the prince-第7章

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of　Urbino；　and　the　people　now　beginning　to　appreciate　their　prosperity；　he　gained　them　all　over　to　himself。　And　as　this　point　is　worthy　of　notice；　and　to　be　imitated　by　others；　I　am　not　willing　to　leave　it　out。

＇*＇　Sinigalia；　31st　December　1502。

When　the　duke　occupied　the　Romagna　he　found　it　under　the　rule　of　weak　masters；　who　rather　plundered　their　subjects　than　ruled　them；　and　gave　them　more　cause　for　disunion　than　for　union；　so　that　the　country　was　full　of　robbery；　quarrels；　and　every　kind　of　violence；　and　so；　wishing　to　bring　back　peace　and　obedience　to　authority；　he　considered　it　necessary　to　give　it　a　good　governor。　Thereupon　he　promoted　Messer　Ramiro　d'Orco；＇*＇　a　swift　and　cruel　man；　to　whom　he　gave　the　fullest　power。　This　man　in　a　short　time　restored　peace　and　unity　with　the　greatest　success。　Afterwards　the　duke　considered　that　it　was　not　advisable　to　confer　such　excessive　authority；　for　he　had　no　doubt　but　that　he　would　become　odious；　so　he　set　up　a　court　of　judgment　in　the　country；　under　a　most　excellent　president；　wherein　all　cities　had　their　advocates。　And　because　he　knew　that　the　past　severity　had　caused　some　hatred　against　himself；　so；　to　clear　himself　in　the　minds　of　the　people；　and　gain　them　entirely　to　himself；　he　desired　to　show　that；　if　any　cruelty　had　been　practised；　it　had　not　originated　with　him；　but　in　the　natural　sternness　of　the　minister。　Under　this　pretence　he　took　Ramiro；　and　one　morning　caused　him　to　be　executed　and　left　on　the　piazza　at　Cesena　with　the　block　and　a　bloody　knife　at　his　side。　The　barbarity　of　this　spectacle　caused　the　people　to　be　at　once　satisfied　and　dismayed。

＇*＇　Ramiro　d'Orco。　Ramiro　de　Lorqua。

But　let　us　return　whence　we　started。　I　say　that　the　duke；　finding　himself　now　sufficiently　powerful　and　partly　secured　from　immediate　dangers　by　having　armed　himself　in　his　own　way；　and　having　in　a　great　measure　crushed　those　forces　in　his　vicinity　that　could　injure　him　if　he　wished　to　proceed　with　his　conquest；　had　next　to　consider　France；　for　he　knew　that　the　king；　who　too　late　was　aware　of　his　mistake；　would　not　support　him。　And　from　this　time　he　began　to　seek　new　alliances　and　to　temporize　with　France　in　the　expedition　which　she　was　making　towards　the　kingdom　of　Naples　against　the　Spaniards　who　were　besieging　Gaeta。　It　was　his　intention　to　secure　himself　against　them；　and　this　he　would　have　quickly　accomplished　had　Alexander　lived。

Such　was　his　line　of　action　as　to　present　affairs。　But　as　to　the　future　he　had　to　fear；　in　the　first　place；　that　a　new　successor　to　the　Church　might　not　be　friendly　to　him　and　might　seek　to　take　from　him　that　which　Alexander　had　given　him；　so　he　decided　to　act　in　four　ways。　Firstly；　by　exterminating　the　families　of　those　lords　whom　he　had　despoiled；　so　as　to　take　away　that　pretext　from　the　Pope。　Secondly；　by　winning　to　himself　all　the　gentlemen　of　Rome；　so　as　to　be　able　to　curb　the　Pope　with　their　aid；　as　has　been　observed。　Thirdly；　by　converting　the　college　more　to　himself。　Fourthly；　by　acquiring　so　much　power　before　the　Pope　should　die　that　he　could　by　his　own　measures　resist　the　first　shock。　Of　these　four　things；　at　the　death　of　Alexander；　he　had　accomplished　three。　For　he　had　killed　as　many　of　the　dispossessed　lords　as　he　could　lay　hands　on；　and　few　had　escaped；　he　had　won　over　the　Roman　gentlemen；　and　he　had　the　most　numerous　party　in　the　college。　And　as　to　any　fresh　acquisition；　he　intended　to　become　master　of　Tuscany；　for　he　already　possessed　Perugia　and　Piombino；　and　Pisa　was　under　his　protection。　And　as　he　had　no　longer　to　study　France　（for　the　French　were　already　driven　out　of　the　kingdom　of　Naples　by　the　Spaniards；　and　in　this　way　both　were　compelled　to　buy　his　goodwill）；　he　pounced　down　upon　Pisa。　After　this；　Lucca　and　Siena　yielded　at　once；　partly　through　hatred　and　partly　through　fear　of　the　Florentines；　and　the　Florentines　would　have　had　no　remedy　had　he　continued　to　prosper；　as　he　was　prospering　the　year　that　Alexander　died；　for　he　had　acquired　so　much　power　and　reputation　that　he　would　have　stood　by　himself；　and　no　longer　have　depended　on　the　luck　and　the　forces　of　others；　but　solely　on　his　own　power　and　ability。

