numbers were written upon their Helmets in great Characters calling them the first second third and fourth c. And not content with this every Soldier had the number of his File and the number of his place in that File engraven upon his Buckler Your Companies being in this manner made distinguishable by their Colours and accustomed to their Ranks and Files by practice and experience it is no hard matter though they be disordered to rally and reduce them suddenly again for as soon as the Colours are stuck down in the ground they are immediately visible and the Captains and Officers knowing which are their own repair themselves and dispose their Soldiers immediately to their places and when those on the left have placed themselves on the left hand and those which belong to the right hand on the right the Soldiers directed by their rules and the difference of their Colours fall immediately into their Ranks as easily as we put together the Staffes of a Barrel when we have marked them before These things if learned with diligence and exercise at first are quickly attained and hardly forgot for your raw men are directed by the old and in time a Province by these exercises might be made very fit for the War It is necessary therefore to teach them how to turn all together when to face about in the Rear or the Flanks and make Rear and Flank of the first Ranks when occasion is offered And this is no hard matter to do seeing it is sufficient that every man faces to that side he is commanded and where they turn their faces that is the Front True it is when they face to the Flank their Ranks do not hold their proportion because the distance betwixt the Front and the Rear is thereby much lessened and the distance betwixt the extremity of the Flanks is much encreased which is quite contrary to the genuine order of a Battalia for which cause great practice and discretion is required to rectifie it and yet this may be remedied by themselves But that which is of greater consequence and which requires more practice is when an Officer would turn his whole Company together as if it were a single man or a solid and massy body of it self And this requires longer experience than the other For if you would have it turn to the left the left corner must stand still and they who are next them march so leisurely that they in the right may not be put to run if they be it will breed confusion But because it always happens that when an Army marches from place to place that the Companies which are not in the Front are forced to fight in the Flanks or Rear so that one and the same Company is many times compelled to face about to the Flanks and Rear at one and the same time that these Companies therefore may in this exigence hold their old proportion according to what is said before it is necessary that they have Pikes in that Flank which is most likely to be attacked and Capidieci Captains and other Officers in their proper places CHAP. X. To range a Company in such order that it may be ready to face the Enemy on which side soever he comes Fabr. WHen you have marshalled your fourscore Files five in a File you are to put all your Pikes into the first twenty Files and place five of your Corporals in the head of them and five in the Rear The other 60 Files which follow are Bucklers all and consist of 300 men So then the first and last File of every Company are to be Corporals The Captain with his Ensign and Drum is to stand in the midst of the first hundred of Bucklers and every Centurion at the head of his Division When they are in this order if you desire to have your Pikes on the left hand you are to double them Company by Company from the right Flank if you would have them on the right you are to double from the left and this is the way by which a Company turns with the Pikes upon one Flank with their Officers at the Head and the Rear of them and their Captain in the midst and it is the form which is observed in a march But upon the approach of an Enemy when they would make a Front of a Flank they have no more to do but to command that all of them face about to that Flank where the Pikes are and in so doing the whole Battalia turns with its Files and Officers at the same time in the manner aforesaid for unless it be the Centurions they are all in their old places and the Centurions can quickly be there But when a Battalia marches in the Front and is in danger to be engaged in the Rear the Files are to be so ordered that the Pikes may be readily behind and to do this there needs no more but whereas usually in every Battalia every Century has five Files of Pikes in the Front those five Files may be placed in the Rear and in all other places the same order to be observed as before Cosimo If my memory fails not you said that this way of exercise is in order to the uniting these Battalia's into an Army and that this practice is sufficient to direct them in that But if it should happen this Squadron of 450 Foot should be to fight singly and by its self how would you order it then Fabritio He who commands them is to judge where his Pikes are to be disposed and place them as he thinks fit which is not at all consistant with what I have prescribed before for though that be a way to be observed in Battel upon an union or conjunction of several Squadrons yet it may serve as a rule in what ever condition you fall into But in showing you the two other ways which I recommended for the ordering of a Battalia I will satisfie you farther CHAP. XI To draw up a Company with two horns or another with a Piazza or vacuity in the middle TO come to the way of drawing up a Battalia or Squadron with two horns or points I say you must order your 80 Files five in a File after this manner In the midst you must place a Centurion with 25 Files two of Pikes to the left and three of Bucklers to the right when those five are disposed bring up the other twenty with twenty Files and File-leaders all of them to be placed betwixt the Pikes and the Bucklers only those who carry Pikes are to stand with the Pikes After these twenty five Files are so placed draw up another Centurion with fifteen Files of Bucklers after which the Constable or Captain is to draw into the middle with his Drum and his Colours with other fifteen Files of Bucklers This being performed the next to march up is the third Centurion who is to be at the head of 25 Files of 5 in a File three Bucklers to the left
