He therefore, being returned to Pisa, sent his son Nerli to seize Lucca and kill Castruccio, but the lad bungled it:  when Uguccione himself set out to repair this, he found the city ready, demanding the release of Castruccio, whom Nerli had imprisoned.  Seeing, then, the mood of the city, and that he had but four hundred horse with him, he was compelled to agree to this.  And at once Castruccio, who was in no wise daunted, assembled his friends and flung Uguccione out of Lucca.  Meantime the Pisans had themselves revolted, so that this tyrant was compelled to retire into Lombardy.

It was now that Castruccio saw his opportunity.  He got himself chosen Captain-General of all the Lucchese forces for a twelvemonth, and began to reduce the surrounding places near and far which had come under the rule of Uguccione.  The first of these to be attacked was Sarzana in Lunigiana.  But first he agreed with Pisa, who in hatred of Uguccione sent him men and stores.  Sarzana proved very strong, so that before he won it he was compelled to build a fortress beyond the walls, which we may see to this day.  Thus Sarzana was taken, and later Massa, Carrara, and Avenza easily enough, until the whole of Lunigiana was in his power, even Fosdinovo, and later Remoli, and that was to secure his way to Lombardy.  Then he returned to Lucca, and was received with every sort of joy.

About this time Ludovic of Bavaria came into Italy seeking the Imperial Crown, and Castruccio went to meet him with 500 horse, leaving Pagolo Guinigi his Deputy in Lucca.  Ludovic received him with much kindness, making him Lord of Pisa and his vicar in all Tuscany:  and thus Castruccio became the head of the Ghibelline party both in Lombardy and Tuscany.  But Castruccio’s aim went higher yet, for he hoped not only to be vicar but master indeed of Tuscany, and to this end he made a league with Matteo Visconti of Milan; and seeing that Lucca had five gates, he divided the country into five parts, and to every part he set a captain, so that presently he could march with 20,000 men beside the Pisans.  Now the Florentines were already busy in Lombardy against Visconti, who besought Castruccio to make a diversion.  This he readily did, taking Fucecchio and S. Miniato al Tedesco.  Then hearing of trouble in Lucca, he returned and imprisoned the Poggi, who had risen against him; an old and notable family, but he spared them not.  Meanwhile Florence retook S. Miniato; and Castruccio, not caring to fight while he was insecure at home, made a truce carefully enough, that lasted two years.

He now set himself first to make Lucca secure, and for this he built a fortress in the city; and then to possess himself of Pistoja—­for he even thought thereby to gain a foothold in Florence herself—­and for this he entered into correspondence secretly with both the Neri and the Bianchi there.  These two factions did not hesitate to use the enemy of their city to help their ambitions, so that while the Bianchi