But　Alexander　died　five　years　after　he　had　first　drawn　the　sword。　He　left　the　duke　with　the　state　of　Romagna　alone　consolidated；　with　the　rest　in　the　air；　between　two　most　powerful　hostile　armies；　and　sick　unto　death。　Yet　there　were　in　the　duke　such　boldness　and　ability；　and　he　knew　so　well　how　men　are　to　be　won　or　lost；　and　so　firm　were　the　foundations　which　in　so　short　a　time　he　had　laid；　that　if　he　had　not　had　those　armies　on　his　back；　or　if　he　had　been　in　good　health；　he　would　have　overcome　all　difficulties。　And　it　is　seen　that　his　foundations　were　good；　for　the　Romagna　awaited　him　for　more　than　a　month。　In　Rome；　although　but　half　alive；　he　remained　secure；　and　whilst　the　Baglioni；　the　Vitelli；　and　the　Orsini　might　come　to　Rome；　they　could　not　effect　anything　against　him。　If　he　could　not　have　made　Pope　him　whom　he　wished；　at　least　the　one　whom　he　did　not　wish　would　not　have　been　elected。　But　if　he　had　been　in　sound　health　at　the　death　of　Alexander；＇*＇　everything　would　have　been　different　to　him。　On　the　day　that　Julius　the　Second＇＋＇　was　elected；　he　told　me　that　he　had　thought　of　everything　that　might　occur　at　the　death　of　his　father；　and　had　provided　a　remedy　for　all；　except　that　he　had　never　anticipated　that；　when　the　death　did　happen；　he　himself　would　be　on　the　point　to　die。

＇*＇　Alexander　VI　died　of　fever；　18th　August　1503。

＇＋＇　Julius　II　was　Giuliano　della　Rovere；　Cardinal　of　San　Pietro　ad　　　　　Vincula；　born　1443；　died　1513。

When　all　the　actions　of　the　duke　are　recalled；　I　do　not　know　how　to　blame　him；　but　rather　it　appears　to　be；　as　I　have　said；　that　I　ought　to　offer　him　for　imitation　to　all　those　who；　by　the　fortune　or　the　arms　of　others；　are　raised　to　government。　Because　he；　having　a　lofty　spirit　and　far…reaching　aims；　could　not　have　regulated　his　conduct　otherwise；　and　only　the　shortness　of　the　life　of　Alexander　and　his　own　sickness　frustrated　his　designs。　Therefore；　he　who　considers　it　necessary　to　secure　himself　in　his　new　principality；　to　win　friends；　to　overcome　either　by　force　or　fraud；　to　make　himself　beloved　and　feared　by　the　people；　to　be　followed　and　revered　by　the　soldiers；　to　exterminate　those　who　have　power　or　reason　to　hurt　him；　to　change　the　old　order　of　things　for　new；　to　be　severe　and　gracious；　magnanimous　and　liberal；　to　destroy　a　disloyal　soldiery　and　to　create　new；　to　maintain　friendship　with　kings　and　princes　in　such　a　way　that　they　must　help　him　with　zeal　and　offend　with　caution；　cannot　find　a　more　lively　example　than　the　actions　of　this　man。

Only　can　he　be　blamed　for　the　election　of　Julius　the　Second；　in　whom　he　made　a　bad　choice；　because；　as　is　said；　not　being　able　to　elect　a　Pope　to　his　own　mind；　he　could　have　hindered　any　other　from　being　elected　Pope；　and　he　ought　never　to　have　consented　to　the　election　of　any　cardinal　whom　he　had　injured　or　who　had　cause　to　fear　him　if　they　became　pontiffs。　For　men　injure　either　from　fear　or　hatred。　Those　whom　he　had　injured；　amongst　others；　were　San　Pietro　ad　Vincula；　Colonna；　San　Giorgio；　and　Ascanio。＇*＇　The　rest；　in　becoming　Pope；　had　to　fear　him；　Rouen　and　the　Spaniards　excepted；　the　latter　from　their　relationship　and　obligations；　the　former　from　his　influence；　the　kingdom　of　France　having　relations　with　him。　Therefore；　above　everything；　the　duke　ought　to　have　created　a　Spaniard　Pope；　and；　failing　him；　he　ought　to　have　consented　to　Rouen　and　not　San　Pietro　ad　Vincula。　He　who　believes　that　new　benefits　will　cause　great　personages　to　forget　old　injuries　is　deceived。　Therefore；　the　duke　erred　in　his　choice；　and　it　was　the　cause　of　his　ultimate　ruin。

