gainst the heirs of King Charles.

[Sidenote: 1288 A.D.]

Sec. 122.--_How the Lucchese took the castle of Asciano from the Pisans._
Sec. 123.--_How the Pisan mercenaries, coming from Campagna, were routed
by the Florentine mercenaries in Maremma._ Sec. 124.--_Of the dash on
Latterina made by the Florentines as an attack on Arezzo._ Sec.
125.--_How Prince Charles was released from the prison of the king of
Aragon._ Sec. 126.--_Of a great flood of water that was in Florence._
Sec. 127.--_How the Aretines came and laid waste the territory of
Florence as far as San Donato in Collina._

Sec. 128.--_How the Pisans chose for captain the count of Montefeltro,
and how they starved to death Count Ugolino and his sons and
grandsons._

[Sidenote: 1288 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Inf. xxxiii. 1-90.]

In the said year 1288, in the said month of March, the wars in Tuscany
between the Guelfs and Ghibellines becoming hot again (by reason of
the war begun by the Florentines and Sienese against the Aretines, and
by the Florentines and Lucchese against the Pisans), the Pisans chose
for their captain of war Count Guido of Montefeltro, giving him wide
jurisdiction and lordship; and he passed the boundaries of Piedmont,
within which he was confined by his terms of surrender to the Church,
and came to Pisa; for the which thing he and his sons and family, and
all the commonwealth of Pisa, were excommunicated by the Church of
Rome, as rebels and enemies against Holy Church. And when the said
count was come to Pisa in the said month of March, the Pisans which
had put in prison Count Ugolino and his two sons, and two sons of
Count Guelfo, his son, as we before made mention, in a tower on the
Piazza degli Anziani, caused the door of the said tower to be locked,
and the keys thrown into the Arno, and refused to the said prisoners
any food, which in a few days died there of hunger. And albeit first
the said count demanded with cries to be shriven; yet did they not
grant him a friar or priest to confess him. And when all the five
dead bodies were taken out of the tower, they were buried without
honour; and thenceforward the said prison was called the Tower of
Hunger, and will be always. For this cruelty were the Pisans greatly
blamed throughout the whole world wherever it was known, not so much
by reason of the count, which because of his crimes and treacheries
was peradventure worthy of such a death, but by reason of his sons and
grandsons which we