the which commonwealth
his patrimony was benignly increased and guarded and improved, and for
this cause he was grateful and very faithful to the commonwealth of
Florence in all its needs.

[Sidenote: 1292 A.D.]

Sec. 150.--_How the Florentines took the castle of Ampinana._ Sec.
151.--_How Pope Nicholas, of Ascoli, died._ Sec. 152.--_How the whole
city of Noyon, in France, was burnt._ Sec. 153.--_How Adolf was elected
king of the Romans._ Sec. 154.--_How the Florentines marched upon the
city of Pisa._ Sec. 155.--_Of the miracles which were manifested in
Florence by S. Maria d'Orto San Michele._

END OF SELECTIONS FROM BOOK VII.

BOOK VIII.

_Here begins the Eighth Book. It tells how the second Popolo
arose in the city of Florence, and of many great changes
which by reason thereof came afterwards to pass in Florence,
following on with the other events of those times._

[Sidenote: 1292 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Par. xvi. 131, 132.]

Sec. 1.--In the year of Christ 1292, on the 1st day of February, the city
of Florence being in great and powerful state, and prosperous in all
things, and the citizens thereof waxing fat and rich, and by reason of
excessive tranquillity, which naturally engenders pride and novelties,
being envious and arrogant among themselves, many murders, and wounds,
and outrages were done by one citizen upon another; and above all the
nobles known as magnates and potentates, alike in the country and in
the city, wrought upon the people who might not resist them, force and
violence both against person and goods, taking possession thereof. For
the which thing certain good men, artificers and merchants of
Florence, which desired good life, considered how to set a remedy and
defence against the said plague, and one of the leaders therein, among
others, was a man of worth, an ancient and noble citizen, being one of
the popolani, rich and powerful, whose name was Giano della Bella, of
the people of S. Martin, with the following and counsel of other wise
and powerful popolani. And instituting in Florence an order of judges
to correct the statutes and our laws, as by our ordinances the custom
was of old to do, they ordained certain laws and statutes, very strong
and weighty, against such magnates and men of power as should do wrong
or violence against the people; increasing the common penalties in
divers ways, and enacting that one member of a family of magnates
should be held answer