ntalcino could be fortified, and how the men of Orvieto were
prepared to fortify it, and alleged that the said Germans had pay only
for three months, and had already served for half the time, and by
giving them play enough, without raising a host, shortly they would be
scattered, and would return into Apulia; and the Sienese and the
Florentine refugees would be left in worse plight than they were
before. And the spokesman for them all was M. Tegghiaio Aldobrandi
degli Adimari, a wise knight and valiant in arms, and of great
authority, and he counselled the better course in full. His counsel
ended, the aforesaid Spedito, the Ancient, a very presumptuous man,
rudely replied, bidding him to look to his breeches if he was afraid;
and M. Tegghiaio replied that at the pinch he would not dare to follow
him into the battle where he would lead; and these words ended, next
uprose M. Cece de Gherardini to say the same that Messer Tegghiaio had
said. The Ancients commanded him not to speak, and the penalty was 100
pounds if any one held forth contrary to the command of the Ancients.
The knight was willing to pay it, so that he might oppose the going;
but the Ancients would not have it, rather they made the penalty
double; again he desired to pay, and so it reached 300 pounds; and
when he yet wanted to speak and to pay, the command was that his head
should be forfeit; and there it stopped. But, through the proud and
heedless people, the worse counsel won the day, that the said host
should proceed immediately and without delay.

Sec. 78.--_How the Florentines raised an army to fortify Montalcino, and
were discomfited by Count Giordano and by the Sienese at Montaperti._

[Sidenote: 1260 A.D.]

The people of Florence having taken the ill resolve to raise an army,
craved assistance from their friends, which came with foot soldiers
and with horse, from Lucca, and Bologna, and Pistoia, and Prato, and
Volterra, and Samminiato, and Sangimignano, and from Colle di
Valdelsa, which were in league with the commonwealth and people of
Florence; and in Florence there were 800 horsemen of the citizens and
more than 500 mercenaries. And the said people being assembled in
Florence, the host set forth in the end of August, and for pomp and
display they led out the carroccio, and a bell, which they called
Martinella, on a car with a wooden tower on wheels, and there went out
nearly all the people with the banners of the guilds, and there did
not r