yed, they made a
decree that they should never be rebuilt.

Sec. 31.--_Destruction of Montelupo, and how the Florentines gained
Montemurlo._

[Sidenote: 1203 A.D.]

[Sidenote: 1207 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Par. xvi. 64.]

[Sidenote: 1209 A.D.]

In the year of Christ 1203, when Brunellino Brunelli de' Razzanti was
consul in Florence with his colleagues, the Florentines destroyed the
fortress of Montelupo because it would not obey the commonwealth. And
in this same year the Pistoians took the castle of Montemurlo from the
Counts Guidi; but a little while after, in September, the Florentines
went thither with an army on behalf of the Counts Guidi, and retook
it, and gave it back to the Counts Guidi. And afterwards, in 1207,
the Florentines made peace between the Pistoians and the Counts Guidi,
but afterwards the counts not being well able to defend Montemurlo
from the Pistoians, forasmuch as it was too near to them, and they had
built over against it the fortress of Montale, the Counts Guidi sold
it to the commonwealth of Florence for 5,000 lbs. of small florins,
which would now be worth 5,000 golden florins; and this was in the
year of Christ 1209, but the Counts of Porciano never would give their
word for their share in the sale.

Sec. 32.--_How the Florentines elected their first Podesta._

[Sidenote: 1207 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Inf. xxiii. 105-107.]

In the year of Christ 1207, the Florentines chose for the first time a
foreign magistrate, for until that time the city had been ruled by the
government of citizen consuls, of the greatest and best of the city,
with the council of the senate, to wit, of 100 good men; and these
consuls, after the manner of Rome, entirely guided and governed the
city, and administered law and executed justice; and they remained in
office for one year. And there were four consuls so long as the city
was divided into quarters, one to each gate; and afterwards there were
six, when the city was divided into sesti. But our forefathers did not
make mention of the names of all, but of one of them of greatest
estate and fame, saying: 'In the time of such a consul and of his
colleagues'; but afterwards when the city was increased in inhabitants
and in vices, and there came to be more ill-deeds, it was agreed for
the good of the commonwealth, to the end the citizens might not have
so great a burden of government, and that justice might not miscarry
by reason of prayers, or fear, or private malic