the prince-第23部分

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they　were　great　and　wonderful　men；　yet　they　were　men；　and　each　one　of　them　had　no　more　opportunity　than　the　present　offers；　for　their　enterprises　were　neither　more　just　nor　easier　than　this；　nor　was　God　more　their　friend　than　He　is　yours。

＇*＇　Giuliano　de　Medici。　He　had　just　been　created　a　cardinal　by　Leo　X。　　　　　In　1523　Giuliano　was　elected　Pope；　and　took　the　title　of　Clement　　　　　VII。

With　us　there　is　great　justice；　because　that　war　is　just　which　is　necessary；　and　arms　are　hallowed　when　there　is　no　other　hope　but　in　them。　Here　there　is　the　greatest　willingness；　and　where　the　willingness　is　great　the　difficulties　cannot　be　great　if　you　will　only　follow　those　men　to　whom　I　have　directed　your　attention。　Further　than　this；　how　extraordinarily　the　ways　of　God　have　been　manifested　beyond　example：　the　sea　is　divided；　a　cloud　has　led　the　way；　the　rock　has　poured　forth　water；　it　has　rained　manna；　everything　has　contributed　to　your　greatness；　you　ought　to　do　the　rest。　God　is　not　willing　to　do　everything；　and　thus　take　away　our　free　will　and　that　share　of　glory　which　belongs　to　us。

And　it　is　not　to　be　wondered　at　if　none　of　the　above…named　Italians　have　been　able　to　accomplish　all　that　is　expected　from　your　illustrious　house；　and　if　in　so　many　revolutions　in　Italy；　and　in　so　many　campaigns；　it　has　always　appeared　as　if　military　virtue　were　exhausted；　this　has　happened　because　the　old　order　of　things　was　not　good；　and　none　of　us　have　known　how　to　find　a　new　one。　And　nothing　honours　a　man　more　than　to　establish　new　laws　and　new　ordinances　when　he　himself　was　newly　risen。　Such　things　when　they　are　well　founded　and　dignified　will　make　him　revered　and　admired；　and　in　Italy　there　are　not　wanting　opportunities　to　bring　such　into　use　in　every　form。

Here　there　is　great　valour　in　the　limbs　whilst　it　fails　in　the　head。　Look　attentively　at　the　duels　and　the　hand…to…hand　combats；　how　superior　the　Italians　are　in　strength；　dexterity；　and　subtlety。　But　when　it　comes　to　armies　they　do　not　bear　comparison；　and　this　springs　entirely　from　the　insufficiency　of　the　leaders；　since　those　who　are　capable　are　not　obedient；　and　each　one　seems　to　himself　to　know；　there　having　never　been　any　one　so　distinguished　above　the　rest；　either　by　valour　or　fortune；　that　others　would　yield　to　him。　Hence　it　is　that　for　so　long　a　time；　and　during　so　much　fighting　in　the　past　twenty　years；　whenever　there　has　been　an　army　wholly　Italian；　it　has　always　given　a　poor　account　of　itself；　the　first　witness　to　this　is　Il　Taro；　afterwards　Allesandria；　Capua；　Genoa；　Vaila；　Bologna；　Mestri。＇*＇

＇*＇　The　battles　of　Il　Taro；　1495；　Alessandria；　1499；　Capua；　1501；　　　　　Genoa；　1507；　Vaila；　1509；　Bologna；　1511；　Mestri；　1513。

If；　therefore；　your　illustrious　house　wishes　to　follow　these　remarkable　men　who　have　redeemed　their　country；　it　is　necessary　before　all　things；　as　a　true　foundation　for　every　enterprise；　to　be　provided　with　your　own　forces；　because　there　can　be　no　more　faithful；　truer；　or　better　soldiers。　And　although　singly　they　are　good；　altogether　they　will　be　much　better　when　they　find　themselves　commanded　by　their　prince；　honoured　by　him；　and　maintained　at　his　expense。　Therefore　it　is　necessary　to　be　prepared　with　such　arms；　so　that　you　can　be　defended　against　foreigners　by　Italian　valour。

