himselfe also in person Castruccio thought this voyage was no way to be put off as well to render some service of merit to the Emperour as because now the Emperour was absent from Rome there was some necessity of it leaving Paul Guinigi at Lucca hee went thence with two hundred horse to Rome where he was entertain'd by Henry with very much honour and his presence in a short time gave so much credit to the Imperials that without blood or other violence all things were well quieted for Castruccio having caused a good quantity of corne to be brought by Sea out of the Country about Pisa tooke away all occasion of offence Afterwards partly by admonishing partly by chastising the chiefe Officers of Rome he reduc'd them freely under Henries government and Castruccio was created a Romane Senatour besides many other honours he received of the people and that Order hee tooke with very great pompe putting on a gowne of cloth of tissue with great letters before to this purpose This man is what it pleases God and againe behind And shall be what God will In this meane while the Florentines who were displeased that Castruccio during the truce had made himselfe Lord of Pistoya devis'd which way they might make it rebell which by reason of his absence they thought might easily be effected Amongst the banish'd Pistoyeses who were then at Florence there was Baldo Cecchi and James Baldini both men of authority and ready for any hazard These men held correspondence with some friends they had within so that with the Florentines helpe they entred by night into Pistoya and chac'd thence Castruccios friends and officers and some of them they slew and restord the City her liberty which news much displeasd Castruccio so that having taken leave of Henry he came with his men by great dayes journyes to Lucca The Florentines when they had word of Castruccios returne thinking hee would not take much rest resolv'd to prevent him and with their forces to enter first into the Vale of Nievole before him supposing that if they first made themselves masters of that vally they should cut of from him all meanes of possibility to recover Pistoya and so having put in order a great army of all the friends of the Guelfes faction they câ—me into the territory of Pistoya On the other side Castruccio came with his troops to mount Carlo and having learned where the Florentines army was determined not to meet them in the plaine of Pistoya nor to attend them in the plaine of Pascia but if it might be to encounter them in the straight of Saravalla deeming that by bringing his designe to passe hee should surely gaine the victory for hee understood the Florentines had got together some forty thousand men and he had made choyce of some twelve thousand out of all his and however he was confident of his own industry and their valour yet doubted he lest if he set on them in a large place he might bee environ'd by the multitude of the enemies Saravalla is a Castle between Pescia and Pistoya plac't upon a hill that shuts in the Valle of Nievole not upon the very passage but above to that some two bow shots of the place by which a man passes is more straight than on the sudden for of every side it rises gently but in a straight manner especially upon the hill where the waters are divided so that twenty men on the one side and the other would wholly possesse it In this place Castruccio had a designe to encounter with the enemy as well because his small troops should have the advantage as not to discover the enemy but just upon the skirmish fearing lest his men seeing the number of the enemies should be startled Mr. Manfredi of the German nation was then Lord of the Castle of Seravalle who before that Castruccio was Lord of Pistoya had been left in that Castle as in a place that was neuter between the Luccheses Pistoyeses nor afterward befell it either of them to offend him he promising to abide neuter and not to apply himselfe to the one or other So that for this cause and for that the situation was strong he had kept himselfe thus but upon this accident Castruccio became desirous to possesse this place And having very neare acquaintance with one of the inhabitants of the place he so appointed his business with him that the night before the skirmish was to begin he should take into the town 400 men of his and slay the commander and abiding thus prepared he stirred not his army from Mount Carlo the more to encourage the Florentines to passe who because they desired to carry the war far off from Pistoya and to bring it into the Vale of Nievole encamped under Serravalle with intention the day following to passe the hill but Castruccio having without any noyse taken the Castle in the night parted from Mount Carlo about midnight and quietly arrived in the morning at the foot of Serravalle so that at the same instant both the Florentines and hee began to ascend the side of the hill Castruccio had sent his infantery by the rode way and a troope of 400 Horse hee had sent upon the left hand towards the Castle on the other side the Florentines had sent 400 Horse before them and after those their Foot mov'd not any way thinking they should find Castruccio upon the top of the hill for they knew nothing of that hee had made himselfe master of the Castle Thus at unawares the Florentine Horse having got to the top of the hill discoverd Castruccio's Foot and were so