tting among themselves the Guelf and Ghibelline parties; and many
civil strifes and much peril and loss of life arose therefrom in
Pistoia; and not only in Pistoia, but afterwards the city of Florence
and all Italy was contaminated by the said parties, as hereafter we
shall be able to understand and know. The Florentines, fearing lest
the said factions should stir up rebellion in the city to the hurt of
the Guelf party, interposed to bring about an atonement between them,
and took the lordship of the city, and brought both parties of the
Cancellieri from Pistoia, and set them under bounds at Florence. The
Black party were kept in the house of the Frescobaldi in Oltrarno, and
the White party in the house of the Cerchi in Garbo, through kinship
which there was between them. But like as one sick sheep infects all
the flock, thus this accursed seed which came from Pistoia, being in
Florence corrupted all the Florentines, and first divided all the
races and families of the nobles, one part thereof holding to and
favouring one side, and the other the other, and afterwards all the
popolari. For the which cause and beginning of strife not only were
the Cancellieri not reconciled together by the Florentines, but the
Florentines by them were divided and broken up, increasing from bad to
worse, as our treatise will hereafter make manifest.

Sec. 39.--_How the city of Florence was divided and brought to shame by
the said White and Black parties._

[Sidenote: 1300 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Purg. xxiv. 22.]

[Sidenote: Par. xv., xvi.]

[Sidenote: 1299 A.D.]

In the said time, our city of Florence was in the greatest and
happiest state which had ever been since it was rebuilt, or before,
alike in greatness and power and in number of people, forasmuch as
there were more than 30,000 citizens in the city, and more than
70,000 men capable of arms in the country within her territory; and
she was great in nobility of good knights, and in free populace, and
in riches, ruling over the greater part of Tuscany; whereupon the sin
of ingratitude, with the instigation of the enemy of the human race,
brought forth from the said prosperity pride and corruption, which put
an end to the feasts and joyaunce of the Florentines. For hitherto
they had been living in many delights and dainties, and in
tranquillity and with continual banquets; and every year throughout
almost all the city on the first day of May, there were bands and
companies of men