ts
conditions Messer Griffo bound himself to wait with his fellows on a
certain appointed night at a certain appointed place some half-way
between Florence and Arezzo. What his business was to be at this
appointed time and place makes pretty reading even now, when almost all
that were concerned in the conspiracy have passed away and are no more
than moth-like memories.

When Messer Simone dei Bardi contrived to chain upon the Company of
Death that law which bound every member of the fellowship to
unquestioning obedience to its founder, he had in his mind from the
start the goal for which he was playing. At a certain given hour a
certain given number of the Company of Death would be called upon to
foregather outside the walls of Florence, bent on a special adventure
for the welfare of the state. By a curious chance those that were thus
summoned were all to be members of the party that was opposed to Messer
Simone, and would include all those youths who, like Guido Cavalcanti
and Dante Alighieri, had incurred the special detestation of the
would-be dictator.

The rest of the scheme was as easy as whistling. The hot-headed,
hot-hearted gallants of the Company of Death were to ride swiftly in the
direction of Arezzo, carrying with them the information that they would
be reinforced half-way upon their journey by a levy of mercenaries under
the command of Griffo. It was, however, privately arranged between
Simone and Griffo that when the young Florentines made their appearance
they were to be very promptly and decisively put to the sword, after
which deed Messer Griffo and his followers were to betake themselves to
Arezzo, declare themselves the saviors of that city, and insist on
entering its service at a price. After a little while Messer Griffo was
to make his peace with indignant Florence by offering to betray, and, in
due course, by betraying, the town of Arezzo into the hands of her
enemies. By such ingenious spider-spinnings of sin did Messer Simone of
the Bardi promise himself that he would within a very little space of
time cleanse Florence of the pick of his enemies, and also earn the
gratitude of her citizens by placing Arezzo within their power. This was
a case of killing two birds with one stone that mightily delighted
Messer Simone, and he made sure that he had found the very stone that
was fit for his fingers in the excellent, belligerent Free Companion.

It is whimsical to reflect that all would probably, n