20 files and twenty men in a file This makes two squares or very near for though there be as many men on one side as the other yet towards the head they joyn together so as one flank may touch the other but on the other side their distance is at least two yards one from the other so that the square is longer from the Rear to the Front than from one flank to another And because we are to speak often of the fore part the hinder part and the sides of this Battalia or Company and of the whole Army when joyned you must know that when I say the head or the front I mean the fore part of the Battel when I say the shoulders I mean the hinder part and when I say the flanks I mean the sides The fifty Velites in ordinary do not mingle with the rest of the files but when the Battalia is formed they are disposed by its flanks The other way of drawing up a Company is this and because it is better than the first I resolve to describe it so plain that you shall understand it as well as it were before your eyes I suppose you remember of what number of men of what Officers it is composed and what Arms it is to carry The form therefore of this Battalia is of twenty files twenty men in a file five files of Pikes in the front and fifteen files of Bucklers in the rear Two Centurions in the front and two in the rear which the ancients called Tergiductores The Constable or Captain with his Colours and Drum is to stand in the space betwixt the five files of Pikes and the fifteen files of Bucklers Corporals upon the flank of every file one so that each of them may have his men by his side those who are on the right hand will have them on their left those on the left on their right the fifty Velites are to be drawn up on the flanks and rear Now that your Soldiers may put themselves into this posture in their ordinary march it is to be done in this manner You are first to reduce your Battalia into 80 files five men in a file leaving your Velites either in the front or the rear but they must be sure to be placed without this order Every Centurion is to be at the head of twenty files five of Pikes are to be immediately behind him and the rest Bucklers The Constable or Captain is to stand with his Drum and Colours in the space betwixt the Pikes and the rest of the Bucklers belonging to the second Centurion and may take up the place of three of the Bucklers Of the Capidieci or Corporals twenty are to stand in the flank of the files of the first Centurion upon the left hand and twenty upon the flank of the last Centurion upon the right hand And it is to be observed that every Corporal who leads the Pikes is to have a Pike in his hand and they who lead the Scudi are to have Bucklers in theirs Having put your files into this order and being desirous upon their march to reduce them into a Battalia to make head against an Enemy you must cause the first Centurion with his first twenty files to make a halt and the second Centurion to continue his march to the right all along by the sides of those twenty files which stand firm till he comes cheek by jole with the first Centurion where he also makes his stand and then the third marching on likewise on the right hand by the flank of the said files advances till he be even with the other two Centurions and then he making his stop and so the rest which being done two of the Centurions only are to depart from the front into the rear of the Battalia which by this means is in the same order as I said before The Velites are to be drawn up by the side as they are disposed in the first way which is called redoubling by a right line for the second way redoubles them in the flanks The first way is more easie this is more orderly and useful and may be better corrected and reformed to your mind for in the first you are obliged to conform to your number for five doubled make ten ten twenty twenty forty so that if you would double your files in a right line you cannot make a front of fifteen five and twenty thirty nor thirty five but you must go where the number will carry you And therefore it happens every day upon particular rencounters that it is necessary to make head with 7 or 800 foot and in so doing to double in a right line would undo you For these reasons this way pleases me best and the difficulties therein are easily removed by exercise and practice I say then that nothing is of greater importance than to have Souldiers which can put themselves instantly into their ranks and to learn that it is necessary to exercise them in these Companies at home to teach them the quick and the slow march to advance or retreat and to pass thorow streights and difficult places without disturbing their order For Soldiers that can do that well are good Soldiers and may be called old Soldiers though they never looked an Enemy in the face whereas on the contrary if a man has been in a thousand Battels and understands not that he is but a Novice and a fresh-water Soldier This is only as to closing their ranks upon a march when they are in small files but having closed their files and being afterwards broken by some accident either from the place or the Enemy to rally and recollect themselves then