the prince-第10章

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essity　he　will　go　to　ruin。　The　chief　foundations　of　all　states；　new　as　well　as　old　or　composite；　are　good　laws　and　good　arms；　and　as　there　cannot　be　good　laws　where　the　state　is　not　well　armed；　it　follows　that　where　they　are　well　armed　they　have　good　laws。　I　shall　leave　the　laws　out　of　the　discussion　and　shall　speak　of　the　arms。

I　say；　therefore；　that　the　arms　with　which　a　prince　defends　his　state　are　either　his　own；　or　they　are　mercenaries；　auxiliaries；　or　mixed。　Mercenaries　and　auxiliaries　are　useless　and　dangerous；　and　if　one　holds　his　state　based　on　these　arms；　he　will　stand　neither　firm　nor　safe；　for　they　are　disunited；　ambitious；　and　without　discipline；　unfaithful；　valiant　before　friends；　cowardly　before　enemies；　they　have　neither　the　fear　of　God　nor　fidelity　to　men；　and　destruction　is　deferred　only　so　long　as　the　attack　is；　for　in　peace　one　is　robbed　by　them；　and　in　war　by　the　enemy。　The　fact　is；　they　have　no　other　attraction　or　reason　for　keeping　the　field　than　a　trifle　of　stipend；　which　is　not　sufficient　to　make　them　willing　to　die　for　you。　They　are　ready　enough　to　be　your　soldiers　whilst　you　do　not　make　war；　but　if　war　comes　they　take　themselves　off　or　run　from　the　foe；　which　I　should　have　little　trouble　to　prove；　for　the　ruin　of　Italy　has　been　caused　by　nothing　else　than　by　resting　all　her　hopes　for　many　years　on　mercenaries；　and　although　they　formerly　made　some　display　and　appeared　valiant　amongst　themselves；　yet　when　the　foreigners　came　they　showed　what　they　were。　Thus　it　was　that　Charles；　King　of　France；　was　allowed　to　seize　Italy　with　chalk　in　hand；＇*＇　and　he　who　told　us　that　our　sins　were　the　cause　of　it　told　the　truth；　but　they　were　not　the　sins　he　imagined；　but　those　which　I　have　related。　And　as　they　were　the　sins　of　princes；　it　is　the　princes　who　have　also　suffered　the　penalty。

＇*＇　〃With　chalk　in　hand；〃　〃col　gesso。〃　This　is　one　of　the　bons　mots　of　　　　　Alexander　VI；　and　refers　to　the　ease　with　which　Charles　VIII　　　　　seized　Italy；　implying　that　it　was　only　necessary　for　him　to　send　　　　　his　quartermasters　to　chalk　up　the　billets　for　his　soldiers　to　　　　　conquer　the　country。　Cf。　〃The　History　of　Henry　VII；〃　by　Lord　　　　　Bacon：　〃King　Charles　had　conquered　the　realm　of　Naples；　and　lost　　　　　it　again；　in　a　kind　of　a　felicity　of　a　dream。　He　passed　the　whole　　　　　length　of　Italy　without　resistance：　so　that　it　was　true　what　Pope　　　　　Alexander　was　wont　to　say：　That　the　Frenchmen　came　into　Italy　with　　　　　chalk　in　their　hands；　to　mark　up　their　lodgings；　rather　than　with　　　　　swords　to　fight。〃

I　wish　to　demonstrate　further　the　infelicity　of　these　arms。　The　mercenary　captains　are　either　capable　men　or　they　are　not；　if　they　are；　you　cannot　trust　them；　because　they　always　aspire　to　their　own　greatness；　either　by　oppressing　you；　who　are　their　master；　or　others　contrary　to　your　intentions；　but　if　the　captain　is　not　skilful；　you　are　ruined　in　the　usual　way。

And　if　it　be　urged　that　whoever　is　armed　will　act　in　the　same　way；　whether　mercenary　or　not；　I　reply　that　when　arms　have　to　be　resorted　to；　either　by　a　prince　or　a　republic；　then　the　prince　ought　to　go　in　person　and　perform　the　duty　of　a　captain；　the　republic　has　to　send　its　citizens；　and　when　one　is　sent　who　does　not　turn　out　satisfactorily；　it　ought　to　recall　him；　and　when　one　is　worthy；　to　hold　him　by　the　laws　so　that　he　does　not　leave　the　command。　And　experience　has　shown　princes　and　republics；　single…handed；　making　the　greatest　progress；　and　mercenaries　doing　nothing　except　damage；　and　it　is　more　difficult　to　bring　a　republic；　armed　with　its　own　arms；　under　the　sway　of　one　of　its　citizens　than　it　is　to　bring　one　armed　with　foreign　arms。　Rome　and　Sparta　stood　for　many　ages　armed　and　free。　The　Switzers　are　completely　armed　and　quite　free。

