ne was in a red
rage at their cries, but he laughed at Dante and mocked him; yet I think
he cannot have been so sure of himself as before, or he would have taken
Dante's challenge for the pleasure of slaying him with his own hands. I
am not sure that he would have slain Dante, and very possibly Dante
might have slain him, for Dante's skill with the weapon was now
marvellous for his age. But, however, that was not to be. Then Messer
Simone bade Messer Guido and his friends stand away from Messer Folco's
gates, for he had a mind to go in and get his wife. When Messer Guido
denied him steadfastly, and called upon him to keep the peace, Messer
Simone grinned, and, turning to his men, was for giving them the word to
fall on. But even then another great roar from the crowd told of some
new thing, and the trampling of many horses was heard, and over the
bridge came a company of lances, and over their heads fluttered the
Dragon-flag of Griffo of the Claw, and the great Free Companion and his
fellows forced their way through the yielding throng and took up their
station opposite Messer Simone and his friends, and it was very plain
that it was their intention to oppose him. This was just the time that I
got to the square, as I have already told.

Messer Simone's plans had been grievously marred by the, for him,
untimely appearance of Messer Griffo and his lances. Up to that moment
he seemed to have the city pretty well at his mercy. His party counted
the more numerous adherents and the better prepared. The Reds were taken
by surprise, and were largely scattered about among the crowd, instead
of being drawn together into a solid body like the Yellows. In the seats
of authority counsels were much divided, and, in view of such division,
it was difficult, if not impossible, to take any decided action against
Simone and his friends. Moreover, there was, or so at least it seemed to
many who were not necessarily on Messer Simone's side, on the face of
it, not a little to be said for Bull-face of the Bardi. The daughter of
Folco Portinari was indeed his wife, and it seemed to those that were
sticklers for the solemnity of the married state, however brought about,
that he had every right to claim her, and, if put to it by unwise
opposition, to take her from her father's house.

That the girl's consent to the wedding had been either extorted from her
by menace or won from her by means of a sorry trick mattered little in
the eyes of these