parted he had nigh upon 2,000 horse
from beyond the mountains. In Asti he abode more than two months,
forasmuch as at that time M. Guidetto della Torre was ruler in Milan,
a man of great wit and power, which had, between soldiers and
citizens, more than 2,000 cavalry, and by his force and tyranny he
kept out of Milan the Visconti and their Ghibelline party, and also
his associate, the archbishop, with many other Guelfs. This M.
Guidetto was in league with the Florentines and with the other Guelfs
of Tuscany and of Lombardy, and opposed the coming of the Emperor, and
would have succeeded if it had not been that his own associates with
their following led the Emperor to make for Milan, by the counsel of
the cardinal of Fiesco, the Pope's legate. M. Guidetto, not being able
to provide against everything, consented to his coming, against his
will; and thus the Emperor entered into Milan on the vigil of the
Feast of the Nativity, and on the Day of the Epiphany, the 6th of
January, he was crowned in S. Ambrogio by the archbishop of Milan,
with the second crown of iron, with great honour, both he and his
wife. [And the said crown is in Milan, and is of fine tempered steel
as for a sword, made in the form of a wreath of laurel, wherein rich
and precious stones were inlaid, after the fashion of the Caesars which
were crowned with laurel in their triumphs and victories; and it is
made of steel by way of a figure and similitude, for like as steel and
iron surpass all other metals, so the Caesars, triumphing by the force
of the Romans and Italians, which then were all called Romans,
surpassed and subdued to the Empire of Rome all the nations of the
earth.] And at the said coronation were ambassadors from well-nigh all
the cities of Italy save Florence and those of their league. And
whilst he abode in Milan he caused all the Milanese to be at peace one
with another, and restored M. Maffeo Visconti and his party, and the
archbishop and his party, and in general every man who was in
banishment. And well-nigh all the cities and lords of Lombardy came to
do his bidding, and to give him great quantity of money; and he sent
his vicar into all the cities save into Bologna and Padua, which were
against him, and were with the league of the Florentines.

Sec. 10.--_How the Florentines enclosed the new circle of the city with
moats._

[Sidenote: 1310 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Epist. vi.]

In the said year, on S. Andrew's Day, the Florentine