a double meaning.]

Sec. 48.--_How the Emperor abandoned the siege, and departed from San
Salvi, and came to San Casciano, and then to Poggibonizzi._

[Sidenote: 1312 A.D.]

The Emperor with his host departed on the night before All Saints, and
having burnt his camp, he passed the Arno by the way which he came,
and encamped on the plain of Ema, three miles from the city. On his
going the Florentines did not sally forth from the city by night, but
they sounded the bells and all men stood to arms; and for this cause,
as was afterwards known, the followers of the Emperor were in great
trepidation about their departure, lest they should be attacked by
night either in front or in rear by the Florentines. The morning
following, a part of the Florentines went to the hill of Santa
Margherita above the camp of the Emperor, and by way of skirmishes
they made many assaults upon them, in the which they had the worse;
and having tarried there three days in shame, he departed and came
with his host to the village of San Casciano, eight miles from the
city; wherefore the Florentines caused a trench to be dug round the
increase of the sesto of Oltrarno outside the ancient walls, on the
first of December, 1312. And the Emperor being at San Casciano, the
Pisans came thither to his aid with full 500 horse and 3,000 foot, and
1,000 archers of Genoa, and they arrived the 20th day of November. At
San Casciano he abode until the 6th day of January, without making any
attack upon the Florentines save incursions, and laying waste, and
burning houses in the region; and he took many strongholds of the
country; nor did the Florentines therefore sally forth to battle, save
in incursions and skirmishes, wherein now one party and now the other
suffered loss, not worthy of much mention, save that at one encounter,
at Cerbaia in the Val di Pesa our troops were routed by the Germans,
and one of the Spini was there slain, and one of the Bostichi, and one
of the Guadagni, because of their boldness at that place; for they
were of a company of volunteers, with a captain, their banner bearing
a red stripe on a green field, and they called themselves the
Cavaliers of the Stripe, of the most famous young men of Florence, and
they did many feats of arms. But during this time, the Florentines
parted from a great number of their allies and let them go; and the
Emperor himself had not many followers; and by reason of his long
sojourn and by the discomfort of