[Footnote 47: The remote origin of the Ubaldini is curiously illustrated by an inscription, which is among the earliest known records of armorial bearings. It was inscribed in Gothic characters upon a stone, originally placed on one of their Apennine castles, but brought to Florence by a branch of their race, where it was long regarded as an heirloom. It has been published in Borghini's _Discorsi Toscani_, II., p. 25, and the following literal translation from its barbarous Latino-Italian rhymes may be acceptable to our readers. It was intended to commemorate the erection of the castle, and exhibits, in rude carving, the Ubaldini arms, a stag's head antlered. "For this boon Thanks I render to Christ, Completed on the fête of the gentle St. Mary Magdalene; Ah! do Thou specially pray To God for me a sinner. In this my chant, From the most veritable narration I in nothing deviate. In the year one thousand Of Christ's salvation, and a hundred Eighty-four, Chased by hounds Furiously, I, hard by the Coppices in Mugello, a stag By the horns stopped,-- Of old the genius of the Ubaldini, Subjects of the holy Empire; Where, rushing on at speed, I grappled with my hands At his horns all the while. The mighty Sir Frederick, Who observed him thus cumbered, Having come up, slew him outright. Thereupon he gifted me with The forehead, beautifully horned, And honourably branched; And desired that it should be Of my race The accepted cognisance. My father was Ugicio, And my grand-sire Guarento, Son of Ugicio, son of Azo, Son of Ubaldino, Son of Gotichino, Son of Luconazo. Q.D.A.A.D.V." [_Thus read_] "Who shall sway the Apennines? The favoured house of Ubaldini." After many a conflict with their neighbours of Florence, the Ubaldini of Val di Mugello paid the penalty of their Ghibelline principles, by expulsion from their native fiefs, and were scattered throughout Central Italy. A branch of them retired to the more distant fortresses of Umbria, and after lording it for a time over Città di Castello, found an eventual home on the mountains north of Gubbio, which they are supposed to have had in dowry with a daughter of the Brancaleoni, about 1280. Her descendant, BERNARDINO UBALDINI DELLA CARDA, a gallant condottiere in the wars of Count Guidantonio, died in 1437, having married that Count's natural daughter Aura. Their son, OTTAVIANO UBALDINI DELLA CARDA, will figure in these pages, as the companion and counsellor of his uncle Count Federigo.