there lies the difficulty and importance which requires great exercise and practice and by the ancients was endeavoured with much industry In this case it is necessary therefore to do two things CHAP. IX The manner of rallying Soldiers after a rout and to make them face about a whole Company at a time Fabr. WHen a Squadron is broken to rally and bring them again suddenly into order two things are convenient first that several Colours or Countermarks be assigned to every Battalia and secondly to observe this rule that the same Foot stand still in the same Files For example if a Soldier 's place was formerly in the second File let him continue in that File and not only in that File but in the same place and in order to that as I said before several Countermarks are necessary And first it is convenient that the Ensigns and Colours of each Company be so handsomly distinguished that being joyned with other Squadrons they may know one another Next that the Captains and Centurions have Plumes of Feathers of Scarfs or something that may make them conspicuous and remarkable and last of all as being of more importance the Capidieci or Corporals are to be so accoutred that they may be known and of this the ancients were so extraordinarily curious that their
and two Pikes to the right and after the 5 first Files let there be twenty File-leaders placed betwixt the Pikes and the Bucklers and after these the fourth Centurion Having drawn your men into this order to make a Battalia consisting of two horns the first Centurion is to make a stand with his 25 Files at his heels then is the second Centurion to advance with his 15 Files of Bucklers and place himself on the right hand of the 1st Centurion and marching along by the side of the 25 Files he is to advance till he comes to the 15 File and there he is to stop The next that marches is the Captain with his division of 15 Files of Bucklers behind him and advancing on the right hand by the flank of the other 15 Files he is to march up to their front After him the third Centurion is to move with his 25 Files and the fourth Centurion after him and passing along by the right flank of the last 15 Files of Bucklers they are not to stop at the front of the said Files but to advance till the last of the twenty five Files be parallel with the Files which are behind them As soon as this is done the Centurion at the head of the 1st 15 Files of Bucklers is to remove into the left angle in the rear and by this means you shall form a Battalia of five and twenty firm Files of twenty men in a File with two horns on each side of the front one each of them consisting of ten Files of 5 in a File with a space betwixt the two horns sufficient to receive ten men a breast Betwixt the two horns the Captain is to be placed and a Centurion at each point or angle there are likewise to be two Files of Pikes and twenty Corporals on each Flank These horns or wings are useful to receive and secure Carriages or Artillery when they have any with them The Velites are to be drawn up along the flanks under the shelter of the Pikes But to reduce this horn'd Squadron into another Figure with a space in the middle no more is to be done than out of the 15 Files of twenty in a File to take eight and place them upon the point of the two horns which will make a good rear and turn it into a Battalia Della Piazza or a Battalia with a space in the the midst in this space or Area the Carriages are disposed and the Captain and his Colours but not the Artillery for they are placed either in the front or along the flanks These are the forms to be observed in a Battalia or Squadron when it marches alone thorow dangerous places But the single Battalia without horns or vacuity is better though to secure such as are disarmed the horned figure is convenient The Swisses have several forms of drawing up their Battalia's one is the fashion of a Cross placing their Harquebussiers betwixt the Arms of the said Cross to secure them from the Enemy But because those figures are proper only when Squadrons fight singly and by themselves and my intention being to show they may fight united and in conjunction I shall not trouble my self with them Cosimo I fancy I do sufficiently comprehend the way that is to be observed to exercise men in these Battalia's but if I mistake not you told us that to the ten Battalia's which united make a Battalion you would add a thousand extraordinary Pikes and four hundred of the extraordinary Velites And these would you not advise should be exercised Fabritio I would and with very great diligence exercising the Pikes with the same care as the rest because I would make more use of them than the rest upon all private occasions as in conducting convoys of provisions depredations and such like But my Velites I would exercise at home without bringing them together for it being their office to fight loose and confused it is not necessary that they should be always exercised as the rest for it is enough if they understand their own business well They ought then as I said before and I am not troubled to repeat it again so to exercise their men in these Battalia's that they may know to keep their ranks understand their places wheel readily and shift handsomly either upon sight of an Enemy or inconvenience of the place For when they can do this well they will easily learn which are their places and what are their duties in a Battel And if a Prince or Commonwealth grudges not to take pains and employ themselves in seeing their Subjects thus exercised they would have always good Soldiers be always too hard for their Neighbours and would be in a condition rather to give than receive Laws from other people But as I have said before the disorder in which we live is the cause that we do not only neglect but