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So　the　whole　party　entered　Sinigalia；　dismounted　at　the　duke's　quarters；　and　went　with　him　into　a　secret　chamber；　where　the　duke　made　them　prisoners；　he　then　mounted　on　horseback；　and　issued　orders　that　the　men　of　Oliverotto　and　the　Orsini　should　be　stripped　of　their　arms。　Those　of　Oliverotto；　being　at　hand；　were　quickly　settled；　but　those　of　the　Orsini　and　Vitelli；　being　at　a　distance；　and　having　a　presentiment　of　the　destruction　of　their　masters；　had　time　to　prepare　themselves；　and　bearing　in　mind　the　valour　and　discipline　of　the　Orsinian　and　Vitellian　houses；　they　stood　together　against　the　hostile　forces　of　the　country　and　saved　themselves。

But　the　duke's　soldiers；　not　being　content　with　having　pillaged　the　men　of　Oliverotto；　began　to　sack　Sinigalia；　and　if　the　duke　had　not　repressed　this　outrage　by　killing　some　of　them　they　would　have　completely　sacked　it。　Night　having　come　and　the　tumult　being　silenced；　the　duke　prepared　to　kill　Vitellozzo　and　Oliverotto；　he　led　them　into　a　room　and　caused　them　to　be　strangled。　Neither　of　them　used　words　in　keeping　with　their　past　lives：　Vitellozzo　prayed　that　he　might　ask　of　the　pope　full　pardon　for　his　sins；　Oliverotto　cringed　and　laid　the　blame　for　all　injuries　against　the　duke　on　Vitellozzo。　Pagolo　and　the　Duke　di　Gravina　Orsini　were　kept　alive　until　the　duke　heard　from　Rome　that　the　pope　had　taken　the　Cardinal　Orsino；　the　Archbishop　of　Florence；　and　Messer　Jacopo　da　Santa　Croce。　After　which　news；　on　18th　January　1502；　in　the　castle　of　Pieve；　they　also　were　strangled　in　the　same　way。





THE　LIFE　OF　CASTRUCCIO　CASTRACANI　OF　LUCCA

WRITTEN　BY　NICOLO　MACHIAVELLI

And　sent　to　his　friends　ZANOBI　BUONDELMONTI　And　LUIGI　ALAMANNI



CASTRUCCIO　CASTRACANI　1284…1328

It　appears；　dearest　Zanobi　and　Luigi；　a　wonderful　thing　to　those　who　have　considered　the　matter；　that　all　men；　or　the　larger　number　of　them；　who　have　performed　great　deeds　in　the　world；　and　excelled　all　others　in　their　day；　have　had　their　birth　and　beginning　in　baseness　and　obscurity；　or　have　been　aggrieved　by　Fortune　in　some　outrageous　way。　They　have　either　been　exposed　to　the　mercy　of　wild　beasts；　or　they　have　had　so　mean　a　parentage　that　in　shame　they　have　given　themselves　out　to　be　sons　of　Jove　or　of　some　other　deity。　It　would　be　wearisome　to　relate　who　these　persons　may　have　been　because　they　are　well　known　to　everybody；　and；　as　such　tales　would　not　be　particularly　edifying　to　those　who　read　them；　they　are　omitted。　I　believe　that　these　lowly　beginnings　of　great　men　occur　because　Fortune　is　desirous　of　showing　to　the　world　that　such　men　owe　much　to　her　and　little　to　wisdom；　because　she　begins　to　show　her　hand　when　wisdom　can　really　take　no　part　in　their　career：　thus　all　success　must　be　attributed　to　her。　Castruccio　Castracani　of　Lucca　was　one　of　those　men　who　did　great　deeds；　if　he　is　measured　by　the　times　in　which　he　lived　and　the　city　in　which　he　was　born；　but；　like　many　others；　he　was　neither　fortunate　nor　distinguished　in　his　birth；　as　the　course　of　this　history　will　show。　It　appeared　to　be　desirable　to　recall　his　memory；　because　I　have　discerned　in　him　such　indications　of　valour　and　fortune　as　should　make　him　a　great　exemplar　to　men。　I　think　also　that　I　ought　to　call　your　attention　to　his　actions；　because　you　of　all　men　I　know　delight　most　in　noble　deeds。

