of war, others gave six, others less, as they were able.  At midsummer 1284 more than a hundred galleys sailed to Genoa, and in scorn shot arrows of silver into the great harbour.  But the Genoese were not yet prepared.  They were ready a few days later, however, when the watchers by Arno “descried a hundred and seven sail” making for the Porto.  Then Pisa thrust forth her ships.  With songs and with thanksgiving the Archbishop Ubaldino, at the head of all the clergy of the city, flung the Pisan standard out on the wind.  It was night when the fleet was lost to sight in the offing.  In that night there came to the Genoese thirty ships by way of reinforcement unknown to the Pisans.  These they hid behind the island of Meloria.  At dawn the battle broke.  In many squadrons the ships flung themselves on one another, and for long the victory hung in the balance.  The Pisans had already grappled for boarding, the battle was yet to win, when the Genoese reinforcements sailed out from the island straight for the Pisan Admirals.  The battle was over.  Flight—­it was all that was left for Pisa.  Ugolino himself was said to have given the signal.

There fell that day five thousand Pisans, with eleven thousand captured, and twenty-eight galleys lost to Genoa.  There was no family in Pisa but mourned its dead:  for six months on every side nothing was heard but lamentations and mourning.  If you would see Pisa, it was said, you must go to Genoa.

Pisa had lost the sea.  In Tuscany she stood with Arezzo facing the Guelph League.  She elected Ugolino her Captain-General.[29] A man of the greatest force and ability, he was ambitious rather for himself than for Pisa.  Having many Guelph friends, his business was to beat Genoa and the Guelph League.  He succeeded in part.  He bribed Florence with certain strongholds to leave the League, and he expelled the Ghibellines from Pisa.  Then he offered Genoa Castro in Sardinia as ransom for the Pisan prisoners; but they sent word to the Council that they would not accept their freedom at the price of the humiliation of their city.  Such were the Pisans.  And, indeed, they threatened that if at such a price they were set free, they would return only to punish those who had thought such treason.  Ugolino for his part cared not.[30] He proceeded to bribe Lucca with other strongholds.  In the city all was confusion.  Ugolino was turned out of the Dictatorship, he became Captain of the People.  Not for long, however, for soon he contrived to make himself tyrant again.

Now the Genoese, seeing they were like to get nothing out of their prisoners by this, were anxious for a money ransom.  But Ugolino, fearing those brave men, broke the truce with Genoa, urging certain pirates of Sardinia to attack the Genoese; and, in order to make sure of this, while he himself went to his castle in the country, he arranged with Ruggieri dei Ubaldini, the Archbishop, to expel the Guelphs, among them his own nephew, from Pisa.  The plot succeeded; but