, according as the factions were, and as they
had fortified their towers, whereof there was great number in the
city, in height 100 or 120 cubits. And in those times, by reason of
the said war, many towers were newly fortified by the communities of
the districts, from the common funds of the neighbourhood, which were
called Towers of the Fellowships, and upon them were set engines to
shoot forth one at another, and the city was barricaded in many
places; and this plague endured more than two years, and many died by
reason thereof, and much peril and hurt was brought upon the city; but
this war among the citizens became so much of use and wont that one
day they would be fighting, and the next day they would be eating and
drinking together, and telling tales of one another's valour and
prowess in these battles; and at last they ceased fighting, in that it
irked them for very weariness, and they made peace, and the Consuls
remained in their government; albeit, in the end they begot and then
brought forth the accursed factions, which were afterwards in
Florence, as hereafter in due time we will make mention.

[Sidenote: 1182 A.D.]

[Sidenote: 1184 A.D.]

Sec. 10.--_How the Florentines took the castle of Montegrossoli._ Sec.
11.--_How the Florentines took the castle of Pogna._

Sec. 12.--_How the Emperor Frederick I. took their territory from the
city of Florence, and many other cities of Tuscany._

[Sidenote: 1184 A.D.]

In the said year of Christ 1184, the Emperor Frederick I., as he went
from Lombardy into Apulia, passed through our city of Florence on the
31st day of July in the said year, and abode there some days; and
receiving a complaint from the nobles of the country that the
commonwealth of Florence had taken by force and occupied many of their
castles and strongholds against the honour of the Empire, he took from
the commonwealth of Florence all the whole territory and the lordship
thereof up to the walls, and in the territory he set vicars of his own
throughout the villages to administer the law and execute justice; and
he did the like to all the other cities of Tuscany which had held with
the Church when he was at war with Pope Alexander, save that he did
not take the territory from the cities of Pisa and of Pistoia, which
held with him. And in this year the said Frederick besieged the city
of Siena, but did not take it. And these things he did to the said
cities of Tuscany, forasmuch as they had not