rence and pledge himself for the truth
of his assertions; but being unable, from indisposition, he would send
his son as an hostage. These assurances, and the proposal with which
they were accompanied, induced the Florentines to think Gherardo had
been slandered, and that his accuser must be alike weak and treacherous.
Gherardo, however, hastened his negotiation with redoubled zeal, and
having arranged the terms, Alfonso sent Frate Puccio, a knight of
Jerusalem, with a strong body of men to the Val di Bagno, to take
possession of the fortresses and towns, the people of which, being
attached to the Florentine republic, submitted unwillingly.

Frate Puccio had already taken possession of nearly the whole territory,
except the fortress of Corzano. Gambacorti was accompanied, while
transferring his dominions, by a young Pisan of great courage and
address, named Antonio Gualandi, who, considering the whole affair, the
strength of the place, the well known bravery of the garrison, their
evident reluctance to give it up, and the baseness of Gambacorti,
at once resolved to make an effort to prevent the fulfillment of
his design; and Gherardo being at the entrance, for the purpose of
introducing the Aragonese, he pushed him out with both his hands, and
commanded the guards to shut the gate upon such a scoundrel, and hold
the fortress for the Florentine republic. When this circumstance became
known in Bagno and the neighboring places, the inhabitants took up arms
against the king's forces, and, raising the Florentine standard, drove
them out. The Florentines learning these events, imprisoned Gherardo's
son, and sent troops to Bagno for the defense of the territory, which
having hitherto been governed by its own prince, now became a vicariate.
The traitor Gherardo escaped with difficulty, leaving his wife, family,
and all his property, in the hands of those whom he had endeavored
to betray. This affair was considered by the Florentines of great
importance; for had the king succeeded in securing the territory, he
might have overrun the Val di Tavere and the Casentino at his pleasure,
and would have caused so much annoyance, that they could no longer have
allowed their whole force to act against the army of the Aragonese at
Sienna.

In addition to the preparations made by the Florentines in Italy to
resist the hostile League, they sent as ambassador, Agnolo Acciajuoli,
to request that the king of France would allow Rene of Anjou to