the prince-第32章

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e；　therefore　he　did　not　move　his　army　from　Montecarlo。　Thus　the　Florentines　hurried　on　until　they　reached　their　encampment　under　Serravalle；　intending　to　cross　the　hill　on　the　following　morning。　In　the　meantime；　Castruccio　had　seized　the　castle　at　night；　had　also　moved　his　army　from　Montecarlo；　and　marching　from　thence　at　midnight　in　dead　silence；　had　reached　the　foot　of　Serravalle：　thus　he　and　the　Florentines　commenced　the　ascent　of　the　hill　at　the　same　time　in　the　morning。　Castruccio　sent　forward　his　infantry　by　the　main　road；　and　a　troop　of　four　hundred　horsemen　by　a　path　on　the　left　towards　the　castle。　The　Florentines　sent　forward　four　hundred　cavalry　ahead　of　their　army　which　was　following；　never　expecting　to　find　Castruccio　in　possession　of　the　hill；　nor　were　they　aware　of　his　having　seized　the　castle。　Thus　it　happened　that　the　Florentine　horsemen　mounting　the　hill　were　completely　taken　by　surprise　when　they　discovered　the　infantry　of　Castruccio；　and　so　close　were　they　upon　it　they　had　scarcely　time　to　pull　down　their　visors。　It　was　a　case　of　unready　soldiers　being　attacked　by　ready；　and　they　were　assailed　with　such　vigour　that　with　difficulty　they　could　hold　their　own；　although　some　few　of　them　got　through。　When　the　noise　of　the　fighting　reached　the　Florentine　camp　below；　it　was　filled　with　confusion。　The　cavalry　and　infantry　became　inextricably　mixed：　the　captains　were　unable　to　get　their　men　either　backward　or　forward；　owing　to　the　narrowness　of　the　pass；　and　amid　all　this　tumult　no　one　knew　what　ought　to　be　done　or　what　could　be　done。　In　a　short　time　the　cavalry　who　were　engaged　with　the　enemy's　infantry　were　scattered　or　killed　without　having　made　any　effective　defence　because　of　their　unfortunate　position；　although　in　sheer　desperation　they　had　offered　a　stout　resistance。　Retreat　had　been　impossible；　with　the　mountains　on　both　flanks；　whilst　in　front　were　their　enemies；　and　in　the　rear　their　friends。　When　Castruccio　saw　that　his　men　were　unable　to　strike　a　decisive　blow　at　the　enemy　and　put　them　to　flight；　he　sent　one　thousand　infantrymen　round　by　the　castle；　with　orders　to　join　the　four　hundred　horsemen　he　had　previously　dispatched　there；　and　commanded　the　whole　force　to　fall　upon　the　flank　of　the　enemy。　These　orders　they　carried　out　with　such　fury　that　the　Florentines　could　not　sustain　the　attack；　but　gave　way；　and　were　soon　in　full　retreatconquered　more　by　their　unfortunate　position　than　by　the　valour　of　their　enemy。　Those　in　the　rear　turned　towards　Pistoia；　and　spread　through　the　plains；　each　man　seeking　only　his　own　safety。　The　defeat　was　complete　and　very　sanguinary。　Many　captains　were　taken　prisoners；　among　whom　were　Bandini　dei　Rossi；　Francesco　Brunelleschi；　and　Giovanni　della　Tosa；　all　Florentine　noblemen；　with　many　Tuscans　and　Neapolitans　who　fought　on　the　Florentine　side；　having　been　sent　by　King　Ruberto　to　assist　the　Guelphs。　Immediately　the　Pistoians　heard　of　this　defeat　they　drove　out　the　friends　of　the　Guelphs；　and　surrendered　to　Castruccio。　He　was　not　content　with　occupying　Prato　and　all　the　castles　on　the　plains　on　both　sides　of　the　Arno；　but　marched　his　army　into　the　plain　of　Peretola；　about　two　miles　from　Florence。　Here　he　remained　many　days；　dividing　the　spoils；　and　celebrating　his　victory　with　feasts　and　games；　holding　horse　races；　and　foot　races　for　men　and　women。　He　also　struck　medals　in　commemoration　of　the　defeat　of　the　Florentines。　He　endeavoured　to　corrupt　some　of　the　citizens　of　Florence；　who　were　to　open　the　city　gates　at　night；　but　the　conspiracy　was　discovered；　and　the　participators　in　it　taken　and　beheaded；　among　whom　were　Tommaso　Lupacci　and　Lambertuccio　Frescobaldi。　This　defeat　caused　the　Florentines　great　anxiety；　and　despairing　of　preserving　their　liberty；　they　sent　envoys　to　King　Ruberto　of　Naples；　offering　him　the　dominion　of　their　city；　and　he；　knowing　of　what　immense　importance　the　maintenance　of　the　Guelph　cause　was　to　him；　accepted　it。　He　agreed　with　the　Florentines　to　receive　from　them　a　yearly　tribute　of　two　hundred　thousand　florins；　and　he　send　his　son　Carlo　to　Florence　with　four　thousand　horsemen。

