This general proceeded to attack Lucca, which he sur prised, and gave up to pillage. He next laid siege to the cattle of Montccatini, but was attacked by the Florentines, une'cr the command of Philip, prince of Tarento, brother to Robert of Naples. But the Pisan troops were victorious; and after a severe engagement, in which Peter, prince of Naples, and Charles, son of Philip of Tarento, were slain, the Florentines were put to flight, with the loss of 2000 killed, and 1500 prisoners.
But the tyranny of Uguccione, after this victory, soon oc casioned his downfal. The people of Lucca, indignant at the arrest of their brave countryman Castracani, were the first to revolt ; and while Uguccione marched with his troops against that city, its example was followed by Pisa : and thus excluded front both states, he was forced to take refuge at the court of Cane Grande della Scala, at Verona. His retreat was followed by a general peace in Tuscany.
In Lombardy, the prince ol Verona had made himself master of Vicenza, then under the government of Padua, the only remaining free state Lombardy ; and obliged the latter state to accede to an unfavourable treaty. But the Paduans having infringed the treaty, were so power fully attacked, that feeling the want of a leader. they were obliged to confer the sovereignty on James of Carrara, in whose family it long continued. Not long after, Cremona was taken by Galeazzo Visconti, and added to the territory of Milan. When the Lombards lost their liberties, they lost with them their former enterprizing spirit of com merce, which was transferred to the still flourishing repub lics of Tuscany ; and, although encouragement was given to poetry and the arts, at the courts of the petty sovereigns of Lombardy, it is remarkable that the objects of it were generally natives of other states.
At this period, the succession to the empire was con tested by Louis of Bavaria, supported by John, king of Bo hemia, son of the late emperor ; and Frederic of Austria.
Pope Clement V. having died at Avignon, was succeed ed by John XXII. who directed his chief attention to raise again the Guelph party in Lombardy, and humble the rising power of the Visconti, but without success; for Ga leazzo, son of Matthew Visconti, retained the power of his father, and was assisted by Louis of Bavaria, who had de feated his rival. The pope, indignant at this protection given by Louis, notwithstanding his protestations, proceed ed to depose and excommunicate him. Louis had, how ever, now acquired an adherent, whose victories made more impression than the papal anathemas. This was
Castruccis Castracani of Lucca, who had made himself mas ter of Pistoia; and, assisted by' Visconti, had completely defeated the Florentine army, and taken their general Rai mond de Cal done prisoner, whom he conducted in triumph to Lucca, after insulting the Florentines by encamping un der the walls of the city, and actually' celebrating games there. The Florentines now had recourse to the king of Naples, on whose son, Charles, duke of Calabria, they con ferred, for ten years, the military government. In the mean time, Louis arrived at Trent, where, at a meeting of the Gbibeline deputies, he openly accused the pope of heresy. At Milan he received the iron crown; but jealous of Vis conti, who had so eminently served him, he expelled him from the city, and imprisoned his adherents. He next forced Pisa to open her gates to him ; and, accompanied by Castruccio, whom he created duke of Lucca and Pistoia, proceeded to Rome, where he was invested with the im perial crown, without the authority of the pope. In the mean time, the duke of Calabria having taken Pistoia, Cas truccio returned to Tuscany, and was successful in reco vering it ; but died, in consequence of the fatigue he un derw eta, aged 47. Gateazzo Visconti, who served in his army, fell also a victim to fatigue; and their deaths were soon followed by that of the duke of Calabria ; and the republic of Florence was released at once from the dread of a powerful antagonist, and a foreign lord.
The conduct of the emperor now rendered him hated and despised in Italy. Having deprived the children of Castruccio ol Lucca, he actually set it up to sale, and dis posed of it to a Genoese nobleman ; and his conduct to his other allies was no less ch,graceful. Milan was regained by Azzo Visconti, %rno refused admittance to Louis; and that prince, still farther weakened by the death of Cane della Scala of Verona, retired to Bavaria, to defend himself against the attacks of the Austlian family. On the retreat of Louis, John, king of Bohemia, son of the emperor Henry V11. entered Lornbauly, and in one yeas made himself lord of many ol the principal cities. His success was but transient ; the king of Naples, and the republic of Florence, first attacked him, and weie even joined by their ancient antagonists, the Ghibeline princes of Lombardy, and the emperor; and the king of Bohemia, unable to withstand such a confederacy, retired to Paris, having first sold the sove reignty of the states which had submitted to him.