the faction of Bertuccio assumed, for distinction's sake, the name of Neri, or black. They could not identify their quarrel with that of the Guelfs and Ghibelins, as both branches of the Cancellieri happened to be Guelfs; they were therefore known as the Black and White Guelfs. Much bloodshed having ensued, the Florentines interfered; and a nobleman of Florence, named Donati, attempted to withdraw Lore and his father from the scene of contest by inviting them to his house. They became his guests; but his object was defeated by his rival, Cerchi, who persuaded Bertuccio and Geri to visit him, and thus changed the scene of action from one city to the other. For a short time all was quiet; but the priors and good citizens, perceiving certain tokens of smothered hatred, and fearing that it would presently blaze forth, sent to the pope, begging him to find some remedy for the evil which threatened them. The pope, therefore, sent for Cerchi, and, on his arrival at Rome, recommended him to make peace with Donati: on which Cerchi affected to be much surprised, saying that there had never been a war between them; and how then could he make peace? To this there was no answer; and, Cerchi being allowed to return to Florence, the hatred of the opposite parties daily increased, and only waited for some opportunity of displaying itself. It was in the month of May, at that time when Florence abounds with public festivities; and some young gentlemen of Donati's family, having mounted their horses and set off with the intention of witnessing some of the games, stopped at Santa Trinita, and thus hindered the passage of a party of the Cerchi who were behind. Not knowing that they were the Donati who stopped the way, and anxious to see what was going forward, the Cerchi endeavoured to force themselves a passage; on which the Donati drew their swords, and many wounds were given and taken before they could be separated. This was a bad beginning; and blood having once been shed, no terms were kept any longer by either party, whose quarrel was undertaken by all Florence. The pope, anxious to promote peace, sent a legate, who, finding his mediation of no avail, returned to Rome in anger, leaving Florence in worse confusion than he had found it. At length, Charles of Valois, brother to the King of France, came to Florence, and drove the White Guelfs out of the city, never to return, under penalty of being burnt alive. Among these exiled Bianchi was Dante, the celebrated poet. Being driven from his home, and deprived of his fortune, he wandered forlorn and destitute to the court of Della Scala, Lord of Verona, where, he says, he found how salt is the taste of another man's bread, and how painful it is to climb and descend another man's stairs." THE TOWER OF FAMINE. DURING the times of Dante, and prior to his banishment from Florence, a dreadful occurrence which took place at Pisa so haunted his mind, that he could not forbear introducing it into his "Divina Commedia." Pisa was a maritime republic remarkable for its hatred and jealousy of Venice and Genoa, whose trade interfered with its own. A fierce and terrible sea-fight took place between the Pisans and Genoese, in which the fortune of the day was turned against Pisa by Count Ugolino's setting the example of flight. This conduct raised the just indignation of his fellow-citizens, eleven thousand of whom were taken captive by the Genoese; so that it became a proverb-" He who wants to see Pisa must go to Genoa." Ugolino was imprisoned for two years; but, being then set at liberty, he rose to great power, and, to acquire still more, was guilty of many unjust and cruel actions towards his townsmen. Among others, he kept back as long as possible the ransom of the eleven thousand Pisans who were prisoners at Genoa. The partner in all his iniquitous schemes was the Archbishop Ruggieri, who, having assisted him in depressing the Pisans, at length concerted the ruin of Ugolino himself, and exposed his malpractices to the people. At his instigation, they seized on the count, his two children, and two grandchildren, and threw all five into prison. This done, the keys of the dungeon were brought to the inhuman archbishop, who threw them into the Arno, and left the unfortunate family to perish of hunger. No one ventured to arraign the archbishop for this act of barbarity. Many felt a gloomy satisfaction in the punishment of their oppressor; and others did not possess sufficient courage to interfere. Those who lingered near the walls of "the tower of famine" could hear the count in a doleful voice confessing his crimes from within; but no priest was allowed to offer him the consolation of absolution. We should feel more indignation at Ugolino's treachery, were not our reprobation of his guilt quenched in our horror at the atrocity of his punishment. RISE OF THE VISCONTI. A. D. 1313. AFTER the extinction of the house of Swabia, an important change took place in the condition of the towns of Lombardy. By force, stratagem, or free consent, each became under the dominion of some powerful lord or signore. Milan, the proudest of the Lombard republics, was the first to fall under the yoke. After being the prey of two factions, one headed by the Archbishop Perego, the other by Martin della Torre, the people, weary of perpetual contention, chose the latter for their lord and captain; preferring the enjoyment of domestic tranquillity to that liberty once so prized and so often abused. Verona followed the example of Milan, and submitted to the house of Scala; Ferrara and Modena to the Este; Padua to the Carrara; and Mantua to Gonzaga. If we ask what advantages these cities had derived from their republican government, which seemed to give occasion only to the unrestrained bitterness of party spirit, historians answer us--that they had been freed from the tyranny and savage licence of feudal nobles, who had, with few exceptions, been forced to submit to the cities; industry had been promoted, trade encouraged, litera |