despise those things and that is the true reason our Souldiers are no better and though there may be Officers and Soldiers too that perhaps are both valiant and skilful yet they have no occasion or encouragement to show themselves CHAP. XII Of the Baggage and Train belonging to a Company How necessary it is that they have several Officers and of the usefulness of Drums Cosimo I Would ask you now what Carriages you would allot to each of these Battalia's Fabritio In the first place I would not allow that either Centurion or Corporal should march on Horseback and if the Captain must ride I would allow him only a Mule I would allow him two Carriages one to every Centurion and two betwixt every three Corporals because we quarter them together in our Camp as shall be shown in its due place so that to every Battalia there should be 36 Carriages which I would have carry the Tents and Utensils for their Cookery their Hatchets and other Iron Instruments to set up their Huts Tents and Pavilions and if there be afterwards any place left let them carry what they please Cosimo I am of opinion that the Officers which you have appointed in every of these Battalia's are necessary yet I should be afraid so many Commanders should confound them Fabritio What you say would be true were they not subordinate to one but depending still upon one person they proceed very regularly nay without them they could not possibly be governed For a wall that is tottering in all places requires that its Buttresses and Supporters be rather many than strong because the strength and goodness of one will not hinder the ruine which will follow And therefore in all Armies and among every ten men it is convenient to have one of more life more courage and more authority than the rest who with his alacrity and language and example may encourage the rest and dispose them to fight And to prove the necessity of these things in an Army viz. Ensigns Officers and Drums it appears by our Armies where there are of them all but none
places of the Town and to add to their Calamity a fire broke out in the Orto S. Michel among the houses of the Abbati from thence iâ— went to the houses of the Caponsacchi and burn'd them from thence to the houses of the Macci Amieri Toschi Cipriani Lamberti Cavalcanti and all the New Market from thence it pass'd to the Porta S. Maria burn'd that and then wheeling about to the Old Bridge it consum'd the Palaces of the Gherardini Pulci Amidei Lucardesi and with them so many other houses that the number of all that were consum'd by that fire amounted to more than thirteen hundred Some were of opinion it began by accident in the height of the Conflict Others affirm it was done on purpose by Neri Abbati Prior of S. Piero Scharagio a dissolute and mischievous person who seeing every body ingaged thought he might commit a piece of wickedness then which no body should be able to remedy and to the end it might succeed the better and give less suspicion of him he set the houses of his own party on fire where he could do it with convenience These Conflicts and this Conflagration happen'd in Iuly 1304. at which time Corso Donati was the only person who did not arm in those tumults and not without reason for thereby he presumed when weary of their fighting they should incline to an agreement he should more easily be chosen Umpire betwixt them at length all Arms indeed were layd down but more that they were tyr'd and weary of their miseries than from any relentment or condescension on either side The whole consequence of all was that the Rebels were not suffer'd to return and the party which favour'd them was forc'd to comply The Legate being come back to Rome and understanding the new distractions in Florence persuaded the Pope that if he design'd to compose them it would be necessary to send for twelve of the Principal Malecontents of that City which being the nourishment and fomentors of their miseries their miseries would cease as soon as they were remov'd The Pope took his Counsel sent for twelve of the Chief Citizens who came to Rome in obedience to his summons and among them Corso Donati was one Upon the departure of these Citizens the Legate signifi'd to the Exiles that now was their time the City being destitute of their heads to return Whereupon the Citizens which were banish'd getting what force together they were able they march'd to Florence enter'd where the walls were unfinish'd and pass'd on as far as the Piazza of S. Iohn It was a remarkable passage to consider that those people who fought in their behalf whilst humbly and unarm'd they begged to be admitted seeing them come forcibly into the City with their weapons in their hands turn'd against them immediately and joyning with the people beat them out of the City This Enterprize was lost by leaving part of their forces at Lastra and not attending the arrival of Tolosetto Uberti who was coming from Pistoia with three hundred horse but supposing Expedition of greater importance to their success than Strength they found as many had done before That delay takes away the opportunity and celerity the force The Rebels â—epuls'd Florence return'd to its old divisions To lessen the Authority of the Cavalcanti the people assaulted and took from them the Castle of Stinche in the Val di Greve which had belong'd anciently to that family and because those who were taken in this Castle were the first which were put in the new built Prisons that building took its name from the Castle from whence they came was call'd le Stinche from thence and is call'd so to this day After this those who had the Government in their hands re-establish'd the Companies of the people gave them the Ensigns which had been us'd at first under the discipline of the Arts. The Captains the Gonfalonieri of