Shortly　after　this　the　Florentines　were　relieved　in　some　degree　of　the　pressure　of　Castruccio's　army；　owing　to　his　being　compelled　to　leave　his　positions　before　Florence　and　march　on　Pisa；　in　order　to　suppress　a　conspiracy　that　had　been　raised　against　him　by　Benedetto　Lanfranchi；　one　of　the　first　men　in　Pisa；　who　could　not　endure　that　his　fatherland　should　be　under　the　dominion　of　the　Lucchese。　He　had　formed　this　conspiracy；　intending　to　seize　the　citadel；　kill　the　partisans　of　Castruccio；　and　drive　out　the　garrison。　As；　however；　in　a　conspiracy　paucity　of　numbers　is　essential　to　secrecy；　so　for　its　execution　a　few　are　not　sufficient；　and　in　seeking　more　adherents　to　his　conspiracy　Lanfranchi　encountered　a　person　who　revealed　the　design　to　Castruccio。　This　betrayal　cannot　be　passed　by　without　severe　reproach　to　Bonifacio　Cerchi　and　Giovanni　Guidi；　two　Florentine　exiles　who　were　suffering　their　banishment　in　Pisa。　Thereupon　Castruccio　seized　Benedetto　and　put　him　to　death；　and　beheaded　many　other　noble　citizens；　and　drove　their　families　into　exile。　It　now　appeared　to　Castruccio　that　both　Pisa　and　Pistoia　were　thoroughly　disaffected；　he　employed　much　thought　and　energy　upon　securing　his　position　there；　and　this　gave　the　Florentines　their　opportunity　to　reorganize　their　army；　and　to　await　the　coming　of　Carlo；　the　son　of　the　King　of　Naples。　When　Carlo　arrived　they　decided　to　lose　no　more　time；　and　assembled　a　great　army　of　more　than　thirty　thousand　infantry　and　ten　thousand　cavalryhaving　called　to　their　aid　every　Guelph　there　was　in　Italy。　They　consulted　whether　they　should　attack　Pistoia　or　Pisa　first；　and　decided　that　it　would　be　better　to　march　on　the　lattera　course；　owing　to　the　recent　conspiracy；　more　likely　to　succeed；　and　of　more　advantage　to　them；　because　they　believed　that　the　surrender　of　Pistoia　would　follow　the　acquisition　of　Pisa。

In　the　early　part　of　May　1328；　the　Florentines　put　in　motion　this　army　and　quickly　occupied　Lastra；　Signa；　Montelupo；　and　Empoli；　passing　from　thence　on　to　San　Miniato。　When　Castruccio　heard　of　the　enormous　army　which　the　Florentines　were　sending　against　him；　he　was　in　no　degree　alarmed；　believing　that　the　time　had　now　arrived　when　Fortune　would　deliver　the　empire　of　Tuscany　into　his　hands；　for　he　had　no　reason　to　think　that　his　enemy　would　make　a　better　fight；　or　had　better　prospects　of　success；　than　at　Pisa　or　Serravalle。　He　assembled　twenty　thousand　foot　soldiers　and　four　thousand　horsemen；　and　with　this　army　went　to　Fucecchio；　whilst　he　sent　Pagolo　Guinigi　to　Pisa　with　five　thousand　infantry。　Fucecchio　has　a　stronger　position　than　any　other　town　in　the　Pisan　district；　owing　to　its　situation　between　the　rivers　Arno　and　Gusciana　and　its　slight　elevation　above　the　surrounding　plain。　Moreover；　the　enemy　could　not　hinder　its　being　victualled　unless　they　divided　their　forces；　nor　could　they　approach　it　either　from　the　direction　of　Lucca　or　Pisa；　nor　could　they　get　through　to　Pisa；　or　attack　Castruccio's　forces　except　at　a　disadvantage。　In　one　case　they　would　find　themselves　placed　between　his　two　armies；　the　one　under　his　own　command　and　the　other　under　Pagolo；　and　in　the　other　case　they　would　have　to　cross　the　Arno　to　get　to　close　quarters　with　the　enemy；　an　undertaking　of　great　hazard。　In　order　to　tempt　the　Florentines　to　take　this　latter　course；　Castruccio　withdrew　his　men　from　the　banks　of　the　river　and　placed　them　under　the　walls　of　Fucecchio；　leaving　a　wide　expanse　of　land　between　them　and　the　river。

The　Florentines；　having　occupied　San　Miniato；　held　a　council　of　war　to　decide　whether　they　should　attack　Pisa　or　the　army　of　Castruccio；　and；　having　weighed　the　difficulties　of　both　courses；　they　decided　upon　the　latter。　The　river　Arno　was　at　that　time　low　enough　to　be　fordable；　yet　the　water　reached　to　the　shoulders　of　the　infantrymen　and　to　the　saddles　of　the　horsemen。　On　the　morning　of　10　June　1328；　the　Florentines　commenced　the　battle　by　ordering　forward　a　number　of　cavalry　and　ten　thousand　infantry。　Castruccio；　whose　plan　of　action　was　fixed；　and　who　well　knew　what　to　do；　at　once　attacked　the　Florentines　with　five　thousand　infantry　and