, in due
time, when we narrate the doings of the said king of France and of his
sons. And the judgment of God is not to be marvelled at; for, albeit
Pope Boniface was more worldly than was fitting to his dignity, and
had done many things displeasing to God, God caused him to be punished
after the fashion that we have said, and afterwards He punished the
offender against him, not so much for the injury against the person of
Pope Boniface, as for the sin committed against the Divine Majesty,
whose countenance he represented on earth. We will leave this matter,
which is now ended, and will turn back somewhat to relate of the
doings of Florence and of Tuscany, which were very great in those
times.

[Sidenote: 1303 A.D.]

Sec. 65.--_How the Florentines had the castle of Montale, and how they
marched upon Pistoia together with the Lucchese._ Sec. 66.--_How Benedict
XI. was elected Pope._

Sec. 67.--_How King Edward of England recovered Gascony and defeated the
Scots._

[Sidenote: 1303 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Par. xix. 121-123.]

In this year Edward, king of England, made peace with King Philip of
France, and recovered Gascony, doing homage to him therefor; and to
this the king of France consented, by reason of the contest which he
had with the Church after the capture which he had made of Pope
Boniface, and by reason of the war in Flanders, to the intent the said
king of England might not be against him. And in this same year, the
said King Edward being ill, the Scots marched into England, for which
cause the king had himself borne in a litter, and went out with the
host against the Scots, and defeated them, and became lord over all
the lands of Scotland, save only the marshes and rugged mountains,
wherein the rebel Scots had taken refuge with their king, which was
named Robert Bruce, which, from lowly birth, had risen to be king.

Sec. 68.--_How there were in Florence great changes and civic battles
through desire that the accounts of the commonwealth should be
examined._

[Sidenote: 1303 A.D.]

In the said year 1303, in the month of February, the Florentines were
in great discord among themselves, by reason that M. Corso Donati did
not consider that he was so great in the commonwealth as he desired,
and thought himself worthy to be; and the other magnates and powerful
popolani of his Black party had gotten more authority in the
commonwealth than seemed to him good; and being already at enmity with
them, either