sentino, devastating the places of Count Guido Novello, who
was Podesta of Arezzo. Hearing this, the bishop of Arezzo, with the
other captains of the Ghibelline party (for there were many men of
name amongst them), determined to come with all their host to
Bibbiena, to the end it might not be destroyed; and they were 800
horse and 8,000 foot, very fine men; and many wise captains of war
were among them, for they were the flower of the Ghibellines of
Tuscany, of the March, and of the Duchy, and of Romagna; and all were
men experienced in arms and in war; and they desired to give battle to
the Florentines, having no fear, albeit the Florentines were two
horsemen to one against them; but they despised them, saying that they
adorned themselves like women, and combed their tresses; and they
derided them and held them for nought. Truly there was further cause
why the Aretines should declare battle against the Florentines, albeit
their horsemen were two to one against them; for they were in fear of
a plot which the bishop of Arezzo had set on foot with the
Florentines, and conducted by M. Marsilio de' Vecchietti, to give over
to the Florentines Bibbiena, Civitella, and all the castles of his
see, and he to have 5,000 golden florins each year of his life, on the
security of the company of the Cerchi. The progress of this plot was
interrupted by M. Guiglielmino Pazzo, his nephew, to the end the
bishop might not be slain by the Ghibelline leaders; and therefore
they hastened the battle, and took thither the said bishop, where he
was left dead, together with the rest; and thus was the bishop
punished for his treason, who at the same time sought to betray both
the Florentines and his own Aretines. And the Florentines, having
joyfully received the gage of battle, arrayed themselves; and the two
hosts stood over against one another, after more ordered fashion, both
on one side and on the other, than ever in any battle before in Italy,
in the plain at the foot of Poppi, in the region called Certomondo,
for such is the name of the place, and of a church of the Franciscans,
which is near there, and in a plain which is called Campaldino; and
this was a Saturday morning, the 11th day of June, the day of S.
Barnabas the Apostle. M. Amerigo and the other Florentine captains
drew up in well-ordered troops, and enrolled 150 forefighters of the
best of the host, among the which were twenty new-made knights, who
then received their spurs; and M.