brought upon them by their friends; for the Signory
could not do anything without the consent of the duke of Calabria,
who, in the course of one year, drew from the people 400,000 florins,
although by the agreement entered into with him, the sum was not to
exceed 200,000; so great were the burdens with which either himself or
his father constantly oppressed them.

To these troubles were added new jealousies and new enemies; for the
Ghibellines of Lombardy became so alarmed upon the arrival of Charles in
Tuscany, that Galeazzo Visconti and the other Lombard tyrants, by money
and promises, induced Louis of Bavaria, who had lately been elected
emperor contrary to the wish of the pope, to come into Italy. After
passing through Lombardy he entered Tuscany, and with the assistance
of Castruccio, made himself master of Pisa, from whence, having been
pacified with sums of money, he directed his course towards Rome. This
caused the duke of Calabria to be apprehensive for the safety of Naples;
he therefore left Florence, and appointed as his viceroy Filippo da
Saggineto.

After the departure of the emperor, Castruccio made himself master of
Pisa, but the Florentines, by a treaty with Pistoia, withdrew her from
obedience to him. Castruccio then besieged Pistoia, and persevered
with so much vigor and resolution, that although the Florentines often
attempted to relieve her, by attacking first his army and then his
country, they were unable either by force or policy to remove him; so
anxious was he to punish the Pistolesi and subdue the Florentines. At
length the people of Pistoia were compelled to receive him for their
sovereign; but this event, although greatly to his glory, proved but
little to his advantage, for upon his return to Lucca he died. And as
one event either of good or evil seldom comes alone, at Naples also died
Charles duke of Calabria and lord of Florence, so that in a short time,
beyond the expectation of their most sanguine hopes, the Florentines
found themselves delivered from the domination of the one and the fear
of the other. Being again free, they set about the reformation of the
city, annulled all the old councils, and created two new ones, the one
composed of 300 citizens from the class of the people, the other of 250
from the nobility and the people.

The first was called the Council of the People, the other the Council of
the Commune.

CHAPTER VII

The Emperor at Rome--The Florentines refuse to