meet them, and with his troops hastened to the bridge
which crosses the river at a short distance from Anghiari.
Pietro Giampagolo having previous to the surprise,
filled up the ditches on either side of the road, and
leveled the ground between the bridge and Anghiari,
and Micheletto having taken his position in front
of the former, the legate and Simoncino, who led the
troops of the church, took post on the right, and the
commissaries of the Florentines, with Pietro Giampagolo,
their captain, on the left; the infantry being drawn
up along the banks of the river. Thus, the only
course the enemy could take, was the direct one over
the bridge; nor had the Florentines any other field
for their exertions, excepting that their infantry
were ordered, in case their cavalry were attacked in
flank by the hostile infantry, to assail them with
their cross bows, and prevent them from wounding the
flanks of the horses crossing the bridge. Micheletto
bravely withstood the enemy’s charge upon the
bridge; but Astorre and Francesco Piccinino coming
up, with a picked body of men, attacked him so vigorously,
that he was compelled to give way, and was pushed
as far as the foot of the hill which rises toward the
Borgo d’Anghiari; but they were in turn repulsed
and driven over the bridge, by the troops that took
them in flank. The battle continued two hours,
during which each side had frequent possession of the
bridge, and their attempts upon it were attended with
equal success; but on both sides of the river, the
disadvantage of Niccolo was manifest; for when his
people crossed the bridge, they found the enemy unbroken,
and the ground being leveled, they could manoeuvre
without difficulty, and the weary be relieved by such
as were fresh. But when the Florentines crossed,
Niccolo could not relieve those that were harassed,
on account of the hindrance interposed by the ditches
and embankments on each side of the road; thus whenever
his troops got possession of the bridge, they were
soon repulsed by the fresh forces of the Florentines;
but when the bridge was taken by the Florentines,
and they passed over and proceeded upon the road,
Niccolo having no opportunity to reinforce his troops,
being prevented by the impetuosity of the enemy and
the inconvenience of the ground, the rear guard became
mingled with the van, and occasioned the utmost confusion
and disorder; they were forced to flee, and hastened
at full speed toward the Borgo. The Florentine
troops fell upon the plunder, which was very valuable
in horses, prisoners, and military stores, for not
more than a thousand of the enemy’s cavalry reached
the town. The people of the Borgo, who had followed
Niccolo in the hope of plunder, became booty themselves,
all of them being taken, and obliged to pay a ransom.
The colors and carriages were also captured. This
victory was much more advantageous to the Florentines
than injurious to the duke; for, had they been conquered,
Tuscany would have been his own; but he, by his defeat,