them died on this voyage, returned from
Syria to the West without having gained anything. We will now return
to our subject of the doings of Florence and of other things which
were in the time when the said Frederick was reigning; but first we
will tell of King Philip of France and of King Richard of England,
which went over seas to the succour of the Holy Land in this same
time.

[Sidenote: 1170 A.D.]

[Sidenote: 1174 A.D.]

Sec. 4.--_How the king of France and the king of England went over seas._
Sec. 5.--_How the Florentines defeated the Aretines._ Sec. 6.--_How the
first war of the Florentines against the Sienese began._ Sec. 7.--_How
the noble and strong castle of Poggibonizzi was first built, and that
of Colle of Valdelsa._

Sec. 8.--_Of the great fires which were in the city of Florence._

[Sidenote: 1177 A.D.]

In the year of Christ 1177, fire broke out in the city of Florence on
the 5th day of August, and spread from the foot of the Ponte Vecchio
as far as the Mercato Vecchio. And afterwards, in the same year, fire
broke out at San Martino del Vescovo, and spread as far as Santa Maria
Ughi and to the Duomo of S. Giovanni, with great hurt to the city, and
not without the judgment of God, forasmuch as the Florentines had
become very proud by reason of the victories they had gotten over
their neighbours; and some among them were very ungrateful towards
God, and full of other wicked sins. And in this year, because of a
great flood of the river Arno, the Ponte Vecchio fell, which also was
a sign of future adversities to our city.

Sec. 9.--_How civil war began in Florence between the Uberti and the
government of the Consuls._

[Sidenote: 1177 A.D.]

Wherefore in the selfsame year there began in Florence dissension and
great war among the citizens, the worst that had ever been in
Florence; and this was by reason of too great prosperity and repose,
together with pride and ingratitude; forasmuch as the house of the
Uberti, which were the most powerful and the greatest citizens of
Florence, with their allies, both magnates and popolari, began war
against the Consuls (which were the lords and rulers of the
commonwealth for a certain time and under certain ordinances), from
envy of the Government, which was not to their mind; and the war was
so fierce and unnatural that well-nigh every day, or every other day,
the citizens fought against one another in divers parts of the city,
from district to district