rsity is a great teacher. It tolerates no compromises and
rewards only patience and strength. Therefore a state is most fortunate
that occupies a position of bare supremacy in arms, where it is punished
for mistakes and grows strong from reverses.

"'On the other hand, if a government is too strong, the peace of
strength brings repose, repose decay, and decay dishonor.

"'Florence, more than any other Italian city, is embarrassed by the
natural enmities between the populace and the nobility. The nobility
wish to command. The populace, aware of their numerical supremacy, are
disinclined to obey, and insist upon ruling the city. Clashes between
the two keep the city in a constant uproar and will eventually
extinguish its greatness. The populace when in power drive the nobility
from the city. When they lose out the banished nobles return and the
populace are oppressed. Associated with the people, who are the usual
conquerors, are certain adaptable nobles, who, styling themselves
reformers, assume to live and think as the common people until they have
acquired a sufficient following to control the city, then they assume
the government and the nobles are recalled.'

* * * * *

"A member of the Connechi family was legate at Bologna. In the fall of
1374 I reported to him with my three hundred horsemen.

"The preceding summer had been extremely dry, causing a failure of crops
through all of central Italy. The people suffered and many died of
privation. The legate, aware of this, looked upon the time as auspicious
for his invasion and instituted his campaign by seizing provisions in
transit, purchased by the Florentines from the northern countries. The
following spring he invaded Tuscany.

"The hungry inhabitants, seeing no hope for even the future harvest,
offered but feeble opposition. Quite a few castles and small towns were
taken and pillaged.

"Our army moved slowly, and despite the legate's commands, never
followed up a victory. It mattered little to us that his enemies lived
to fight another day; our business was to line our pockets with plunder.
It was no serious affair to defeat our opponents whenever we met. They
were untrained in war and were usually officered by mercenaries, who
cared little whether they won or lost.

"One night a messenger from Sir John Hawkwood brought word that I should
confer with the captains of the Dutch and Breton troops, and if they
agreed, we were to m