Page 166 - the-prince

brought into his plans friends from Lucca who would not
endure the authority of the Opizi. Having fixed upon a plan
to be followed, Castruccio cautiously fortified the tower of
the Onesti, filling it with supplies and munitions of war, in
order that it might stand a siege for a few days in case of
need. When the night came which had been agreed upon
with Uguccione, who had occupied the plain between the
mountains and Pisa with many men, the signal was given,
and without being observed Uguccione approached the gate
of San Piero and set fire to the portcullis. Castruccio raised
a great uproar within the city, calling the people to arms
and forcing open the gate from his side. Uguccione entered
with his men, poured through the town, and killed Mess-
er Giorgio with all his family and many of his friends and
supporters. The governor was driven out, and the govern-
ment reformed according to the wishes of Uguccione, to the
detriment of the city, because it was found that more than
one hundred families were exiled at that time. Of those who
fled, part went to Florence and part to Pistoia, which city
was the headquarters of the Guelph party, and for this rea-
son it became most hostile to Uguccione and the Lucchese.
As it now appeared to the Florentines and others of the
Guelph party that the Ghibellines absorbed too much pow-
er in Tuscany, they determined to restore the exiled Guelphs
to Lucca. They assembled a large army in the Val di Nievole,
and seized Montecatini; from thence they marched to Mon-
tecarlo, in order to secure the free passage into Lucca. Upon
this Uguccione assembled his Pisan and Lucchese forces,
and with a number of German cavalry which he drew out of

1