him their prince. Nor did he fail frequently
to mention these matters, and required to have that authority in the
city which had been given him over the army, endeavoring to show that
otherwise he could not enforce the obedience requisite to a leader. As
the Florentines did not consent to this, he wasted time, and allowed
Castruccio to obtain the assistance which the Visconti and other tyrants
of Lombardy had promised him, and thus become very strong. Ramondo,
having willfully let the opportunity of victory pass away, now
found himself unable to escape; for Castruccio coming up with him at
Altopascio, a great battle ensued in which many citizens were slain and
taken prisoners, and among the former fell Ramondo, who received from
fortune that reward of bad faith and mischievous counsels which he had
richly deserved from the Florentines. The injury they suffered from
Castruccio, after the battle, in plunder, prisoners, destruction,
and burning of property, is quite indescribable; for, without any
opposition, during many months, he led his predatory forces wherever he
thought proper, and it seemed sufficient to the Florentines if, after
such a terrible event, they could save their city.

Still they were not so absolutely cast down as to prevent them from
raising great sums of money, hiring troops, and sending to their friends
for assistance; but all they could do was insufficient to restrain such
a powerful enemy; so that they were obliged to offer the sovereignty to
Charles duke of Calabria, son of King Robert, if they could induce him
to come to their defense; for these princes, being accustomed to rule
Florence, preferred her obedience to her friendship. But Charles, being
engaged in the wars of Sicily, and therefore unable to undertake the
sovereignty of the city, sent in his stead Walter, by birth a Frenchman,
and duke of Athens. He, as viceroy, took possession of the city, and
appointed the magistracies according to his own pleasure; but his mode
of proceeding was quite correct, and so completely contrary to his real
nature, that everyone respected him.

The affairs of Sicily being composed, Charles came to Florence with a
thousand horse. He made his entry into the city in July, 1326, and
his coming prevented further pillage of the Florentine territory by
Castruccio. However, the influence which they acquired without the city
was lost within her walls, and the evils which they did not suffer from
their enemies were