And that their deeds
might correspond with their words, they immediately appointed a number
of armed men, as a guard for the security of his person against domestic
enemies.

CHAPTER III

The Florentines prepare for war against the pope--They appeal to
a future council--Papal and Neapolitan movements against
the Florentines--The Venetians refuse to assist the
Florentines--Disturbances in Milan--Genoa revolts from the duke--Futile
endeavors to effect peace with the pope--The Florentines repulse their
enemies from the territory of Pisa--They attack the papal states--The
papal forces routed upon the borders of the Lake of Perugia.

The Florentines now prepared for war, by raising money and collecting
as large a force as possible. Being in league with the duke of Milan
and the Venetians, they applied to both for assistance. As the pope had
proved himself a wolf rather than a shepherd, to avoid being devoured
under false accusations, they justified their cause with all available
arguments, and filled Italy with accounts of the treachery practiced
against their government, exposing the impiety and injustice of the
pontiff, and assured the world that the pontificate which he had
wickedly attained, he would as impiously fill; for he had sent those
whom he had advanced to the highest order of prelacy, in the company
of traitors and parricides, to commit the most horrid treachery in the
church in the midst of divine service and during the celebration of the
holy sacrament, and that then, having failed to murder the citizens,
change the government, and plunder the city, according to his intention,
he had suspended the performance of all religious offices, and
injuriously menaced and injured the republic with pontifical
maledictions. But if God was just, and violence was offensive to him, he
would be displeased with that of his viceregent, and allow his injured
people who were not admitted to communion with the latter, to offer
up their prayers to himself. The Florentines, therefore, instead of
receiving or obeying the interdict, compelled the priests to perform
divine service, assembled a council in Florence of all the Tuscan
prelates under their jurisdiction, and appealed against the injuries
suffered from the pontiff to a future general council.

The pope did not neglect to assign reasons in his own justification, and
maintained it was the duty of a pontiff to suppress tyranny, depress
the wicked, and exalt the good; an