the Companies and the Colledge of the Signori were call'd and Orders were given that they should assist the Signoria or Senate at all times in time of Commotion or injury with their Swords and in time of peace with their Counsels To the two old Governours they added another call'd Essecutore whose Office it was by conjunction with the Gonfalonieri to restrain and correct the insolence of the Grandees In the mean time the Pope dying Corso and his fellow Citizens return'd from Rome and might have liv'd quietly had not the insatiableness of Corso's ambition created new troubles To gain reputation it was always his Custom to oppose the sentiment of the Nobility in whatever was propos'd and which way he observed the people to encline thither he constantly directed his Authority to work himself into their favour so that in all Innovations and Controversies he was the Head all persons resorting to him who had any thing extraordinary in design Hereupon he became so odious to several considerable Citizens that the faction of the Neri subdivided and fell into open division among themselves because Corso made use of private Force and Authority and of such Persons as were enemies to the State Yet such was the Awe and Majesty of his Person that every body fear'd him to deprive him of the peoples favour which that way was easily disingaged it was given out that he design'd upon the Government and meant to make himself King Which from his extravagant way of living was credible enough and much confirm'd when afterwards he married a daughter of Uguccione della Faggivola chief of the Rianchi and Ghibilius and the most powerfull Person in the City This Alliance was no sooner known among his Enemies but his adversaries took Arms and the people for that reason were so far from appearing in his defence that the greater part of them joyn'd with his Enemies The Cheif of his Enemies and who were at the head of them were Rosso della Tosa Pazzino de Pazzo Geri Spini and Berto Brunelleschi They their followers and the greatest part of the people ran with their Swords drawn to the foot of the Palace of the Signori by whose Order an accusation was prefer'd to Plero Bianca Captain of the people against Corso as a person who by the assistance of Uguccione conspired to be King Upon this impeachment he was summon'd and refusing to appear was declared a Rebel for his Contumacy there having been but two hours time betwixt the accusation and sentence judgment pronounc'd the Signori with the several Companies of the people their banners display'd went presently to apprehend him Corso on the other side not at all dismay'd either at the severity of the sentence the authority of the Signori nor the unconstancy of his friends who had many of them forsaken him fell to fortifying his house hoping to have defended himself there till Uguccione to whom he had sent word of his condition should come to his rescue His houses and Avenues were fortifi'd and barricado'd by him and strengthen'd with such
more modern transactions will tell us what to avoid Italy by those who commanded it was reduced into such a condition that when by agreements of the Princes a Peace was made up it was presently interrupted by those who had Arms in their hands so that they neither gained honour by their Wars nor quiet by their Peace A Peace being concluded betwixt the Duke of Milan and the League in the year 1433 the Soldiers unwilling to disband turned the War upon the Church These Souldiers were at that time of two Factions the Braccescan and the Sforzescan Faction Of this latter Conte Francesco the son of Sforza was Captain the first was commanded by Nicolo Piccinino and Nicolo Forte Braccio To these two parties all the rest of the Souldiers in Italy joyned themselves Of the two Sforza's party was most considerable as well for the courage of their Conte as for a promise the Duke of Milan had made him to give him in Marriage a natural daughter of his called Madona Bianca the probability of which alliance gained him great reputation After the Peace of Lombardy was concluded both these parties upon several pretended occasions turned their Arms against Eugenius the Pope Nicolo Forte Braccio was moved by an old animosity Braccio had always retained to the Church The Conte was spurr'd on by his ambition Nicolo assaulted Rome and the Conte possessed himself of la Marca whereupon the Romans to evade the War turned Eugenius out of Rome who fled to Florence though with no little danger and difficulty Being arrived there upon consideration of the danger he was in and that he was deserted by all the Princes who reâ—used upon his score to take up those Arms again which so lately and so willingly they laid down made his Peace with the Conte and gave him the Signorie of la Marca though the Conte had added insolence to his usurpation and in his Letters to his Agents dated them in Latin as they do frequently in Italy Ex Girifalco nostro Firmiano invito Petro Paulo But not contented with the Grant of that Country he would needs be created Gonfaloniere of the Church and the Pope condescended so much â—id his Holiness perfer an ignominious Peace before dangerous War The Conte upon these terms became a friend to the Pope and converted his Arms against Nicolo Forte Braccio betwixt whom for many Months together several accidents happened in the territory of the Church so that which side soever prevailed the Pope and his Subjects suffered more than those that managed the War At length by the mediation of the Duke of Milan an agreement in the nature of a Truce was concluded betwixt them by which both of them remained Masters of several Towns in the Patrimony of the Church The War was in this manner extinguished in Rome but it brake out again presently in Romagna by the means of Battista