Of　ancient　mercenaries；　for　example；　there　are　the　Carthaginians；　who　were　oppressed　by　their　mercenary　soldiers　after　the　first　war　with　the　Romans；　although　the　Carthaginians　had　their　own　citizens　for　captains。　After　the　death　of　Epaminondas；　Philip　of　Macedon　was　made　captain　of　their　soldiers　by　the　Thebans；　and　after　victory　he　took　away　their　liberty。

Duke　Filippo　being　dead；　the　Milanese　enlisted　Francesco　Sforza　against　the　Venetians；　and　he；　having　overcome　the　enemy　at　Caravaggio；＇*＇　allied　himself　with　them　to　crush　the　Milanese；　his　masters。　His　father；　Sforza；　having　been　engaged　by　Queen　Johanna＇＋＇　of　Naples；　left　her　unprotected；　so　that　she　was　forced　to　throw　herself　into　the　arms　of　the　King　of　Aragon；　in　order　to　save　her　kingdom。　And　if　the　Venetians　and　Florentines　formerly　extended　their　dominions　by　these　arms；　and　yet　their　captains　did　not　make　themselves　princes；　but　have　defended　them；　I　reply　that　the　Florentines　in　this　case　have　been　favoured　by　chance；　for　of　the　able　captains；　of　whom　they　might　have　stood　in　fear；　some　have　not　conquered；　some　have　been　opposed；　and　others　have　turned　their　ambitions　elsewhere。　One　who　did　not　conquer　was　Giovanni　Acuto；＇％＇　and　since　he　did　not　conquer　his　fidelity　cannot　be　proved；　but　every　one　will　acknowledge　that；　had　he　conquered；　the　Florentines　would　have　stood　at　his　discretion。　Sforza　had　the　Bracceschi　always　against　him；　so　they　watched　each　other。　Francesco　turned　his　ambition　to　Lombardy；　Braccio　against　the　Church　and　the　kingdom　of　Naples。　But　let　us　come　to　that　which　happened　a　short　while　ago。　The　Florentines　appointed　as　their　captain　Pagolo　Vitelli；　a　most　prudent　man；　who　from　a　private　position　had　risen　to　the　greatest　renown。　If　this　man　had　taken　Pisa；　nobody　can　deny　that　it　would　have　been　proper　for　the　Florentines　to　keep　in　with　him；　for　if　he　became　the　soldier　of　their　enemies　they　had　no　means　of　resisting；　and　if　they　held　to　him　they　must　obey　him。　The　Venetians；　if　their　achievements　are　considered；　will　be　seen　to　have　acted　safely　and　gloriously　so　long　as　they　sent　to　war　their　own　men；　when　with　armed　gentlemen　and　plebians　they　did　valiantly。　This　was　before　they　turned　to　enterprises　on　land；　but　when　they　began　to　fight　on　land　they　forsook　this　virtue　and　followed　the　custom　of　Italy。　And　in　the　beginning　of　their　expansion　on　land；　through　not　having　much　territory；　and　because　of　their　great　reputation；　they　had　not　much　to　fear　from　their　captains；　but　when　they　expanded；　as　under　Carmignuola；＇#＇　they　had　a　taste　of　this　mistake；　for；　having　found　him　a　most　valiant　man　（they　beat　the　Duke　of　Milan　under　his　leadership）；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　knowing　how　lukewarm　he　was　in　the　war；　they　feared　they　would　no　longer　conquer　under　him；　and　for　this　reason　they　were　not　willing；　nor　were　they　able；　to　let　him　go；　and　so；　not　to　lose　again　that　which　they　had　acquired；　they　were　compelled；　in　order　to　secure　themselves；　to　murder　him。　They　had　afterwards　for　their　captains　Bartolomeo　da　Bergamo；　Roberto　da　San　Severino；　the　count　of　Pitigliano；＇&＇　and　the　like；　under　whom　they　had　to　dread　loss　and　not　gain；　as　happened　afterwards　at　Vaila；＇＇　where　in　one　battle　they　lost　that　which　in　eight　hundred　years　they　had　acquired　with　so　much　trouble。　Because　from　such　arms　conquests　come　but　slowly；　long　delayed　and　inconsiderable；　but　the　losses　sudden　and　portentous。

＇*＇　Battle　of　Caravaggio；　15th　September　1448。

＇＋＇　Johanna　II　of　Naples；　the　widow　of　Ladislao；　King　of　Naples。

＇％＇　Giovanni　Acuto。　An　English　knight　whose　name　was　Sir　John　　　　　Hawkwood。　He　fought　in　the　English　wars　in　France；　and　was　　　　　knighted　by　Edward　III；　afterwards　he　collected　a　body　of　troops　　　　　and　went　into　Italy。　These　became　the　famous　〃White　Company。〃　He　　　　　took　part　in　many　wars；　and　died　in　Florence　in　1394。　He　was　born　　　　　about　1320　at　Sible　Hedingham；　a　village　in　Essex。　He　married　　　　　Domnia；　a　daughter　of　Bernabo　Visconti。

