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Observing this order of battle, he drew out of his lines and
quickly came in sight of the hostile army, who, as usual, had
come in their insolence to defy him. He then commanded
his centre squadrons to march slowly, whilst he moved rapidly
forward those on the wings. Thus, when they came into
contact with the enemy, only the wings of the two armies
became engaged, whilst the center battalions remained out
of action, for these two portions of the line of battle were
separated from each other by a long interval and thus unable
to reach each other. By this expedient the more valiant
part of Castruccio’s men were opposed to the weaker part
of the enemy’s troops, and the most efficient men of the enemy
were disengaged; and thus the Florentines were unable
to fight with those who were arrayed opposite to them, or to
give any assistance to their own flanks. So, without much
difficulty, Castruccio put the enemy to flight on both flanks,
and the centre battalions took to flight when they found
themselves exposed to attack, without having a chance of
displaying their valour. The defeat was complete, and the
loss in men very heavy, there being more than ten thousand
men killed with many officers and knights of the Guelph
party in Tuscany, and also many princes who had come to
help them, among whom were Piero, the brother of King
Ruberto, and Carlo, his nephew, and Filippo, the lord of
Taranto. On the part of Castruccio the loss did not amount
to more than three hundred men, among whom was Francesco,
the son of Uguccione, who, being young and rash,
was killed in the first onset.
This victory so greatly increased the reputation of Ca-
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