da Canneto who had caused certain of the Family of the Grifoni in Bologna to be assassinated and drove out the Pope's Governor and many others which he suspected to be his enemies to keep by force what he had got by surprize he address'd himself to Philippo for aid and the Pope to countermine him and revenge the injuries he had received applied to the Venetian and Florentine Both parties being supplied there were two great Armies in Romagna of a sudden Philp's Auxiliaries were commanded by Nicolo Piccinino The Venetian and Florentine by Gattamelata and Nicolo da Tolentino Not far from Imola they came to a Battel in which the Venetians and Florentines were defeated and Nicolo da Tolentino sent Prisoner to the Duke where he died in a few days either by Poison or grief The Duke being either impoverished by the War or apprehending this Victory would quiet the League followed not his advantage but gave the Pope and his Confederates opportunity to recruit who choosing the Conte Francesco for their General they sent him to drive Forte Braccio out of the Lands of the Church and to try if they could put an end to that War which they had begun in favour of the Pope The Romans seeing his Holiness in the field again and his Army considerable they desired to be reconciled and having concluded the terms they received a Governor from him Among other Towns Nicolo Forte Braccio had possessed himself of Fiboli Montefiasconi the City of Castello and Ascesi not being able to keep the field Nicolo was retreated into this latter Town and besieged by the Conte The siege proving long by the braveness of Nicolo's defence the Duke began to cast about and consider he must either hinder the League from carrying the Town or look to himself as soon as it was taken To give the Conte therefore diversion he commanded Nicolo Piccinino by the way to Romagna to pass into Tuscany whereupon the League judging the defence of Tuscany of more importance than the reducing of Ascesi they sent to the Conte to stop Piccinino's passage who was at that time with his Army at Furli Upon these orders the Conte raised his siege and marched with his Forces to Cesena having left the War of la Marca and the care of his own affairs to the management of his Brother Lione Whilst Piccinino was labouring to pass and Francesco to obstruct him Nicolo Forte Braccio fell upon Lione and with great honour to himself took him Prisoner plundered his people and following his blow took several Towns in la Marca at the same excursion This news was very unwelcome to the Conte who gave all his own Country for lost nevertheless leaving part of his Army to confront Piccinino he marched himself against Forte Braccio with the rest forc'd him to an engagement and beat him In which defeat Forte Braccio was hurt taken prisoner and died of his wounds This Victory recovered all that Nicolo Forte Braccio had taken from him and forced the Duke of Milan to desire a peace which he obtained by the mediation of Nicolo da Esti Marqeuss of Ferrara by which it was agreed that the Towns which the Duke had got in Romagna should be restored and his Forces withdrawn into Lombardy and Battista da Caneto as it happens to those who owe their dominion to the courage or power of other people as soon as the Duke's Forces were drawn off despairing to remain in Bologna upon his own legs quitted the Town and left it to re-admit its old Governor Antonio Bentivogli who was chief of the contrary party All these things succeeded during the banishment of Cosimo upon whose return those persons who were active in his restauration and those who had suffered more than ordinarily before concluded without regard to any body else to secure themselves of all the Offices in the State The Senate which succeeded for the months of November and December not satisfied with what their predecessors had done in favour of their party they lengthned the time changed the places of several
encouraged the Florentines to an expedition against Lucca and gave them great hopes of success in which they carried themselves without either fear or respect seeing the Duke who was the only person they apprehended imployed by the Venetians and the Lucchesi by having as it were received their enemies into their houses and given them cause to invade them had left themselves no grounds to complain In April therefore in the year 1437 the Conte march'd with his Army and before he would fall upon any thing of the enemies he addressed himself to the recovery of what had been lost and accordingly he reduced S. Maria de Castello and what-ever else had been taken by Piccinino Then advancing against the Lucchesi he sate down before Camajore whose Garison and inhabitants though well enough affected to their Lord being more influenced by the terror of an enemy at hand than their fidelity to their friends a far off surrendered immediately after which he took Massa and Serazan with the same dexterity and reputation and then turning his Army towards Lucca in the month of May he destroyed their Corn burn'd their Villages stubb'd up their Vines and their Fruit-trees drove away their Cattel and omitted nothing of outrage and hospitality that is or can be committed by Souldiers The Lucchesi seeing themselves abandoned by the Duke and unable to defend their Country retir'd into the Town where they intrench'd and fortified so well that they did not doubt by reason of their numbers within but to be able to Make it good for some time as they had formerly done Their only fear was of the unconstancy of the people who being weary of the siege would probably consider their own private danger before the liberty of their Country and force them to some ignominious accord Whereupon to encourage them to a vigorous defence they were called together into the Market-place