ot discover
their minds without incurring the greatest danger. Being, however,
determined to deliver themselves from such disgraceful tyranny, they
secretly wrote to King Robert, requesting him to appoint for his vicar
in Florence Count Guido da Battifolle. The king complied; and the
opposite party, although the Signory were opposed to the king, on
account of the good quality of the count, did not dare to resist him.
Still his authority was not great, because the Signory and Gonfaloniers
of the companies were in favor of Lando and his party.

During these troubles, the daughter of King Albert of Bohemia passed
through Florence, in search of her husband, Charles, the son of King
Robert, and was received with the greatest respect by the friends of the
king, who complained to her of the unhappy state of the city, and of the
tyranny of Lando and his partisans; so that through her influence and
the exertions of the king's friends, the citizens were again united, and
before her departure, Lando was stripped of all authority and send back
to Agobbio, laden with blood and plunder. In reforming the government,
the sovereignty of the city was continued to the king for another three
years, and as there were then in office seven Signors of the party
of Lando, six more were appointed of the king's friends, and some
magistracies were composed of thirteen Signors; but not long afterward
the number was reduced to seven according to ancient custom.

CHAPTER VI

War with Castruccio--Castruccio marches against Prato and retires
without making any attempt--The emigrants not being allowed to return,
endeavor to enter the city by force, and are repulsed--Change in
the mode of electing the great officers of state--The Squittini
established--The Florentines under Raymond of Cardona are routed
by Castruccio at Altopascio--Treacherous designs of Raymond--The
Florentines give the sovereignty of the city to Charles duke of Cambria,
who appoints the duke of Athens for his vicar--The duke of Calabria
comes to Florence--The Emperor Louis of Bavaria visits Italy--The
excitement he produces--Death of Castruccio and of Charles duke of
Calabria--Reform of government.

About the same time, Uguccione lost the sovereignty of Lucca and of
Pisa, and Castruccio Castracani, a citizen of Lucca, became lord of
them, who, being a young man, bold and fierce, and fortunate in his
enterprises, in a short time became the head of the Ghibellines in
Tuscany. On