advised that they should give up the idea, and behave toward the tyrant
in such a way as to create him as many enemies as possible; for there
was no better method of reducing Lucca than to let them live under the
tyrant, oppressed and exhausted by him; for, if prudently managed, that
city would soon get into such a condition that he could not retain it,
and being ignorant or unable to govern itself, it must of necessity fall
into their power. But he saw that his discourse did not please them, and
that his words were unheeded; he would, however, predict this to them,
that they were about to commence a war in which they would expend vast
sums, incur great domestic dangers, and instead of becoming masters of
Lucca, they would deliver her from her tyrant, and of a friendly city,
feeble and oppressed, they would make one free and hostile, and that
in time she would become an obstacle to the greatness of their own
republic.

The question having been debated on both sides, they proceeded to vote,
as usual, and of the citizens present only ninety-eight were against the
enterprise. Thus determined in favor of war, they appointed a Council of
Ten for its management, and hired forces, both horse and foot. Astorre
Gianni and Rinaldo degli Albizzi were appointed commissaries, and
Niccolo Fortebraccio, on agreeing to give up to the Florentines the
places he had taken, was engaged to conduct the enterprise as their
captain. The commissaries having arrived with the army in the country
of the Lucchese, divided their forces; one part of which, under Astorre,
extended itself along the plain, toward Camaiore and Pietrasanta, while
Rinaldo, with the other division, took the direction of the hills,
presuming that when the citizens found themselves deprived of the
surrounding country, they would easily submit. The proceedings of the
commissaries were unfortunate, not that they failed to occupy many
places, but from the complaints made against them of mismanaging the
operations of the war; and Astorre Gianni had certainly given very
sufficient cause for the charges against him.

There is a fertile and populous valley near Pietrasanta, called
Seravezza, whose inhabitants, on learning the arrival of the commissary,
presented themselves before him and begged he would receive them as
faithful subjects of the Florentine republic. Astorre pretended to
accept their proposal, but immediately ordered his forces to take
possession of all the passes a