, and by reason of promises made to the
Sienese he caused five castles of the territory of Florence which were
on their frontier to be destroyed; and there remained in Florence as
captain of the host, and vicar-general for King Manfred, the said
Count Giordano, with the German troops in the pay of the Florentines,
who greatly persecuted the Guelfs in many parts of Tuscany, as we
shall make mention hereafter; and took all their goods, and destroyed
many palaces and towers pertaining to the Guelfs, and took their goods
for the benefit of the commonwealth. The said Count Giordano was a
gentleman of Piedmont in Lombardy, and kinsman of the mother of
Manfred, and by his prowess, and because he was very faithful to
Manfred, and in life and customs as worldly-minded as he, he made him
a count, and gave him lands in Apulia, and from small estate raised
him to great lordship.

Sec. 80.--_How the news of the defeat of the Florentines came to the
court of the Pope, and the prophecy which was made thereupon by
Cardinal Bianco._

[Sidenote: 1260 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Inf. x. 120.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Inf. xx. and xxvii. 100-107.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Inf. x. 51.]

When the news of the aforesaid defeat came to the court of Rome, the
Pope and the cardinals who loved the state of Holy Church felt much
grief and compassion thereat, alike for the Florentines, and also
because thereby the state and power of Manfred, the enemy of the
Church, would increase; but Cardinal Ottaviano degli Ubaldini, which
was a Ghibelline, rejoiced greatly thereat; wherefore Cardinal Bianco,
which was a great astrologer and master of necromancy, seeing this,
said: if Cardinal Ottaviano knew the future of this war of the
Florentines, he would not be rejoicing thus. The college of cardinals
prayed him that he would declare himself more openly. Cardinal Bianco
would not speak, because to speak of the future seemed to him to be
unlawful to his office, but the cardinals so prayed the Pope that he
commanded him on his obedience to speak. Having received the said
command, he said in brief words: the conquered shall conquer
victoriously, and shall not be conquered for ever. This was
interpreted to mean that the Guelfs, conquered and driven out of
Florence, should victoriously return to power, and should never again
lose their state and lordship in Florence.

Sec. 81.--_How the Ghibellines of Tuscany purposed to destroy the city
of Florence, and how M. Farinata degli