heedless of the means by which they attained them. Italian, some of
them, but very many strangers from far-away lands. It was the custom of
these fellows to gather about them a little army of rough-and-ready
resolutes like themselves, whom they maintained at their cost, and whose
services they were always prepared to sell to any person or state that
was willing to pay the captain's price for their aid. And these
captains, as their fortunes waxed, increased the numbers of their
following till they often had under their command as many lances as
would go to the making of a little army. Of these captains that were
then in Italy, and, as I have said, they were fewer in that time than
they are to-day, the most famous and the most fortunate was the man who
was known as Messer Griffo of the Claw. He was so nicknamed, I think,
because of the figure on the banner that he flew--a huge dragon with one
fiercely clawed foot lifted as if to lay hold of all that came its way.

Messer Griffo was a splendid fellow to look at, as big every way as
Messer Simone, but built more shapely, and he had a finer face, and one
that showed more self-control, and he was never given to the beastly
intemperances that degraded the Messer Simone. Messer Griffo and his
levy of lances lived in a castle that he held in the hills some half-way
between Florence and Arezzo. He was, as I believe, by his birth an
Englishman, with some harsh, unmusical, outlandish name of his own that
had been softened and sweetened into the name by which he was known and
esteemed in all the cities of Italy. He had been so long a-soldiering
in our country that he spoke the vulgar tongue very neatly and swiftly,
and was, indeed, ofttimes taken by the people of one town or province in
our peninsula for a citizen of some other city or province of Italy. So
that his English accent did him no more harm in honest men's ears than
his English parentage offended their susceptibilities. For the rest, he
was of more than middle age, but seemed less, was of amazing strength
and daring, and a great leader of Free Companions.

At the time of which I tell he was in command of a force of something
like five hundred lances, that were very well fed, well kept, well
equipped, and ready to serve the quarrel of any potentate of Italy that
was willing to pay for them. He had just captained his rascals very
gallantly and satisfactorily in the service of Padua, and having made a
very considerable amo