defeated the Vicar of the Emperor Henry
IV._

[Sidenote: 1113 A.D.]

In the year of Christ 1113 the Florentines marched against
Montecasciolo, which was making war upon the city, having been stirred
to rebellion by M. Ruberto Tedesco, vicar of the Emperor Henry in
Tuscany, who was stationed with his troops in Samminiato del Tedesco,
so called because the vicars of the Emperors with their troops of
Tedeschi [Germans] were stationed in the said fortress to harry the
cities and castles of Tuscany that would not obey the Emperors. And
this M. Ruberto was routed and slain by the Florentines, and the
fortress taken and destroyed.

Sec. 30.--_How the city of Florence took fire twice, whence a great part
of the city was burnt._

[Sidenote: 1115 A.D.]

[Sidenote: 1117 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Inf. x. 13-15.]

[Sidenote: Par. xi. 35-123. Par. xii. 31-111.]

In the year of Christ 1115, in the month of May, fire broke out in the
Borgo Santo Apostolo, and was so great and impetuous that a good part
of the city was burnt, to the great hurt of the Florentines. And in
that selfsame year died the good Countess Matilda. And after, in the
year 1117, fire again broke out in Florence, and of a truth that which
was not burnt in the first fire was burnt in the second, whence great
hurt befell the Florentines, and not without cause and judgment of
God, forasmuch as the city was evilly corrupted by heresy, among
others by the sect of the epicureans, through the vice of
licentiousness and gluttony, and this over so large a part, that the
citizens were fighting among themselves for the faith with arms in
their hands in many parts of Florence, and this plague endured long
time in Florence till the coming of the holy Religions of St. Francis
and of St. Dominic, the which Religions through their holy brothers,
the charge of this sin of heresy having been committed to them by the
Pope, greatly exterminated it in Florence, and in Milan, and in many
other cities of Tuscany and of Lombardy in the time of the blessed
Peter Martyr, who was martyred by the Paterines in Milan; and
afterwards the other inquisitors wrought the like. And in the flames
of the said fires in Florence were burnt many books and chronicles
which would more fully have preserved the record of past things in our
city of Florence, wherefore few are left remaining; for the which
thing it has behoved us to collect from other veracious chronicles of
divers cities and countries,