nd deceived.
In the midst of this tumult, M. Corso de' Donati, which was banished
as a rebel, came that same day from Peretola to Florence by agreement,
with some following of certain of his friends and foot-soldiers; and
when the priors and the Cerchi, his enemies, heard of his coming, M.
Schiatta de' Cancellieri, which was captain of 300 mercenary horsemen
for the commonwealth of Florence, came to them and offered to go
against the said M. Corso to take him and to punish him; but M. Vieri,
head of the Cerchi, would not consent thereto, saying, "Let him come,"
confiding in the vain hope that the people would punish him. Wherefore
the said M. Corso entered into the suburbs of the city, and finding
the gates of the old circle shut, and not being able to enter, he came
to the postern of the Pinti, which was by the side of San Piero
Maggiore, between his houses and those of the Uccellini, and finding
that shut, he began to beat it down, and in like manner did his
friends within, so that without difficulty it was broken down. And
when he had entered in he stood in array upon the piazza of San Piero
Maggiore, and folk were added to him, with following of his friends,
crying, "Long live M. Corso!" and "Long live the baron!" to wit, M.
Corso himself, for so they named him; and he, seeing his forces and
followers to have increased, the first thing that he did was to go to
the prisons of the commonwealth, which were in the houses of the
Bastari, in the street of the palace, and these he opened by force,
and set the prisoners free; and this done, he did the like at the
palace of the Podesta, and then went on to the Priors, causing them
for fear to lay down the government and return to their homes. And
during all this destruction of the city M. Charles of Valois and his
people gave no counsel nor help, nor did he keep the oath and promise
made by him. Wherefore the tyrants and malefactors and banished men
which were in the city took courage, and the city being unguarded and
without government, they began to rob the shops and places of
merchandise and the houses which pertained to the White party, or to
any one that had not the power to resist, slaying and wounding many
persons, good men of the White party. And this plague endured in the
city for five days continually, to the great ruin of the city. And
afterwards it continued in the country, the troopers going on robbing
and burning houses for more than eight days, whereby a great