sojourned somewhat in Siena, departed to Rome, and
by the Romans and by Don Henry, the senator, was received with great
honour, as if he had been Emperor, and in Rome he gathered together
people and money, and despoiled the treasures of S. Peter and the
other churches of Rome to raise monies; and he had in Rome more than
5,000 horsemen, what with Germans and Italians, together with those
of the senator, Don Henry, brother of the king of Spain, which had
with him full 800 good Spanish horsemen. And Conradino, hearing that
King Charles was with his host in Apulia at the city of Nocera, and
that many of the cities and barons of the Kingdom had rebelled, and
that others were suspected, it seemed to him a convenient time to
enter into the Kingdom, and he departed from Rome the 10th day of
August, in the year of Christ 1268, with the said Don Henry, and with
his company and his barons, and with many Romans; and he did not take
the way of Campagna, forasmuch as he knew that the pass of Cepperano
was furnished and guarded; wherefore he did not desire to contest it,
but took the way of the mountains between the Abruzzi and the Campagna
by Valle di Celle, where there was no guard nor garrison; and without
any hindrance he passed on and came into the plain of San Valentino in
the country of Tagliacozzo.

Sec. 26.--_How the host of Conradino and that of King Charles met in
battle at Tagliacozzo._

[Sidenote: 1268 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Inf. xxviii. 17, 18.]

King Charles, hearing how Conradino was departed from Rome with his
followers to enter into the Kingdom, broke up his camp at Nocera, and
with all his people came against Conradino by hasty marches, and at
the city of Aquila in Abruzzi awaited his followers. And being at
Aquila, he took counsel with the men of the city, exhorting them to be
leal and true, and to make provision for the host; whereupon a wise
and ancient inhabitant rose and said: "King Charles, take no further
counsel, and do not avoid a little toil, to the end thou mayest have
continual repose. Delay no longer, but go against the enemy, and let
him not gain ground, and we will be leal and true to thee." The king,
hearing such sage counsel, without any delay or further parley,
departed by the road crossing the mountains, and came close to the
host of Conradino in the place and plain of San Valentino, and there
was nought between them save the river of . . . King Charles had of
his people, between Frenchmen and