and the king of Bohemia._

Sec. 72.--_How the great tyrant, Ezzelino da Romano, was defeated by the
Cremonese and died in prison._

[Sidenote: 1260 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Inf. xii. 109, 110. Par. ix. 25-30.]

In the said year 1260, Ezzelino of Romano, which is a Trevisan
castle, was defeated and wounded and taken prisoner by the Marquis
Pallavicino, and by the Cremonese in the country around Milan, near to
the bridge of Casciano over the river Adda, as he was on his way to
seize Milan, having with him more than 1,500 horsemen; from the which
wounds he died in prison, and was buried with honour in the village of
Solcino. He knew by augury that he should die in a village of the
country of Padua, which was called Basciano, and he would not enter
therein; and when he felt himself wounded he asked what the place was
called, and they answered, "Casciano"; then he said, "Casciano and
Basciano are all the same," and he gave himself up for dead. This
Ezzelino was the most cruel and redoubtable tyrant that ever was among
Christians, and ruled by his force and tyranny (being by birth a
gentleman of the house of Romano), long time the Trevisan March and
the city of Padua, and a great part of Lombardy; and he brought to an
end a very great part of the citizens of Padua, and blinded great
numbers of the best and most noble, taking their possessions, and
sending them begging through the world, and many others he put to
death by divers sufferings and torments, and burnt at one time 11,000
Paduans; and by reason of their innocent blood, by miracle, no grass
grew there again for evermore. And under semblance of a rugged and
cruel justice he did much evil, and was a great scourge in his time in
the Trevisan March and in Lombardy, to punish them for the sin of
ingratitude. At last, as it pleased God, by less powerful men than his
own he was vilely defeated and slain, and all his followers were
dispersed and his family and his rule came to nought.

Sec. 73.--_How both the king of Castille and Richard, earl of Cornwall,
were elected king of the Romans._

[Sidenote: 1260 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Inf. xv. 23-120.]

Now some time before the said year, by reason of discord among the
electors of the Empire, two Emperors had been elected; one party (that
is to say, three of the electors) choosing Alfonso, king of Spain, and
the other party of the electors choosing Richard, earl of Cornwall,
and brother to the king of England; and because the re