better than to crawl about the world any longer:"
and their counsel was to try the fortune of battle. Razzante,
instructed by these two aforesaid, determined and promised to speak
thus; and with a garland on his head, on horseback with the said two,
showing great gladness, he came to the parliament to the palace where
were all the people of Siena and the Germans and other allies; and
then, with a joyful countenance, he told great news from the
Ghibelline party and the traitors in camp, how the host was
ill-ordered and ill-led, and disunited, and that if they attacked them
boldly, they would certainly be discomfited. And Razzante having made
his false report, at the cry of the people they all moved to arms,
calling out: "Battle, battle." The Germans demanded a promise of
double pay, and this was given them; and their troop led the attack
from the gate of San Vito, which was to have been given over to the
Florentines; and the other horse and foot sallied out after them. When
those among the host which were expecting that the gate should be
given to them saw the Germans and the other horse and foot sally forth
towards them from Siena in battle array, they marvelled greatly, and
were sore dismayed, seeing their sudden approach and unlooked-for
attack; and they were the more dismayed that many Ghibellines who were
in the host, both on horse and foot, beholding the enemy's troops
approaching, fled from divers quarters, as the treason had been
ordered; and among them were the della Pressa and they of the Abati,
and many others. But the Florentines and their allies did not on this
account neglect to array their troops, and await the battle; and when
the German troop violently charged the troop of Florentine horse
(where was the standard of the cavalry of the commonwealth, which was
borne by M. Jacopo del Nacca, a man of great valour, of the house of
the Pazzi in Florence), that traitor of a M. Bocca degli Abati, which
was in his troop and near to him, struck the said M. Jacopo with his
sword, and cut off the hand with which he held the standard, and
immediately he died. And this done, the horsemen and people, beholding
the standard fallen, and that there were traitors among them, and that
they were so strongly assailed by the Germans, in a short time were
put to flight. But because the horsemen of Florence first perceived
the treason, there were but thirty-six men of name of the cavalry
slain and taken. But the great mortality a