ter will be told, forasmuch as the said two houses of the
d'Oria and the Spinola were the most powerful families of Italy on the
side of the Ghibellines and the empire.

Sec. 88.--_How the Ghibellines of Lombardy besieged Cremona._

Sec. 89.--_How M. Cane della Scala led an army against the Paduans, and
took many castles from them._

In the said year, in the month of December, the said M. Cane with his
forces led his host against the Paduans, and took Monselici and Esti
and a great part of their castles, and brought them so low that the
following February, not being able to oppose him, they made peace
according to M. Cane's pleasure, and promised to restore the
Ghibellines to Padua; and this they did.

Sec. 90.--_How the exiles from Genoa with the force of the Ghibellines of
Lombardy besieged Genoa._

[Sidenote: 1318 A.D.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Convivio iv. 20: 38-41.]

[Sidenote: Cf. Purg. iv. 25. Purg. iii. 49.]

In the year 1318, when they of the houses of d'Oria and of Spinola
with their following were in banishment from Genoa, and by reason of
their power maintained themselves on the Riviera of Genoa on their
estates, they sent ambassadors into Lombardy and made a treaty and
league with M. Maffeo Visconti, captain of Milan, and with his sons
and with all the Lombard league which were Imperial and Ghibelline.
For the which thing M. Marco Visconti, son of the said Maffeo, came
from Lombardy with a great army of soldiers, Germans and Lombards, on
horse and on foot, and with the said exiles from Genoa laid siege to
the said city on the side of Co' di Fare and of the suburbs; and this
was on the 25th day of March, 1318; and a few days after they of the
house of d'Oria, with the aid of the others, led another army against
the city of Albingano, on the Riviera of Genoa, and this they took,
under conditions, in a few days. Afterwards, while the said host was
still at Genoa, M. Edoardo d'Oria made a compact with the Abao [chief
magistrate] of the people of Saona, and entered into the said city of
Saona by night secretly, and straightway, with the aid of the
Ghibellines of the city (for the greater part thereof were of the
Imperial party), caused the said city to rebel against the
commonwealth of Genoa in the month of April; for the which thing the
forces of the exiles from Genoa increased greatly, so that well-nigh
all the Western Riviera was under their lordship, save the strongholds
of Monaco and Ventimiglia and