near approachd them that they had hardly time to lace on their helmets These men then that were unprovided being assaild by the others that were prepard and in order were fiercely set upon and with much adoe made resistance and indeed some few of them made head a while but so sâ—on as the noyse hereof descended into the Florentines campe all was full of confusion The Horse were oppressd by the Foot the Foot by the Horse and their carriages the Commanders because of the straightnesse of the place could neither advance nor retire so that no man in this confusion knew what could or should bee done insomuch that the Horse which were at blowes with the enemies Foot were cut to peeces and they not able to defend themselves because the maligniry of the scite did not suffer them yet made they resistance more of necessity than of valour for being hemm'd in by the mountaines on both sides behind by their freinds and before by their enemies they had no way open for flight Hereupon Castruccio having perceiv'd that his troops were not able to breake the enimy sent a thousand Foot by way of the Castle causing them to descend with the 400 Horse which hee had sent before who struck them so rudely upon the flanke that the Florentines unable longer to resist that violence vanquisht rather by
bottome and the channell more favorable for their passage against whom those whom Castruccio had sent under the banke made resistance who slightly armd with targets and darts in their hands with huge outcryes wounded them both in the face and brest insomuch that the horses affrighted both with the cryes and strokes would in no wise passe forwards but fell foule one upon another the fight between Castruccio's men and those that were already past was sharp and terrible and of each side there fell many and every one usd all his skill and strength to overcome his adversary Castruccio's men would force them back into the river the Florentines striv'd to put forwards to make place for others that being come forth of the water they might be able to stand to the fight to which obstinacy there was added the Captaines encouragements Castruccio put his men in mind that these were the same enemies which but a little while agoe they had beaten at Sarravalle The Florentines reproachd theirs that they being many should suffer a few to overcome them But Castruccio perceiving that the fight lasted and that his owne and his adversaries were well wearied and that on each side many were hurt and slaine hee sent out another band of five thousand Foot and when hee brought them up to the very back of his owne that fought hee gave order that they before should open and wheele about one on the right hand the other on the left and so retire which thing done gave roome to the Florentines to advance and gaine some ground But when once they came to handy blowes the fresh men with those that were tir'd they staid not long ere they forc'd them back into the river between the Horse of the one side and the other yet there was not much advantage whereupon Castruccio knowing his owne inferiour had given order to the leaders that they should only maintaine fight as hee that hop'd to overcome the Foot which done he might bee able with more ease to overcome the Horse which fell out as hee purposd for having seene the Foot forc'd back into the river hee sent the rest of his infantery against the enemies Horse who with lances and darts wounding them and the Cavalery also pressing them with greater fury put them to flight The Florentine Commanders seeing the difficulty that their Horse had to passe strove to make their Foot passe on that part beneath the river to fight with the flanke of Castruccio's troops But the channell being deep and all above already possest by his men all this prov'd vaine Whereupon the whole army was put to rout to Castruccio's great glory and honour and of so great a multitude there escap'd not a third Many Chieftaines were taken and Charles sonne of King Robert together with Michaelangelo Falconi and Taddeo of the Albizi Florentine Commissaries fled thence to Empoli The spoyle taken was great the slaughter exeeeding great as a man may imagine in such and so great a conflict for of the Florentine army 20231 and of Castruccio's part 1570 were left dead upon the place But Fortune being enemy to his glory when as she should have given him life took it from him and interrupted those designes which hee a long time before had purposd to put in effect neither could any thing but death hinder him Castruccio had toyld himselfe all that day in the battell when at the end thereof all weary and sweaty he stayd about the port of Fucechio to attend the souldiers as they should returne from the victory and in person receive and thank them and partly if peradventure any thing should arise from the enemyes that they had made head in any place hee might bee ready to give order thereto judgeing it the office of a good Commander to be the first to get a Horse-back and the last to light off Whereupon hee standing exposd to a wind which ordinarily about midday rises upon the Arno and uses to be pestiferous hee was all over chill'd Which thing not being made account of by him was the occasion of his death for the night following hee was taken with a dangerous feaver which continually augmenting and the sicknesse being judg'd mortall by all the Physitians and