s, not fearing God; and the said blessed Dominic, through his holy
learning and preaching, corrected it, and was the first exterminator
of heretics therefrom; and the blessed Francis, through his humility
and apostolic life and penitence, corrected the wanton life, and
brought back Christians to penitence and to the life of salvation. And
truly the Erythraean Sibyl, tracing out these times, prophesied of
these two holy Orders, saying that two stars would arise to illuminate
the world.

Sec. 26.--_How the Florentines destroyed the castle of Frondigliano._

[Sidenote: 1199 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Par. xvi. 62, 63.]

In the year of Christ 1199, Count Henry della Tosa and his colleagues,
being consuls of the city of Florence, the Florentines laid siege to
the fortress of Frondigliano, which had rebelled and was making war
upon the commonwealth of Florence, and they took it and destroyed it
to the very foundations, and it was never built again. And in the same
year the Florentines marched against Simifonte, which was a very
strong place and did not obey the city.

Sec. 27.--_How they of Samminiato destroyed Sanginiegio, and went back
to live on the hill._ Sec. 28.--_How the French and Venetians took
Constantinople._ Sec. 29.--_How the Tartars descended from the mountains
of Gog and Magog._

Sec. 30.--_How the Florentines destroyed the strongholds of Simifonti and
of Combiata._

[Sidenote: 1202 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Par. xvi. 62, 63.]

In the year of Christ 1202, when Aldobrandino, of the Barucci of Santa
Maria Maggiore (a very ancient family), and his colleagues were
consuls in Florence, the Florentines took the stronghold of Simifonti,
and destroyed it, and took the hill into possession of the
commonwealth, forasmuch as it had been long time at war with the
Florentines. And the Florentines gained it by the treachery of a
certain man of Sandonato in Poci, which surrendered a tower, and
claimed for this cause that he and his descendants should be free in
Florence from all taxes; and this was granted, albeit the said traitor
was first slain, in the said tower, by the inhabitants, as it was
being attacked. And in the said year the Florentines went with their
army against the fortress of Combiata, which was very strong, at the
head of the river Marina, towards Mugello, which pertained to Cattani
of the country which would not obey the commonwealth and made war
against it. And when the said strongholds were destro