ties in Lucca, the
murderer of whom fled to the house of Castruccio for refuge. On the
sergeants of the captain going to arrest the murderer, they were driven
off by Castruccio, and the murderer escaped. This affair coming to
the knowledge of Uguccione, who was than at Pisa, it appeared to him a
proper opportunity to punish Castruccio. He therefore sent for his
son Neri, who was the governor of Lucca, and commissioned him to take
Castruccio prisoner at a banquet and put him to death. Castruccio,
fearing no evil, went to the governor in a friendly way, was entertained
at supper, and then thrown into prison. But Neri, fearing to put him to
death lest the people should be incensed, kept him alive, in order to
hear further from his father concerning his intentions. Ugucionne cursed
the hesitation and cowardice of his son, and at once set out from Pisa
to Lucca with four hundred horsemen to finish the business in his own
way; but he had not yet reached the baths when the Pisans rebelled and
put his deputy to death and created Count Gaddo della Gherardesca their
lord. Before Uguccione reached Lucca he heard of the occurrences at
Pisa, but it did not appear wise to him to turn back, lest the Lucchese
with the example of Pisa before them should close their gates against
him. But the Lucchese, having heard of what had happened at Pisa,
availed themselves of this opportunity to demand the liberation of
Castruccio, notwithstanding that Uguccione had arrived in their city.
They first began to speak of it in private circles, afterwards openly
in the squares and streets; then they raised a tumult, and with arms in
their hands went to Uguccione and demanded that Castruccio should be
set at liberty. Uguccione, fearing that worse might happen, released him
from prison. Whereupon Castruccio gathered his friends around him, and
with the help of the people attacked Uguccione; who, finding he had no
resource but in flight, rode away with his friends to Lombardy, to the
lords of Scale, where he died in poverty.

But Castruccio from being a prisoner became almost a prince in Lucca,
and he carried himself so discreetly with his friends and the people
that they appointed him captain of their army for one year. Having
obtained this, and wishing to gain renown in war, he planned the
recovery of the many towns which had rebelled after the departure of
Uguccione, and with the help of the Pisans, with whom he had concluded a
treaty, he marched to Se