Page 169 - the-prince

struccio that Uguccione conceived some jealousy and
suspicion of him, because it appeared to Uguccione that this
victory had given him no increase of power, but rather than
diminished it. Being of this mind, he only waited for an op-
portunity to give effect to it. This occurred on the death of
Pier Agnolo Micheli, a man of great repute and abilities
in Lucca, the murderer of whom fled to the house of Cas-
truccio 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 com-
missioned 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 inten-
tions. Ugucionne cursed the hesitation and cowardice of his
son, and at once set out from Pisa to Lucca with four hun-
dred 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,

1 The Prince