＇*＇　San　Giorgio　is　Raffaello　Riario。　Ascanio　is　Ascanio　Sforza。



CHAPTER　VIII

CONCERNING　THOSE　WHO　HAVE　OBTAINED　A　PRINCIPALITY　BY　WICKEDNESS

Although　a　prince　may　rise　from　a　private　station　in　two　ways；　neither　of　which　can　be　entirely　attributed　to　fortune　or　genius；　yet　it　is　manifest　to　me　that　I　must　not　be　silent　on　them；　although　one　could　be　more　copiously　treated　when　I　discuss　republics。　These　methods　are　when；　either　by　some　wicked　or　nefarious　ways；　one　ascends　to　the　principality；　or　when　by　the　favour　of　his　fellow…citizens　a　private　person　becomes　the　prince　of　his　country。　And　speaking　of　the　first　method；　it　will　be　illustrated　by　two　examplesone　ancient；　the　other　modernand　without　entering　further　into　the　subject；　I　consider　these　two　examples　will　suffice　those　who　may　be　compelled　to　follow　them。

Agathocles；　the　Sicilian；＇*＇　became　King　of　Syracuse　not　only　from　a　private　but　from　a　low　and　abject　position。　This　man；　the　son　of　a　potter；　through　all　the　changes　in　his　fortunes　always　led　an　infamous　life。　Nevertheless；　he　accompanied　his　infamies　with　so　much　ability　of　mind　and　body　that；　having　devoted　himself　to　the　military　profession；　he　rose　through　its　ranks　to　be　Praetor　of　Syracuse。　Being　established　in　that　position；　and　having　deliberately　resolved　to　make　himself　prince　and　to　seize　by　violence；　without　obligation　to　others；　that　which　had　been　conceded　to　him　by　assent；　he　came　to　an　understanding　for　this　purpose　with　Amilcar；　the　Carthaginian；　who；　with　his　army；　was　fighting　in　Sicily。　One　morning　he　assembled　the　people　and　the　senate　of　Syracuse；　as　if　he　had　to　discuss　with　them　things　relating　to　the　Republic；　and　at　a　given　signal　the　soldiers　killed　all　the　senators　and　the　richest　of　the　people；　these　dead；　he　seized　and　held　the　princedom　of　that　city　without　any　civil　commotion。　And　although　he　was　twice　routed　by　the　Carthaginians；　and　ultimately　besieged；　yet　not　only　was　he　able　to　defend　his　city；　but　leaving　part　of　his　men　for　its　defence；　with　the　others　he　attacked　Africa；　and　in　a　short　time　raised　the　siege　of　Syracuse。　The　Carthaginians；　reduced　to　extreme　necessity；　were　compelled　to　come　to　terms　with　Agathocles；　and；　leaving　Sicily　to　him；　had　to　be　content　with　the　possession　of　Africa。

＇*＇　Agathocles　the　Sicilian；　born　361　B。C。；　died　289　B。C。

Therefore；　he　who　considers　the　actions　and　the　genius　of　this　man　will　see　nothing；　or　little；　which　can　be　attributed　to　fortune；　inasmuch　as　he　attained　pre…eminence；　as　is　shown　above；　not　by　the　favour　of　any　one；　but　step　by　step　in　the　military　profession；　which　steps　were　gained　with　a　thousand　troubles　and　perils；　and　were　afterwards　boldly　held　by　him　with　many　hazardous　dangers。　Yet　it　cannot　be　called　talent　to　slay　fellow…citizens；　to　deceive　friends；　to　be　without　faith；　without　mercy；　without　religion；　such　methods　may　gain　empire；　but　not　glory。　Still；　if　the　courage　of　Agathocles　in　entering　into　and　extricating　himself　from　dangers　be　considered；　together　with　his　greatness　of　mind　in　enduring　and　overcoming　hardships；　it　cannot　be　seen　why　he　should　be　esteemed　less　than　the　most　notable　captain。　Nevertheless；　his　barbarous　cruelty　and　inhumanity　with　infinite　wickedness　do　not　permit　him　to　be　celebrated　among　the　most　excellent　men。　What　he　achieved　cannot　be　attributed　either　to　fortune　or　genius。

In　our　times；　during　the　rule　of　Alexander　the　Sixth；　Oliverotto　da　Fermo；　having　been　left　an　orphan　many　years　before；　was　brought　up　by　his　maternal　uncle；　Giovann