The　family　of　Castracani　was　formerly　numbered　among　the　noble　families　of　Lucca；　but　in　the　days　of　which　I　speak　it　had　somewhat　fallen　in　estate；　as　so　often　happens　in　this　world。　To　this　family　was　born　a　son　Antonio；　who　became　a　priest　of　the　order　of　San　Michele　of　Lucca；　and　for　this　reason　was　honoured　with　the　title　of　Messer　Antonio。　He　had　an　only　sister；　who　had　been　married　to　Buonaccorso　Cenami；　but　Buonaccorso　dying　she　became　a　widow；　and　not　wishing　to　marry　again　went　to　live　with　her　brother。　Messer　Antonio　had　a　vineyard　behind　the　house　where　he　resided；　and　as　it　was　bounded　on　all　sides　by　gardens；　any　person　could　have　access　to　it　without　difficulty。　One　morning；　shortly　after　sunrise；　Madonna　Dianora；　as　the　sister　of　Messer　Antonio　was　called；　had　occasion　to　go　into　the　vineyard　as　usual　to　gather　herbs　for　seasoning　the　dinner；　and　hearing　a　slight　rustling　among　the　leaves　of　a　vine　she　turned　her　eyes　in　that　direction；　and　heard　something　resembling　the　cry　of　an　infant。　Whereupon　she　went　towards　it；　and　saw　the　hands　and　face　of　a　baby　who　was　lying　enveloped　in　the　leaves　and　who　seemed　to　be　crying　for　its　mother。　Partly　wondering　and　partly　fearing；　yet　full　of　compassion；　she　lifted　it　up　and　carried　it　to　the　house；　where　she　washed　it　and　clothed　it　with　clean　linen　as　is　customary；　and　showed　it　to　Messer　Antonio　when　he　returned　home。　When　he　heard　what　had　happened　and　saw　the　child　he　was　not　less　surprised　or　compassionate　than　his　sister。　They　discussed　between　themselves　what　should　be　done；　and　seeing　that　he　was　priest　and　that　she　had　no　children；　they　finally　determined　to　bring　it　up。　They　had　a　nurse　for　it；　and　it　was　reared　and　loved　as　if　it　were　their　own　child。　They　baptized　it；　and　gave　it　the　name　of　Castruccio　after　their　father。　As　the　years　passed　Castruccio　grew　very　handsome；　and　gave　evidence　of　wit　and　discretion；　and　learnt　with　a　quickness　beyond　his　years　those　lessons　which　Messer　Antonio　imparted　to　him。　Messer　Antonio　intended　to　make　a　priest　of　him；　and　in　time　would　have　inducted　him　into　his　canonry　and　other　benefices；　and　all　his　instruction　was　given　with　this　object；　but　Antonio　discovered　that　the　character　of　Castruccio　was　quite　unfitted　for　the　priesthood。　As　soon　as　Castruccio　reached　the　age　of　fourteen　he　began　to　take　less　notice　of　the　chiding　of　Messer　Antonio　and　Madonna　Dianora　and　no　longer　to　fear　them；　he　left　off　reading　ecclesiastical　books；　and　turned　to　playing　with　arms；　delighting　in　nothing　so　much　as　in　learning　their　uses；　and　in　running；　leaping；　and　wrestling　with　other　boys。　In　all　exercises　he　far　excelled　his　companions　in　courage　and　bodily　strength；　and　if　at　any　time　he　did　turn　to　books；　only　those　pleased　him　which　told　of　wars　and　the　mighty　deeds　of　men。　Messer　Antonio　beheld　all　this　with　vexation　and　sorrow。