And　although　Swiss　and　Spanish　infantry　may　be　considered　very　formidable；　nevertheless　there　is　a　defect　in　both；　by　reason　of　which　a　third　order　would　not　only　be　able　to　oppose　them；　but　might　be　relied　upon　to　overthrow　them。　For　the　Spaniards　cannot　resist　cavalry；　and　the　Switzers　are　afraid　of　infantry　whenever　they　encounter　them　in　close　combat。　Owing　to　this；　as　has　been　and　may　again　be　seen；　the　Spaniards　are　unable　to　resist　French　cavalry；　and　the　Switzers　are　overthrown　by　Spanish　infantry。　And　although　a　complete　proof　of　this　latter　cannot　be　shown；　nevertheless　there　was　some　evidence　of　it　at　the　battle　of　Ravenna；　when　the　Spanish　infantry　were　confronted　by　German　battalions；　who　follow　the　same　tactics　as　the　Swiss；　when　the　Spaniards；　by　agility　of　body　and　with　the　aid　of　their　shields；　got　in　under　the　pikes　of　the　Germans　and　stood　out　of　danger；　able　to　attack；　while　the　Germans　stood　helpless；　and；　if　the　cavalry　had　not　dashed　up；　all　would　have　been　over　with　them。　It　is　possible；　therefore；　knowing　the　defects　of　both　these　infantries；　to　invent　a　new　one；　which　will　resist　cavalry　and　not　be　afraid　of　infantry；　this　need　not　create　a　new　order　of　arms；　but　a　variation　upon　the　old。　And　these　are　the　kind　of　improvements　which　confer　reputation　and　power　upon　a　new　prince。

This　opportunity；　therefore；　ought　not　to　be　allowed　to　pass　for　letting　Italy　at　last　see　her　liberator　appear。　Nor　can　one　express　the　love　with　which　he　would　be　received　in　all　those　provinces　which　have　suffered　so　much　from　these　foreign　scourings；　with　what　thirst　for　revenge；　with　what　stubborn　faith；　with　what　devotion；　with　what　tears。　What　door　would　be　closed　to　him？　Who　would　refuse　obedience　to　him？　What　envy　would　hinder　him？　What　Italian　would　refuse　him　homage？　To　all　of　us　this　barbarous　dominion　stinks。　Let；　therefore；　your　illustrious　house　take　up　this　charge　with　that　courage　and　hope　with　which　all　just　enterprises　are　undertaken；　so　that　under　its　standard　our　native　country　may　be　ennobled；　and　under　its　auspices　may　be　verified　that　saying　of　Petrarch：

　　　　Virtu　contro　al　Furore　　　Prendera　l'arme；　e　fia　il　combatter　corto：　　　　　Che　l'antico　valore　　　Negli　italici　cuor　non　e　ancor　morto。

　　Virtue　against　fury　shall　advance　the　fight；　　　And　it　i'　th'　combat　soon　shall　put　to　flight：　　　For　the　old　Roman　valour　is　not　dead；　　　Nor　in　th'　Italians'　brests　extinguished。

Edward　Dacre；　1640。





DESCRIPTION　OF　THE　METHODS　ADOPTED　BY　THE　DUKE　VALENTINO　WHEN　MURDERING　VITELLOZZO　VITELLI；　OLIVEROTTO　DA　FERMO；　THE　SIGNOR　PAGOLO；　AND　THE　DUKE　DI　GRAVINA　ORSINI

