the Ghibelline party the
city of Florence should be utterly destroyed and reduced to open
villages, to the intent there might remain neither renown, nor fame,
nor power of its might. To withstand which proposal uprose the valiant
and wise knight, Messer Farinata degli Uberti, and in his saying he
introduced two ancient proverbs of the street which say: "As the ass
has wit, so he munches his rape" [_i.e._, every one does his business
according to his capacity, such as it is], and "Lame goats can go if
they meet no wolf" [_i.e._, any one can get on if there are no
difficulties]; and these two proverbs he wove together, saying: "As
the ass has wit, lame goats can go; so he munches his rape if they
meet no wolf," adroitly turning the vulgar proverbs to examples and
comparisons to show the folly of thus speaking, and the great peril
and hurt that might follow thereupon; and saying that if there were
none other than he, whilst he had life in his body he would defend the
city with sword in hand. Count Giordano perceiving this, and what
manner of man and of what authority was Messer Farinata, and his great
following, and how the Ghibelline party might be broken up and come to
discord, abandoned the idea, and took other counsel, so that by one
good man and citizen our city of Florence was saved from so great
fury, destruction, and ruin. But afterwards the said people of
Florence were ungrateful and forgetful towards the said Messer
Farinata, and his progeny and descendants, as hereafter we shall make
mention. But in despite of the forgetfulness of the ungrateful people,
nevertheless we ought to commend and keep in notable memory the good
and virtuous citizen, who acted after the fashion of the good Roman
Camillus of old, as we are told by Valerius and Titus Livius.

[Sidenote: 1261 A.D.]

Sec. 82.--_How Count Guido, the vicar, with the league of the
Ghibellines of Tuscany, went against Lucca, and took S. Maria a Monte
and many fortresses._

Sec. 83.--_How the Guelf refugees from Florence sent their ambassadors
into Germany to stir up Conradino against Manfred._

In those times the Guelf refugees from Florence and from the other
cities of Tuscany, perceiving themselves to be thus persecuted by the
forces of Manfred and of the Ghibellines of Tuscany, and seeing that
no lord was rising against the forces of Manfred, and also that the
Church had but little power against him, thought within themselves to
send their ambassad