There　lived　in　the　city　of　Lucca　a　gentleman　of　the　Guinigi　family；　named　Messer　Francesco；　whose　profession　was　arms　and　who　in　riches；　bodily　strength；　and　valour　excelled　all　other　men　in　Lucca。　He　had　often　fought　under　the　command　of　the　Visconti　of　Milan；　and　as　a　Ghibelline　was　the　valued　leader　of　that　party　in　Lucca。　This　gentleman　resided　in　Lucca　and　was　accustomed　to　assemble　with　others　most　mornings　and　evenings　under　the　balcony　of　the　Podesta；　which　is　at　the　top　of　the　square　of　San　Michele；　the　finest　square　in　Lucca；　and　he　had　often　seen　Castruccio　taking　part　with　other　children　of　the　street　in　those　games　of　which　I　have　spoken。　Noticing　that　Castruccio　far　excelled　the　other　boys；　and　that　he　appeared　to　exercise　a　royal　authority　over　them；　and　that　they　loved　and　obeyed　him；　Messer　Francesco　became　greatly　desirous　of　learning　who　he　was。　Being　informed　of　the　circumstances　of　the　bringing　up　of　Castruccio　he　felt　a　greater　desire　to　have　him　near　to　him。　Therefore　he　called　him　one　day　and　asked　him　whether　he　would　more　willingly　live　in　the　house　of　a　gentleman；　where　he　would　learn　to　ride　horses　and　use　arms；　or　in　the　house　of　a　priest；　where　he　would　learn　nothing　but　masses　and　the　services　of　the　Church。　Messer　Francesco　could　see　that　it　pleased　Castruccio　greatly　to　hear　horses　and　arms　spoken　of；　even　though　he　stood　silent；　blushing　modestly；　but　being　encouraged　by　Messer　Francesco　to　speak；　he　answered　that；　if　his　master　were　agreeable；　nothing　would　please　him　more　than　to　give　up　his　priestly　studies　and　take　up　those　of　a　soldier。　This　reply　delighted　Messer　Francesco；　and　in　a　very　short　time　he　obtained　the　consent　of　Messer　Antonio；　who　was　driven　to　yield　by　his　knowledge　of　the　nature　of　the　lad；　and　the　fear　that　he　would　not　be　able　to　hold　him　much　longer。

Thus　Castruccio　passed　from　the　house　of　Messer　Antonio　the　priest　to　the　house　of　Messer　Francesco　Guinigi　the　soldier；　and　it　was　astonishing　to　find　that　in　a　very　short　time　he　manifested　all　that　virtue　and　bearing　which　we　are　accustomed　to　associate　with　a　true　gentleman。　In　the　first　place　he　became　an　accomplished　horseman；　and　could　manage　with　ease　the　most　fiery　charger；　and　in　all　jousts　and　tournaments；　although　still　a　youth；　he　was　observed　beyond　all　others；　and　he　excelled　in　all　exercises　of　strength　and　dexterity。　But　what　enhanced　so　much　the　charm　of　these　accomplishments；　was　the　delightful　modesty　which　enabled　him　to　avoid　offence　in　either　act　or　word　to　others；　for　he　was　deferential　to　the　great　men；　modest　with　his　equals；　and　courteous　to　his　inferiors。　These　gifts　made　him　beloved；　not　only　by　all　the　Guinigi　family；　but　by　all　Lucca。　When　Castruccio　had　reached　his　eighteenth　year；　the　Ghibellines　were　driven　from　Pavia　by　the　Guelphs；　and　Messer　Francesco　was　sent　by　the　Visconti　to　assist　the　Ghibellines；　and　with　him　went　Castruccio；　in　charge　of　his　forces。　Castruccio　gave　ample　proof　of　his　prudence　and　courage　in　this　expedition；　acquiring　greater　reputation　than　any　other　captain；　and　h