name of the Black Cancellieri, and the other of the
White, and this grew until they fought together, but it was not any
great affair. And one of those on the side of the White Cancellieri,
having been wounded, they on the side of the Black Cancellieri, to the
end they might be at peace and concord with them, sent him which had
done the injury and handed him over to the mercy of them which had
received it, that they should take amend, and vengeance for it at their
will; they on the side of the White Cancellieri, ungrateful and proud,
having neither pity nor love, cut off the hand of him which had been
commended to their mercy on a horse-manger. By which sinful beginning
not only was the house of Cancellieri divided, but many violent deaths
arose thereupon, and all the city of Pistoja was divided, for some held
with one part and some with the other, and they called themselves the
Whites and the Blacks, forgetting among themselves the Guelph and
Ghibelline parties; and many civil strifes and much peril and loss of
life arose therefore in Pistoja...." The Whites seem to have been
little more than Ghibellines, to which party they presently allied
themselves, when Andrea Gherardini was captain. This party soon got the
upper hand in Pistoja, thus bringing down the hatred of the Lucchesi and
the Fiorentini; a cruel siege and pillage--touchingly described by Dino
Campagni--following in 1305. Exiled, the Whites thronged to the banner
of Uguccione, and helped to win the battle of Montecatini in 1305. This
done, Uguccione became tyrant of Pistoja till Castruccio Castracani
flung him out, and by the will of Lewis of Bavaria became himself tyrant
of the city, defeating the Florentines again in 1325. In his absence the
Florentines besieged Pistoja again three years later, and took it; the
fortunate death of Castruccio confirming them in their conquest, which
thus became the vassal of the Lily.

Such in brief is the story of Pistoja; but if we look a little more
closely into the mere confusion of those wars, two facts will perhaps
emerge clearly, and help us to understand the position.

Florence, a city of merchants, was the last power in Italy to make war
for the pleasure of fighting, yet in turn she conquered every city in
Tuscany, save Lucca alone.[137] What can have been the overmastering
necessity that drove her on so bloody a path? Certainly not a love of
empire, for she, who was so unfortunate in the art of government, was
not