utiny and desert the legate's standard, when I
should proceed with my men to Florence, where he would await us.

"At the conference I learned from the other captains that their
commanders had made peace with the Florentines, having been paid one
hundred and thirty thousand florins; and that Sir John, having quarreled
with the legate at Pisa about our pay had referred the matter to the
Pope, who responded; 'The affair is wholly within the discretion of the
legate.' Whereupon he sent back word; 'Henceforth I am an opponent of
temporal church rule in Italy and quit your service.' He then made a
contract with the Florentines to assist them in repelling the legate's
armies.

"On the next day, when the condottieri were ordered to attack a small
town southwest of our camp, the inhabitants of which had treated us
decently, knowing that we bore them no ill-will, we disregarded the
order. By prearrangement, each captain at the head of his men assembled
in front of the legate's quarters, when as spokesman I asked an
audience.

"In a short while he came forth in his regalia, surrounded by a group of
carpet knights and peremptorily demanded:

"'What do you want and why have not you and your comrades begun the
assault as ordered?'

"'As spokesman for the English, Dutch and Breton condottieri, I am
directed to inform you that we have concluded to sever our connection
with your army and seek more satisfactory employment. Our sympathies are
with the Florentines rather than the church.'

"'Those of you who refuse to execute my commands shall be put to death.'

"'Who will execute your order? Surely not your three thousand carpet
knights, who can scarcely sit their horses and are coached by their
squires. They know nothing of warfare; they but wear their swords as
ornaments. Why, my three hundred horsemen alone are more than a match
for your knights. They and you do your fighting by proxy. It takes
something more than a jeweled sword, bright armor and a coat of arms to
make a soldier, and something more than a miter, a string of beads and a
colossal capacity for deception, torture and persecution, to make a
commander whom men trust and obey.'

"'So it is your intention to quit my service?'

"'Yes, and immediately, we shall leave your camp today.'

"Whereupon I returned to my men. After a brief conference we raided the
general stores and appropriated a week's supplies; then, loading our
pack horses, mounted and by easy stages ro