＇#＇　Carmignuola。　Francesco　Bussone；　born　at　Carmagnola　about　1390；　　　　　executed　at　Venice；　5th　May　1432。

＇&＇　Bartolomeo　Colleoni　of　Bergamo；　died　1457。　Roberto　of　San　　　　　Severino；　died　fighting　for　Venice　against　Sigismund；　Duke　of　　　　　Austria；　in　1487。　〃Primo　capitano　in　Italia。〃Machiavelli。　Count　　　　　of　Pitigliano；　Nicolo　Orsini；　born　1442；　died　1510。

＇＇　Battle　of　Vaila　in　1509。

And　as　with　these　examples　I　have　reached　Italy；　which　has　been　ruled　for　many　years　by　mercenaries；　I　wish　to　discuss　them　more　seriously；　in　order　that；　having　seen　their　rise　and　progress；　one　may　be　better　prepared　to　counteract　them。　You　must　understand　that　the　empire　has　recently　come　to　be　repudiated　in　Italy；　that　the　Pope　has　acquired　more　temporal　power；　and　that　Italy　has　been　divided　up　into　more　states；　for　the　reason　that　many　of　the　great　cities　took　up　arms　against　their　nobles；　who；　formerly　favoured　by　the　emperor；　were　oppressing　them；　whilst　the　Church　was　favouring　them　so　as　to　gain　authority　in　temporal　power：　in　many　others　their　citizens　became　princes。　From　this　it　came　to　pass　that　Italy　fell　partly　into　the　hands　of　the　Church　and　of　republics；　and；　the　Church　consisting　of　priests　and　the　republic　of　citizens　unaccustomed　to　arms；　both　commenced　to　enlist　foreigners。

The　first　who　gave　renown　to　this　soldiery　was　Alberigo　da　Conio；＇*＇　the　Romagnian。　From　the　school　of　this　man　sprang；　among　others；　Braccio　and　Sforza；　who　in　their　time　were　the　arbiters　of　Italy。　After　these　came　all　the　other　captains　who　till　now　have　directed　the　arms　of　Italy；　and　the　end　of　all　their　valour　has　been；　that　she　has　been　overrun　by　Charles；　robbed　by　Louis；　ravaged　by　Ferdinand；　and　insulted　by　the　Switzers。　The　principle　that　has　guided　them　has　been；　first；　to　lower　the　credit　of　infantry　so　that　they　might　increase　their　own。　They　did　this　because；　subsisting　on　their　pay　and　without　territory；　they　were　unable　to　support　many　soldiers；　and　a　few　infantry　did　not　give　them　any　authority；　so　they　were　led　to　employ　cavalry；　with　a　moderate　force　of　which　they　were　maintained　and　honoured；　and　affairs　were　brought　to　such　a　pass　that；　in　an　army　of　twenty　thousand　soldiers；　there　were　not　to　be　found　two　thousand　foot　soldiers。　They　had；　besides　this；　used　every　art　to　lessen　fatigue　and　danger　to　themselves　and　their　soldiers；　not　killing　in　the　fray；　but　taking　prisoners　and　liberating　without　ransom。　They　did　not　attack　towns　at　night；　nor　did　the　garrisons　of　the　towns　attack　encampments　at　night；　they　did　not　surround　the　camp　either　with　stockade　or　ditch；　nor　did　they　campaign　in　the　winter。　All　these　things　were　permitted　by　their　military　rules；　and　devised　by　them　to　avoid；　as　I　have　said；　both　fatigue　and　dangers；　thus　they　have　brought　Italy　to　slavery　and　contempt。

＇*＇　Alberigo　da　Conio。　Alberico　da　Barbiano；　Count　of　Cunio　in　　　　　Romagna。　He　was　the　leader　of　the　famous　〃Company　of　St　George；〃　　　　　composed　entirely　of　Italian　soldiers。　He　died　in　1409。



CHAPTER　XIII

CONCERNING　AUXILIARIES；　MIXED　SOLDIERY；　AND　ONE'S　OWN

Auxiliaries；　which　are　the　other　useless　arm；　are　employed　when　a　prince　is　called　in　with　his　forces　to　aid　and　defend；　as　was　done　by　Pope　Julius　in　the　most　recent　times；　for　he；　having；　in　the　enterprise　against　Ferrara；　had　poor　proof　of　his　mercenaries；　turned　to　auxiliaries；　and　stipulated　with　Ferdinand；　King　of　Spain；＇*＇　for　his　assistance　with　men　and　arms。　These　arms　may　be　useful　and　good　in　themselves；　but　for　him　who　calls　them　in　they　are　always　disadvant