Source: http://www.elfinspell.com/VillaniBk6c.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 12:52:52+00:00

Document:
From Villani, Giovanni, Selfe, Rose E., translator. Villani’s Chronicle being selections from the First Nine Books of the Croniche Fiorentine of Giovanni Villani. London: Archibald Constable & Co. LTD, 1906; pp. -177.
1253 A. D. § 54. — How the Florentines marched upon Pistoia and took it, and then upon Siena and took many of their fortresses.
1254 A. D. between them.
41. the castle of Montereggioni and laid siege to it, and of a surety they would have taken it, for the German garrison was in treaty to surrender it for 50,000 lire of 20 soldi to the gold florin; and in one single night the Ancients found twenty citizens each of whom offered a thousand of them, without counting smaller sums, so well disposed for the good of the commonwealth were the citizens of those days. But for the Sienese, for fear of losing Montereggioni, agreed to the terms of the Florentines, and peace was made between them and the Sienese, and they completely surrendered the castle of Montalcino to the Florentines.
1256 A. D. of Syria. § 60. — How the first war arose between the Genoese and the Venetians. § 61. — How the Count Guido Guerra expelled the Ghibelline party from Arezzo, and how the Florentines reinstated it. § 62. — How the Pisans broke the peace, and how the Florentines routed them at the bridge over the Serchio. § 63. — How the Florentines destroyed the castle of Poggibonizzi the first time. 164 § 64. — Incident telling of a great miracle concerning the body of Christ which came to pass in the city of Paris.
§ 65. — How the Popolo of Florence drave out the Ghibellines for the first time from Florence, and the reason why.
1258 A. D. when one which was an Ancient took and sent to his villa a grating which had belonged to the lion’s den, and was now lying about in the mud of the piazza of S. Giovanni, he was condemned therefor to a fine of 1,000 lire for embezzling the goods of the commonwealth.
40-60. of Gressa. § 69. — How the people of Florence took the castles of Vernia and of Mangona.
§ 69. — Incidents of the doings that were in Florence at the time of the Popolo.
103-105. twenty or more years old before they were wedded. After such habits and plain customs then lived the Florentines, but they were true and trustworthy to one another and to their commonwealth, and with their simple life and poverty they did greater and more virtuous things than are done in our times with more luxury and with more riches.
1260 A. D. king of Hungary and the king of Bohemia.
§ 72. — How the great tyrant, Ezzelino da Romano, was defeated by the Cremonese and died in prison.
25-30. is a Trevisan castle, was defeated and wounded and taken prisoner by the Marquis Pallavicino, and by the Cremonese in the country around Milan, near to the bridge of Casciano over the river Adda, as he was on his way to seize Milan, having with him more than 1,500 horsemen; from the which wounds he died in prison, and was buried with honour in the village of Solcino. He knew by augury that he should die in a village of the country of Padua, which was called Basciano, and he would not enter therein; and when he felt himself wounded he asked what the place was called, and they answered, “Casciano”; then he said, “Casciano and Basciano are all the same,” and he gave himself up for dead. This Ezzelino was the most cruel and redoubtable tyrant that ever was among Christians, and ruled by his force and tyranny (being by birth a gentleman of the house of Romano), long time the Trevisan March and the city of Padua, and a great part of Lombardy; and he brought to an end a very great part of the citizens of Padua, and blinded great numbers of the best and most noble, taking their possessions, and sending them begging through the world, and many others he put to death by divers sufferings and torments, and burnt at one time 11,000 Paduans; and by reason of their innocent blood, by miracle, no grass grew there again for evermore. And under semblance of a rugged and cruel justice he did much evil, and was a great scourge in his time in the Trevisan March and in Lombardy, to punish them for their sin of ingratitude. At last, as it pleased God, by less powerful men than his own he was vilely defeated and slain, and all his followers were dispersed and his family and his rule came to nought.
§ 73. — How both the king of Castille and Richard, earl of Cornwall, were elected king of the Romans.
23-120. wisdom and authority; but before the embassage was ended the Florentines were defeated at Montaperti, and King Manfred gained great vigour and state throughout Italy, and the power of the Church was much abased, for the which thing Alfonso of Spain abandoned the enterprise of the Empire, and neither did Richard of England follow it up.
§ 74. — How the Ghibelline refugees from Florence, sent into Apulia to King Manfred for succour.
Inf. x. 32. Messer Farinata degli Uberti said, “Be not dismayed, neither refuse any aid of his, be it never so small. Let us have grace of him to send his standard with them, and when it be come to Siena we will set it in such a place that he must needs send us further succour.” And so it came to pass; and following the wise counsel of the knight, they accepted Manfred’s offer, praying him as a grace to give his own standard to their captain, and so he did. And when they returned to Siena with so poor an aid, great scorn was made thereof by the Sienese, and great dismay came upon the Florentine refugees, which had looked for aid and support from Manfred beyond measure greater.
§ 75. — How the commonwealth and people of Florence led a great host up to the gates of Siena with the carroccio.
1260 A. D. down, and the standard was taken and dragged through the camp and carried to Florence; and this done, shortly afterwards the Florentine host returned to Florence.
§ 76. — How King Manfred sent Count Giordano with 800 Germans to succour the Sienese and the Ghibelline refugees from Florence.
1260 A. D.said ambassadors; who reached Siena in the end of July, the year of Christ 1260, and by the Sienese were received with great rejoicing, and they and all the Ghibellines of Tuscany drew thence great vigour and courage. And when they were come to Siena, immediately the Sienese sent forth their host against the castle of Montalcino, which was under the commands of the commonwealth of Florence, and sent for aid to the Pisans, and to all the Ghibellines of Tuscany, so that, what with the horsemen of Siena and the Florentine refugees, and the Germans and their allies, there were found 1,800 horsemen in Siena, whereof the greater part were Germans.
§ 77. — How the Ghibelline refugees from Florence prepared to deceive the commonwealth and people of Florence, and cause them to be betrayed.
1260 A. D. he desired to pay, and so it reached 300 pounds; and when he yet wanted to speak and to pay, the command was that his head should be forfeit; and there it stopped. But, through the proud and heedless people, the worse counsel won the day, that the said host should proceed immediately and without delay.

References: § 54
 § 60
 § 61
 § 62
 § 63
 § 64

§ 65
 § 69

§ 69

§ 72

§ 73

§ 74

§ 75

§ 76

§ 77