aly with a strong arm and great
force to defend Holy Church, and against Manfred, to drive him from
the lands of Sicily and of Apulia; by the which news the Church and
all her followers, and whosoever was on the side of the Guelfs, were
much comforted and took great courage. When Manfred heard the news, he
furnished himself for defence with men and money, and with the force
of the Ghibelline party in Lombardy and in Tuscany, which were of his
league and alliance, he enlisted and equipped many more folk than he
had before, and caused them to come from Germany for his defence, to
the intent the said Charles and his French following might not be able
to enter into Italy or to proceed to Rome; and with money and with
promises he gathered a great part of the lords and of the cities of
Italy under his lordship, and in Lombardy he made vicar the Marquis
Pallavicino of Piedmont, his kinsman, which much resembled him in
person and in habits. And likewise he caused great defences to be
prepared at sea, of armed galleys of his Sicilians and Apulians, and
of the Pisans which were in league with him, and they feared but
little the coming of the said Charles, whom they called, in contempt,
Little Charles. And forasmuch as Manfred thought himself, and was,
lord over sea and land, and his Ghibelline party was uppermost and
ruled over Tuscany and Lombardy, he held his coming for nought.

Sec. 90.--_Incident relating to the good Count Raymond of Provence._

[Sidenote: Par. vi. 127-142. Vita Nuova, Sec. xli. 34-52.]

Since in the chapter above we have told of the worthy lady, wife of
King Charles and daughter of the good Count Raymond Berenger, of
Provence, it is fitting that something should briefly be said of the
said count, to whom King Charles was heir. Count Raymond was a lord of
gentle lineage, and kin to them of the house of Aragon, and to the
family of the count of Toulouse. By inheritance Provence, this side of
the Rhone, was his; a wise and courteous lord was he, and of noble
state and virtuous, and in his time did honourable deeds, and to his
court came all gentle persons of Provence and of France and of
Catalonia, by reason of his courtesy and noble estate, and he made
many Provencal coblas and canzoni of great worth. There came to his
court a certain Romeo [pilgrim], who was returning from S. James', and
hearing the goodness of Count Raymond, abode in his court, and was so
wise and valorous, and came so much into favour w