of
a truth it was said that he caused Count Anselm of Capraia, his
nephew, his sister's son, to be poisoned, from envy, and because he
was beloved in Pisa, and he feared lest he might rob him of his state.
And that happened to Count Ugolino, which a little while before had
been foretold him by a wise and valiant man of affairs, named Marco
Lombardo; for when the count was called by all lord of Pisa, and when
he was in greatest state and happiness, he prepared a rich feast on
his birthday, and invited thereto his sons and grandsons, and all his
lineage and kinsfolk, both men and women, with great pomp in dress and
ornaments, and preparations for a great festival. The count taking the
said Marco, showed him all his grandeur and possessions, and the
preparations for his feast; and this done, he asked him: "Marco, what
thinkest thou of all this?" The sage answered and said unto him at
once: "You are better prepared for evil fortune than any nobleman of
Italy." And the count fearing these words of Marco's, said: "Why?" and
Marco answered: "Because the wrath of God is the only thing lacking to
you." And of a truth the wrath of God soon came upon him, as it
pleased God, because of his treacheries and crimes; for when the
archbishop of Pisa and his followers had succeeded in driving out Nino
and his party, by the counsel and treachery of Count Ugolino, the
forces of the Guelfs were diminished; and then the archbishop took
counsel how to betray Count Ugolino, and in a sudden uproar of the
people, he was attacked and assaulted at the palace, the archbishop
giving the people to understand that he had betrayed Pisa, and given
up their fortresses to the Florentines and the Lucchese; and being
without any defence, the people having turned against him, he
surrendered himself prisoner, and at the said assault one of his
bastard sons and one of his grandsons were slain, and Count Ugolino
was taken, and two of his sons, and three grandsons, his son's
children, and they were put in prison; and his household and
followers, and the Visconti and Ubizinghi, Guatani, and all the other
Guelf houses were driven out of Pisa. And thus was the traitor
betrayed by the traitor; wherefore the Guelf party in Tuscany was
greatly cast down, and the Ghibellines greatly exalted because of the
said revolution in Pisa, and because of the force of the Ghibellines
of Arezzo, and because of the power and victories of Don James of
Aragon, and of the Sicilians a