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As it now appeared to the Florentines and others of the Guelph

party that the Ghibellines absorbed too much power in Tuscany,

they determined to restore the exiled Guelphs to Lucca. They

assembled a large army in the Val di Nievole, and seized

Montecatini; from thence they marched to Montecarlo, in order to

secure the free passage into Lucca. Upon this Uguccione assembled

his Pisan and Lucchese forces, and with a number of German

cavalry which he drew out of Lombardy, he moved against the

quarters of the Florentines, who upon the appearance of the enemy

withdrew from Montecarlo, and posted themselves between

Montecatini and Pescia. Uguccione now took up a position near to

Montecarlo, and within about two miles of the enemy, and slight

skirmishes between the horse of both parties were of daily

occurrence. Owing to the illness of Uguccione, the Pisans and

Lucchese delayed coming to battle with the enemy.