Castruccio perceiving of it calld Paul Guinigi and spake to him these words Had I beleev'd my sonne that Fortune would have cut off my course in the midst of the way to arrive unto that glory which I by my so many good successes had promisd my selfe I should have lesse wearied my selfe and to thee as I should have left a smaller estate so also fewer enemies and lesse envy for I would have been content with the dominion of Lucca and Pisa and never subdu'd the Pistoyeses nor with so many injuries provoked the Florentines but by making the one and the other of these people my freinds I should have led a life though not longer yet surely more quiet and to thee should I have left an estate though lesse without doubt more secure and firme but Fortune who will dispose of all humane affayres gave mee not so much judgement that I was able first to know it or so much time that I was able to overcome it Thou hast heard for many have told thee and I never denyd it to thee how I came into thy fathers house being yet a young lad and voyd of all those hopes which every generous spirit ought to conceive and how I was by him brought up and belov d by him as much as if I had been of his own blood whereupon under his government I became valourous and grew capable of that fortune in which thou hast and dost see mee and because at his death hee committed thee and all his fortunes to my fidelity I have brought thee up with that affection and increasd them with that fidelity that I was and am bound to And because not only whether that alone which was left thee by thy father but that also which my fortune and valour got were thine I never would marry to the end that the love of children should never take mee off from shewing in any part that thankfullnesse towards thy fathers blood which I thought I was oblig'd to shew I leave thee therefore a very faire State whereat I am much pleasd but for that I leave it thee weake and unsettled I am exceedingly grieved there remaines to thee the City of Lucca which will never be content to live under thy government Pisa is also thine wherein there are men naturally inconstant and full of treachery which however it bee divers times accustomed to serve yet will it alwayes disdaine to have a Lucchese for its Lord. Pistoya likewise is left to thee very little faithfull to thee because it is divided and by fresh injuries provok'd against our Family Thou hast the Florentines for thy neighbours and those offended and divers wayes injuryed by us and not extinguisht to whom the news of my death would be more welcome
order they kept resolved to come to the tryall of a day and first with his speeches hee confirmd his souldiers courage and shewd them the victory certaine if they would follow his directions Castruccio had seene how the enemy had plac'd all his strength in the body of the army and the weaker sort in the wings thereof whereupon hee did the cleanâ— contrary for hee put his beâ—â— souldiers in his wings and hiâ— flightest people in the body and issuing out of his trenches with this order so soone as ever heâ— came within view of the enemy which insolently as before they had wont came to find them out hee commanded that thosâ— squadrons in the middle shoulâ— goe on leisurely but that the resâ— should move with speed insomuch that when they came to joyne battell with the enemy only the wings of each army fought and the troops in the middle stood unimployd because the middle part of Castruccio'â— army had lagguerd so much behind that the enemyes body had not yet reach'd to them and thus the ablest of Castruccio's army came to fight with the weakest of the enemies and the enemieâ— strength lay idle not able to endammage those they were to encounter with nor could they â—ayd any of their owne party so that without much difficulty the enemies two winges were both put to flight and they in the middle seeing themselves left naked on each flanke without having whereupon to shew their valour fled likewise The rout and the slaughter were great for there were slaine above ten thousand men with many Officers and great Cavaliers of the Guelfes faction throughout all Tuscany and many Princes who came thither in favour of them to wit Peter King Roberts Brother and Charles his nephew and Philip Lord of Taranto but of Castruccio's side they came not to above three hundred among which Francis Vguccions sonne was slaine who being young and over venturous was killd at the first onset This overthrow much augmented Castruccio's credit so that Vguccion grew so jealous and suspitious of his owne State that hee continually busied his brains how to bring him to destruction thinking with himselfe that that victory had rather taken his poweâ— from him than settled it anâ— being in this thought while heâ— awaited some faire colour to effect his designes it happned thaâ— Pieragnolo Michaeli was slainâ— in Lucca a man of good worth and esteeme and the Assassinâ— fled into Castruccio s house where the Captaines and Serjeants going to apprehend him were affronted and hindred by Cstaruccio so that the murtherer by his ayd escapd which thing Vguccion who was then at Pisa hearing and deeming then heâ— had just occasion to punish him calld unto his owne sonne Neri to whom hee had now given the command of Lucca and chargd him that under colour of inviting Castruccio hee should lay hold on him and put him to death