and one of the wisest and gravest of the Citizens spake to them as followeth You have often heard and must needs understand that things done of necessity arâ— neither to be praised nor condemned If therefore you accuse us of having drawn this War upon you by entertaining the Duke's Forces and suffering them to assault you you are highly mistaken You cannot be ignorant of the ancient and inveterate hatred the Florentines bear you so that 't is not any injury in you nor any resentment in them but your weakness and their ambition which has provoked them the first giving them hopes the other impatience to oppress you Do not think that any kindness of yours can divert them from that desire nor any injury of yours provoke them to be worse 'T is their business therefore to rob you of your liberty 't is yours to defend it and what either of you do in pursuance of those ends may be lamented but cannot be wondred at by any body we may be sorry our Country is invaded our City besieged our Houses burned but who of us all is so weak as to admire it Seeing if our power were as great we would do the same to them and if possible worse If they pretend this War was occasioned by our admitting of Nicolo had he not been received they would have pretended another and perhaps had this invasion been deferred it might have proved more fatal and pernicious so that 't is not his coming is to be blamed but our ill fortune and the ambition of their nature for we could not refuse the Duke's Forces and when they were come it was not in our power to keep them from doing acts of Hostility you know very well that without the assistance of some considerable Prince we had not been able to defend our selves nor was any man more proper to relieve us both in respect of his fidelity and power than the Duke He restored us to our liberty and 't was but reasonable he should secure it He was always an enemy to those who would never be our friends if therefore we have provoked the Duke rather than we would disoblige the Florentines we have lost a true friend and made our enemy more able and more ready to offend us so that it is much better for us to have this War with the friendship of the Duke than to have peace with his displeasure and we have reason to hope he will rescue us from these dangers to which he has exposed us if we be not wanting to our selves You cannot forget with what fury the Florentines have many times assaulted us and with what honour and reputation we have repelled them even when we have had no hopes but in God and in time and how both of them have preserved us If we defended our selves then what reason now is there to despair Then we were deserted by all Italy and left as a prey to the Enemy now we have the Duke on our side and 't is not improbable the Venetians will be but slow in their motions against us seeing it can be no pleasure to them to see the power of the Florentines encrease Then the Florentines were more free and unengaged had more hopes of assistance and were stronger of themselves and we every way weaker for then we defended a Tyrant now we fight for our selves then the honour went to other people now it returns upon us then they were united and entire now they are divided and all Italy full of their Rebels But if we had none of these reasons nor none of these hopes to excite us extreme necessity would be sufficient to animate us to our defence Every enemy ought in reason to be apprehended by us because all of them seek their own glory and our destruction but above all the Florentines ought to be most dreadful who are not to be satisfied with our obedience tribute nor the government of our City but they must have our persons and Wealths to satiate their cruelty with our blood and their avarice with our estates so that there is no person nor condition among us so mean but ought justly to fear them Let No-body therefore be dismaid to see our Country wasted our Villages burn'd and our Lands possessed by the enemy if we preserve our City they of course will revert if we lose our City to what purpose will they be kept maintaining our liberty the enemy can hardly enjoy them but losing our liberty what comfort would it be to retain them Take arms therefore with courage and when you are engaged with your enemy remember the reward of your Victory is not only the safety of your Country but the preservation and security of your children and estates These last words were received by the people with such warmth and vigor of mind that unanimously they promised to die rather than to desert their City or entertain any treaty that might intrench upon their liberty so that immediately order was taken for all things necessary for the defence of the City In the mean time the Florentine Army was not
apprehended of all those that accused Castruccio with that abominable ambition Opizi was of opinion that the death of Francesco Guinigi head of the adverse party would leave him Master of the Town but he quickly found that the single reputation oâ— Castruccio would be a new impediment to his usurpation so that thinking to rob him of the affections of the people he spread false reports and aspersed him where-ever he came At first these calumniations troubled Castruccio but little but at length they alarm'd him to the purpose for he suspected that Opizi would not fail to set him at odds with the Lieutenant which Robert King of Naples had settled in Lucca and that if that Governor was his enemy he should in a short time be turned out of the Town And against so great danger his provision was this The Town of Pisa was then under the Government of Huguccione de Fagivola originally of the Town of Arrezzo being chosen Captain by the Pisans he had made himself their Soveraign and having given protection to certain Ghibilins who were