BY

NICOL　MACHIAVELLI



The　Duke　Valentino　had　returned　from　Lombardy；　where　he　had　been　to　clear　himself　with　the　King　of　France　from　the　calumnies　which　had　been　raised　against　him　by　the　Florentines　concerning　the　rebellion　of　Arezzo　and　other　towns　in　the　Val　di　Chiana；　and　had　arrived　at　Imola；　whence　he　intended　with　his　army　to　enter　upon　the　campaign　against　Giovanni　Bentivogli；　the　tyrant　of　Bologna：　for　he　intended　to　bring　that　city　under　his　domination；　and　to　make　it　the　head　of　his　Romagnian　duchy。

These　matters　coming　to　the　knowledge　of　the　Vitelli　and　Orsini　and　their　following；　it　appeared　to　them　that　the　duke　would　become　too　powerful；　and　it　was　feared　that；　having　seized　Bologna；　he　would　seek　to　destroy　them　in　order　that　he　might　become　supreme　in　Italy。　Upon　this　a　meeting　was　called　at　Magione　in　the　district　of　Perugia；　to　which　came　the　cardinal；　Pagolo；　and　the　Duke　di　Gravina　Orsini；　Vitellozzo　Vitelli；　Oliverotto　da　Fermo；　Gianpagolo　Baglioni；　the　tyrant　of　Perugia；　and　Messer　Antonio　da　Venafro；　sent　by　Pandolfo　Petrucci；　the　Prince　of　Siena。　Here　were　discussed　the　power　and　courage　of　the　duke　and　the　necessity　of　curbing　his　ambitions；　which　might　otherwise　bring　danger　to　the　rest　of　being　ruined。　And　they　decided　not　to　abandon　the　Bentivogli；　but　to　strive　to　win　over　the　Florentines；　and　they　send　their　men　to　one　place　and　another；　promising　to　one　party　assistance　and　to　another　encouragement　to　unite　with　them　against　the　common　enemy。　This　meeting　was　at　once　reported　throughout　all　Italy；　and　those　who　were　discontented　under　the　duke；　among　whom　were　the　people　of　Urbino；　took　hope　of　effecting　a　revolution。

Thus　it　arose　that；　men's　minds　being　thus　unsettled；　it　was　decided　by　certain　men　of　Urbino　to　seize　the　fortress　of　San　Leo；　which　was　held　for　the　duke；　and　which　they　captured　by　the　following　means。　The　castellan　was　fortifying　the　rock　and　causing　timber　to　be　taken　there；　so　the　conspirators　watched；　and　when　certain　beams　which　were　being　carried　to　the　rock　were　upon　the　bridge；　so　that　it　was　prevented　from　being　drawn　up　by　those　inside；　they　took　the　opportunity　of　leaping　upon　the　bridge　and　thence　into　the　fortress。　Upon　this　capture　being　effected；　the　whole　state　rebelled　and　recalled　the　old　duke；　being　encouraged　in　this；　not　so　much　by　the　capture　of　the　fort；　as　by　the　Diet　at　Magione；　from　whom　they　expected　to　get　assistance。

Those　who　heard　of　the　rebellion　at　Urbino　thought　they　would　not　lose　the　opportunity；　and　at　once　assembled　their　men　so　as　to　take　any　town；　should　any　remain　in　the　hands　of　the　duke　in　that　state；　and　they　sent　again　to　Florence　to　beg　that　republic　to　join　with　them　in　destroying　the　common　firebrand；　showing　that　the　risk　was　lessened　and　that　they　ought　not　to　wait　for　another　opportunity。

But　the　Florentines；　from　hatred；　for　sundry　reasons；　of　the　Vitelli　and　Orsini；　not　only　would　not　ally　themselves；　but　sent　Nicolo　Machiavelli；　their　secretary；　to　offer　shelter　and　assistance　to　the　duke　against　his　enemies。　The　duke　was　found　full　of　fear　at　Imola；　because；　against　everybody's　expectation；　his　soldiers　had　at　once　gone　over　to　the　enemy　and　he　found　himself　disarmed　and　war　at　his　door。　But　recovering　courage　from　the　offers　of　the　Florentines；　he　decided　to　temporize　before　fightin