Whereupon Castruccio going familiarly into the commanderâ— pallaces not fearing any injury was first by Neri entertaind at supper and afterwards seizd on And Neri doubting lest by putting him to death without any publick justification the people might bee inrag'd kept him alive till hee were better informd by Vguccion what was farther to be done in that case who blaming his sonnes slownesse and cowardise for the dispatching hereof went out of Pisa with four hundred Horse towards Lucca hardly yet was he arriv'd at the Baths but the Pisans took armes and slew Vguccions Lieutenant and the rest of his family that remaind at Pisa and made Count-Gaddo of Gerardesca their Lord Vguccion before he came to Lucca had notice of this accident befalne in Pisa yet thought he it not fit to turne back lest the Luccheses like as the Pisans should also shut their gates against him But the Luccheses understanding the chance at Pisa notwithstanding that Vguccion was enterd Lucca taking this occasion to free Castruccio first began at their meetings in the Piazze to speake slightly of him afterwards to make some hub-bub and from thence came to armes demanding Castruccio to be set free insomuch that Vguccion for feare of worse drew him out of prison Whereupon Castruccio suddenly rallying his friends with the peoples favour made an assault upon Vguccion who finding no other remedy fled thence with his friends and so went into Lombardy to the Lords of Scala where afterwards hee dy'd poorly But Castruccio being of a prisoner become as Prince of Lucca prevaild so by his friends and with this fresh gale of the peoples favour that hee was made Generall of their Forces for a yeare which being compassd to gaine himselfe further credit in armes hee purposd to recover for the Lucchefes severall townes which rebelld after Vguccions departure and went also by the Pisans favour with whom he had enterd into league at the campe to Serezana and to winne that he had built over it a fort which being afterwards changed by the Florentines is now calld Serezanello and in two monthes space tooke the towne and afterwards in strength of this credit hee wonne Massa Carrara and Lavenza and in short time all Lunigiana and to stop the passage that comes from Lombardy into Luginiana he tooke Pontremoli and drew out thence Mr. Anastasia Palivicini who was Lord thereof Returning then to Lucca with this victory hee was met by the whole people whereupon Castruccio resolving not to deferre longer to make himselfe Prince by meanes of Pazzino of Poggio Puccinello of Porcico Francisco Boccansecchi and Cécco Guinigi at that time of great repute in Lucca but corrupted by him made himselfe Lord thereof and so solemnely and by resolution of the people was elected their Prince At this time Frederick of Baviere King of the Romans came into Italy to take the Imperiall crown whom Castruccio made his friend and went to him with five hundred Horse having left for his Lieutenant at Lucca Paulo Guinigi whom in remembrance of his father hee made account of as his owne child Castruccio was entertaind very honourably by Frederick who gave him many priviledges and made him his Deputy in Tuscany and because the Pisans had expelld Gaddo of Gerardesca and for feare of him askd succours of Frederick hee made Castruccio their Lord whom the Pisans accepted for feare of the Guelfes faction and in particular because of the Florentines Frederick then being returnd into Germany and having left at Rome a governour for his affaires in Italy all the Gibellins as well Tuscans as Lombarbs that followd the Imperial faction had their recourse to Castruccio and each promisd him the Principality of their native country provided that by his meanes they might bee restord among whom was Mattheo Guidi Nardo Scolare Lapo Vberti Gerozzi Nardi and Piero Buonacorsi all Gibellins and outlawd Florentines and Castruccio plotting by helpe of these and with his owne forces to become Lord of all Tuscany to gaine himself credit the more entred into amity with Mr. Mattheo Visconti Prince of Milan and traind up all
the place than by the enimy all tooke them to flight and the flight began from those who were behind towards Pistoya who dispersing themselves all along the plaine every one where hee best could provided for his safegard This defait was very great and bloody many Commanders were taken among which was Bandino of Rossi Prancesco Brunnelleschi and John of Tosa all noble Florentines and many other Tuscans besides divers of the Kingdome of Naples who being sent by King Robert in favour of the Guelfes serv'd under the Florentines The Pistoyeses hearing of this rout without delay chasing out the faction of the Guelfes yeelded themselves to Castruccio Who not contented herewith tooke Piato and all the Castles of the plaine as well on this as on the other side of Arno and set himselfe downe with his army in the plaine of Perettola some two miles of from Florence where hee abode many dayes to divide the spoyle and to feast for joy of the victory gotten causing moneys to be stamp'd in scorne of the Florentines and races to be runne by horse men and queanes neither faild hee to endeavour to corrupt some noble Citizens to open to him in the night the gates of Florence but the conspiracy being discoverd they were taken and beheaded among whom was Thomas Lupacco and Lambertuccio Frescobaldi Hereupon the