banished from Lucca Castruccio entred into secret intelligence by the privity of Huguccione and being assured of his assistance he resolved the poor Exiles should be restored To this effect he agreed with his friends in Lucca who were of his Counsel and jealous as himself of the power of the Opizi All necessary measures were taken by the Conspirators Castruccio had the care of fortifying privately a Tower in the City called the Tower of Honour He furnished it with ammunition in case he should be forced to defend it and having appointed the night for the execution of their design Huguccione failed not at the precise hour to be at the Rendezvous betwixt Lucca and the neighbouring Mountains Upon a signal given to Castruccio he advanced towards the Gate of St. Peter and set fire to the Antiport next the â—ields whilst Castruccio broke down another on the other side of the Town In the mean time his associates cryed out To your Arms to excite the people to rise and thereby put all things into confusion Huguccione entred with his Troops and having seized upon the Town he caused all the Opizi to be murdered and all the rest of their party which fell into their hands The Governor for the King of Naples was turned out and the Government of the Town altered as Huguccione directed who to compleat the desolations of Lucca banished no less than a hundred of the best Families that belonged to it The miserable Exiles fled part to Florence and part to Pistoia two Towns of the Faction of the Guelfs and for that reason enemies to Huguccione and the prevailing party in Lucca The Florentines and whole Faction of the Guelfs apprehending this great success would hazard to re-establish the power of the Ghibilins in Tuscany they entred into consultation which way those Exiles might be restored They set out a considerable Army and encamped at Monte Carlo to open themselves a passage to Lucca Huguccione on his side drew the Lucca Troops together and put them under the Command of Castruccio and then joyning them with his own from Pisa and reinforcing them with a Squadron of German Horse which he got out of Lombardy he marched out to encounter the Florentines Whereupon the Florentines quitted their Post at Monte Carlo and entrenching betwixt Monte-Catino and Pescia Huguccione possessed himself of the quarter which they had left Their Armies being within two miles distance one from the other their Horse met daily and skirmished and they had come certainly to a peremptory Battel had not Huguccione fallen ill just in the nick His disposition forcing him from the Camp to look out for better accommodation in Monte-carlo he left the Command of the Army to Castruccio his retirement which discouraged his own men and made them think of protracting the Battel animated the Florentines but brought no great advantage to their affairs In short the Florentines perceiving their Enemies without a General began to despise them and Castruccio observing how much they were elated endeavoured to augment it He pretended great Consternation and to make his fear the more credible he gave Orders that his Troops should be drawn up within the Lines but with positive inhibition for any of them to go forth though not a moment passed but the Florentines provoked them but all to no purpose Besides that this pretended terror in Castruccio redoubled the rashness of the Enemy and perfectly blinded them he drew another advantage from it which was to discover exactly the disposition of their Army and the Order of their March When he had well observed them and tempted their temerity as much as he thought fit he resolved to fight them the next Bravado they made and omitting nothing that might encourage his Soldiers he assured them of Victory if they followed his Commands He had observed that the weakest and worst arm'd of their Soldiers were disposed still in their wings and their best placed in the Body Castruccio drew up in the same Order but distributed his Soldiers quite contrary for the worst and most unserviceable he placed in the Body and his best men in the wings In this posture he drew out of the Trenches and had scarce form'd his Battalia before the Enemy appeared and with his usual insolence Castruccio Commanded that the Body should march slowly but the two wings were to advance as fast as they could so that when they came to engage there was only the wings that could fight for Castruccio's Body having lagged by Command the Florentine Body had too far to march before they could charge them so as they remained idle being neither able to do any thing against the Main Body that was design'd to oppose them nor sustain those who were engaged in the wings so it hapned that the Florentine wings composed of the refuse of their Soldiers were easily broken by Castruccio's which consisted of his best and when the wings of the Enemy which were drawn up before their Body so as the whole Army was ranged in the figure of a half Moon were routed they turn'd tail ran among their own Body which was marching behind them and put all into Confusion The loss was very great to the Florentines they left above 10000 men dead upon the place Their best Officers and the bravest of the Guelfs perished there unfortunately and to make the defeat the more lamentable there were several Reformades which died there of extraodinary quality Among the rest Piero Brother to Robert King of Naples Carlo Nephew to the said King Philip Lord of Tarentum who were all come in Gallantry to make that Compania with the Florentines But that which made all the more wonderful was that Castruccio lost not above 300 men though unhappily one of Hugucciones Sons were of that Number his Name was Francesco who sighting briskly at the head of the Voluntiers for want of good Conduct was slain at the very first