us know his speech." And he said, “To make peace with us, he came; fear not." But it seemed evil in their sight; and they trusted Malatesta, the chief captain of their host, no more. And he feared also, and from that day forward went no more into the palace; for he was afraid for his life. And he went to dwell on the other side of the river, in the Roman gate, opposite the camp; and it came to pass, that this gate, and three gates

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which were close to it, were in his hands until the day the land came into captivity. And Malatesta went not unto war all those days, saying, "I fear, lest mischief would befall me, and I shall be unto the city a stumbling-stone." And he went after the lusts of his heart, and turned not himself to the words of the nobles in those days.

784. And Alessandro Vitello went to give back the royal cities under the government of the Medici, and he reached Volterra* at eventide, and said to them, "Give ye also this city into the hand of the Medici, according as the rest of the cities have done through which I passed, and ye shall eat the good of your land." And they returned unto him an answer, saying, "It is better for us to die upon the walls, than that we should serve one of the merchants of the city." And all the captains were in the midst thereof at that time, besides the soldiers. And Francesco Corso was at the head over them; and he spake hard things unto them, and he turned and passed over, and went with San Dalmaziot, and he took those cities; and Fabricio Maratao came also, and they encamped the second time against Volterra; and they betrayed the city into their hands. And

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NICCOLO STROZZI.

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Francesco drew back into the citadel, and dwelled. therein unto the day of battle.

785. And he wrote unto the rulers of Florence; and Niccolò Strozzi* said, Fear not; I will go

66

"Go

and pass in the midst of the camp, and I will bring back the city unto you." And it was pleasing in their sight; and they said unto him, to Impolit, and what Francesco Ferugot shall tell thee, thou shalt do: only be strong and of good courage." [15]

786. And Niccolò Strozzi and the five hundred men which followed him, removed in the darkness of the night, and with them they had weapons of war and plenty of gunpowder; and they went their way. And when the watchers of the camp heard it, they shouted with a loud voice; and Niccolò hastened and passed the camp, and went his way. And he passed over the river when the morning dawned. And he met about three thousand men, and two hundred horses, which came against him; and they arrayed a battle there, discharging guns. And their smoke went up towards heaven; and their voice was heard from afar. And the men of Strozzi ascended the mountain; and they met with an ambush, and they fought against them. And many fell slain to

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the ground, and two of the captains of his hosts died in that slaughter. And the rest fled, and they pursued them as far as Impoli*, and Ferugot went out against them. And the Spaniards feared and drew back, and they delivered Niccolò from their hands; and he returned to Impoli, and put a garrison in the midst thereof. And the men removed thence and went to Volterrat, and they warred against it, and they surrendered it into his hand; and he fortified it, and put soldiers into it, and he gave them their hire.

787. And Ferugo waxed very great, and the soldiers envied him, and his fame spread over all the country. And all the days which he stood at Impoli, he sent sheep and oxen and provisions into the city of Florence, and he shattered the heads of their enemies and took the cities from their hands with a strong hand.

788. And it came to pass, when the famine was sore, that they went out again from Florence in the morning watch, to war with the soldiers. And the Spaniards went out to meet them; and they arrayed a battle there, and much people died on that day.

789. And the viceroy of the emperor said, "They are idle, they are idle: but now, let us go, I pray,

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