Florentines being affrighted upon this defeat hardly knew any remedy to preserve their liberty and to the end they might bee sure of ayd sent Ambassadours to Robert King of Naples to give him the City and the dominion thereof Which that King accepted of not somuch for the honour the Florentines had done him as for that hee knew well how much it imported his State that the Guelfes faction should maintaine the State of Tuscany and having agreed with the Florentines to have of them two hundred thousand Florins by the yeare hee sent Charles his sonne with foure thousand Horse to Florence so that the Florentines were somewhat easd of Castruccio's troopes for thâ—y were constraind to leave their territories and to goe to Pisa there to represse a conspiracy made against him by Benedicto Lanfranchi one the cheife of Pisa who not being able to endure that his native country should be enthralld to a Lucchese conspird against him plotting to seize upon the Cittadell and to chace out the garrison and to slay those of Castruccio's party But because in such matters if the small number be fit to keepe the secret yet suffices it not to put it in execution while hee went about to gaine more men to his purpose some there was that bewrayd his plot to Castruccio neither passd this discovery without the infamy of Bonifacio Cerchi and John Guidi Florentines who were neare neighbours to Pisa whereupon Benedicto being layd hand on was put to death and all the rest of that Family banisht and many other Noble Citizens beheaded and thinking with himselfe that Pistoya and Pisa were not very faithfull unto him he tooke care both by his industry and forces to secure himselfe thereof which gave leysure to the Florentines to recover their strength and to be able to attend the returne of Charles who being arriv'd they determined to lose no longer time and gatherd a great number of men for they calld together to their ayd in a manner all the Guelfes in Italy and made an exceeding great army of more than 30000 Foot and 10000 Horse and having advisd which were first to bee assaild either Pistoya or Pisa they resolv'd it were better to set first upon Pisa being a thing more likely to succeed by reason of the late conspiracy there as also of more profit deeming that if Pisa were once gotten Pistoya would soone render of it selfe The Florentines then going forth with this army in the beginning of May 1328 suddenly tooke Lastra Signia Mount Lupo and Empoli and came with their army to St. Miniato Castruccio on the other part perceiving this great army which the Florentines had brought against him was nothing startled but rather thought that this was the time when Fortune was to give him in his hand the whole dominion of Tuscany beleeving they should have no better successe in this of Pisa than formerly they had in that of Serravalle and that now they could not hope to repaire themselves againe as then whereupon assembling twenty thousand Foot and 4000 Horse hee brought his army to Fucechio and sent Paul Guinigi with 5000 Foot to Pisa Fucechio is seated in a stronger place than any other Castle upon the territory of Pisa because it is in the midst between the Gusciana and the Arno and a little raisd from the plaine where he abiding the enemies were not able unlesse they divided their army into two parts to hinder his provision either from Lucca or Pisa neither could they but upon disadvantage either come upon him or goe towards Pisa for in one case they might be inclosd in the midst between Castruccios troopes and those of Pisa in the other case having the Arno to passe they could not doe it with the enemy on their backs without very great danger And Castruccio for their incouragement to undertake the passage had not plac d himselfe with his troopes along the banke of Arno but a little aside neare unto the walls of Fucechio and had left distance enough between the River and him The Florentines having gotten St. Miniato advisd whether were to be done either to goe to Pisa or to find out Castruccio and having measured the difficulties of both courses they resolvd to goe and invest him The river Arno was so low that a man might wade over it but yet not so but that the infantery was wet to the shoulders and the Horse even to the saddle Upon the tenth day then of June in the morning the Florentines in battell array causd part of their Cavalery to begin to passe and a body of ten thousand Foot Castruccio who stood ready and intent to what hee had in his mind to doe with a battalion of five thousand Foot and three thousand Horse fell upon them neither give hee them any time to get out of the water but that hee was at blowes with them hee sent a thousand light armd Foot up by the banke on that part under the Arno and a thousand above it The Florentines Foot were mueh distressed with the water and weight of their armes nor had they all yet got over the channell of the river When some of the Horse had passd by reason that they had moord the bottome of the Arno they made the passage the uneasier for them that came after them for the bottome proving rotten and miry some of the Horse came over and over on their riders and many stuck so fast in the mud that they were there stabled whereupon the Florentine Commanders seeing the difficulty to passe on that part causd them to retire and make proofe of a higher part of the river whereby to finde a sounder