ld should come on the 1st
day of May upon the Carraia Bridge, and beside the Arno; and they
erected upon the Arno a stage upon boats and vessels, and thereupon
they made the similitude and figure of hell, with fires and other
pains and sufferings, with men disguised as demons, horrible to
behold, and others which had the appearance of naked souls, which
seemed to be persons, and they were putting them to the said divers
torments, with loud cries, and shrieks, and tumult, which seemed
hateful and fearful to hear and to see; and by reason of this new
pastime there came many citizens to look on, and the Carraia Bridge,
which then was of wood from pile to pile, was so burdened with people
that it gave way in many places, and fell with the people which were
upon it, wherefore many were killed and drowned, and many were maimed;
so that the pastime from sport became earnest, and, as the
proclamation had said, many by death went to learn news of the other
world, with great lamentation and sorrow to all the city, for each one
believed he must have lost his son or his brother there; and this was
a sign of future ill, which in a short time should come to our city
through the exceeding wickedness of the citizens, as hereafter we
shall make mention.

Sec. 71.--_How Florence was set on fire, and a great part of the city
burnt._

[Sidenote: 1304 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Par. xvi. 121, 122.]

When the Cardinal da Prato had departed from Florence after the manner
aforesaid, the city was left in evil state and in great confusion; for
there was the party which held with the cardinal, whereof were leaders
the Cavalcanti and the Gherardini, the Pulci and the White Cerchi of
the Garbo, which were merchants of Pope Benedict, with a following of
many houses of the people, (which feared the magnates might break up
the Popolo if they got the government), from among the leading houses
and families of the popolani of Florence, such as the Magalotti, and
Mancini, Peruzzi, Antellesi, and Baroncelli, and Acciaiuoli, and
Alberti, Strozzi, Ricci, and Albizzi, and many others; and they were
well provided with foot-soldiers and with men-at-arms. On the contrary
part, to wit, the Blacks, the leaders were M. Rosso della Tosa, with
his branch of Blacks, M. Pazzino de' Pazzi, with all his family, the
part of the Adimari which were called the Cavicciuli, and M. Geri
Spini, with his kin, and M. Betto Brunelleschi; M. Corso Donati stood
neutral, forasmuch