קו THE FRENCH REPULSED FROM BOSCO. 269 those which were not meet for any work* he cast into the bottom as a stonet. And he turned aside and passed over, and returned unto Messina to heal the wounded, for they were many in that war. 960. In those days when the Marquess del Guasto, the chief captain of the emperor's host, was at Asti, the French went unto Boscot, and besieged it, and in the midst thereof were about fifty men, men of war. And they warred against it, but they could not prevail against it, and many fell to the ground, and they returned back with shame. And when the chief of the king's host heard it, he turned himself, and passed over, and went unto Albas, a city in the uttermost part of Montferrat; and he took it, and put a garrison in the midst thereof. 961. And Filippo Strozzi, and his men, whom they had expelled from Florence, who were with him, gathered themselves in Mirandola, about three thousand men, because they longed for their country; and at Bologna there gathered themselves unto them about one thousand men, all of them fit to draw the sword. And the men of Mirandola lingered to go, for the Lord rained upon 270 MONTEMURLO-COSIMO I. קז them* all that day and all that night; the way had shut them int. And Filippo hastened to go with them who were found with him at Bologna before they came, for he longed after his house§. And about two hundred men of them went up unto Montemurlo||, unto the field of the possession of Bartolomeo Valori¶, one of the captains who were with him; for Bartolomeo was great in the sight of the men of the country. And there came many of the men of Florence to search for him among those who were present in the field of their possession, and also some of the people of that land joined themselves to them**; and the inhabitants of Florence feared much. And when the Duke Cosimo heard that they were but few in number, he said, Let us go against them, and we shall see what will become of their dreams††." And he commanded, and Alessandro Vitello went out, and the horses which followed him against them, and four thousand Spaniards and Italians with him. And when Peter, the son of Filippo Strozzi heard it, he also came against Montemurlo, and eight hundred footmen and forty horsemen with him; and they encamped there. And when 66 קז ROBERTO AND FILIPPO STROZZI. 271 Alessandro Vitello drew nigh*, he fell upon them suddenly; but he was smitten before the men of Strozzi, and returned back. And it came to pass, on the morrow, which was the first day of the month of August, that Alessandro Vitello returned, and divided the people into three bandst. And he fell upon them suddenly, and the men of Strozzi were smitten before them, and they fled in seven ways‡, every one turned to his own ways, for the Lord did drive them. And many were gathered unto Montemurlo; and they fortified themselves in the fort, for Montemurlo is an open city; and they trembled much. And Alessandro approached the fort, and burned its gates with fire; and he took it with a mighty hand; and when Filippo Strozzi saw that evil was determined against him, and that they who came to help him went off from him, that he surrendered into the hand of Alessandro Vitello, who sware unto him to save his life from destruction; [p] and he brought him into Florence, and also the rest of the men who were there with him. And it came to pass, that suddenly the men came, who were gathered at Mirandola, and Roberto, * Exod. xiv 10. Jer. xlvi. 15. + Gen. xxxii. 7. 272 COSIMO PACIFIED. קח the son of Filippo Strozzi, at their head; and he went up the mountain. And when they heard that Filippo and his men were taken, and that they were sent into the city, they returned back, and went their way. 962. And it came to pass, after some days, that the Duke Cosimo took the watchman at the fort of the gate of judgment, as he found a sin worthy of death* in him; and they brought him down to the grave in blood. And they put the prisoners into the prison-house, and chastised them, and they confessed their iniquitiest; and they brought down Bartolomeo Valori and his son, and the son of his uncle, and eleven men, and the men who followed them, into the grave in blood, on the twenty-first day of the month of August; and the wrath of the duke was pacified. 963. And Filippo was left in the hand of Alessandro in the fortress; and he accepted his person, and sware unto him to deliver him, when he should give the ransom for his life§. And Filippo gave presents unto him daily in those days. And there was born a son unto Alessandro, when Filippo was bound in the fort, and Filippo became his confederate on the day of the gladness * Deut. xxi. 22. Lev. xxvi. 40. § Exod. xxi. 36. קח FILIPPO STROZZI COMMITS SUICIDE. 273 of his heart*. And eleven thousand ducats gave Filippo unto him as a ransom for his life. 964. And it came to pass, after some days, that Alessandro delivered the fortress into the hand of the emperor; and it grieved the duke Cosimo, much. And Filippo was left there, and Alessandro remembered his covenant; and the emperor gave unto Alessandro, in the kingdom of Naples, cities to dwell in. And the children of Filippo sought to bring him out of the hands of the emperor, but they could not, for they wrote daily against him accusations from Florence, unto the emperor. And when Filippo saw that he had been many days in the prison-house, he said, "It is better for me to die than to livet." And it came to pass, one day, that he sent out his two lads, and took the knife and thrust it into his own throat, and died. 965. And Monseigneur de Dumeris§, the chief captain of the king's host, sent on the twentieth day of the month of August, Cesare Fragoso, against Cherasco||, and took it; and in the midst thereof were about fifty men of war. And the |