nciardo de' Ponci di Vacchereccia
struck the herald from Lucca in the face with his sword while he was
reading the proclamation, for which cause afterwards they sent forth
no more proclamations in their own name; but so wrought that at last
they quieted the uproar and caused each party to lay down arms, and
restored the city to quiet, calling for new priors to promote peace,
the people remaining in its estate and liberty; and they inflicted no
punishment for misdeeds committed, but whoever had suffered wrong had
to bear his loss. And in addition to the said plague there was great
famine that year, and grain was worth more than twenty-six shillings
the bushel, level measure, of fifty-two shillings to the golden
florin; and if it had not been that the commonwealth and the rulers in
the city had made provision beforehand, and had caused to be brought
by the hand of the Genoese from Sicily and from Apulia full 26,000
bushels of grain, the citizens and the country people could not have
escaped from famine: and this traffic in grain was, with others, one
of the causes why they desired to examine the accounts of the
commonwealth, by reason of all the money which was passing; and
certain, whether rightly or wrongly, were spoken evil of and blamed
thereanent. And this adversity and peril of our city was not without
the judgment of God, by reason of many sins committed through the
pride and envy and avarice of our then living citizens, which were
then ruling the city, and alike of the rebels therein, as of those
which were governing, for they were great sinners, nor was this the
end thereof, as hereafter in due time may be seen.

Sec. 69.--_How the Pope sent into Florence as legate the Cardinal da
Prato to make peace, and how he departed thence in shame and
confusion._

[Sidenote: 1303 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Epistola i.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Inf. x. 79-81.]

During the said discord among the Florentines, Pope Benedict, with
good intent, sent to Florence the Cardinal da Prato as legate to set
the Florentines at peace one with another, and likewise with their
exiles and all the province of Tuscany; and he came to Florence, on
the tenth day of the month of March, 1303, and was received by the
Florentines with great honour and with great reverence, as by men who
felt themselves to be divided and in evil state; and those which had
the disposition and desire to live rightly, loved peace and concord,
and it was the contrary with the