小说园

第4部分（第1页）

d　the　fortune　ofhim　who　has　elevated　them　……　two　most　inconstant　and　unstable　things。Neither　have　they　the　knowledge　requisite　for　the　position；　because；unless　they　are　men　of　great　worth　and　ability；　it　is　not　reasonable　toexpect　that　they　should　know　how　to　mand；　having　always　lived　in　aprivate　condition；　besides；　they　cannot　hold　it　because　they　have　notforces　which　they　can　keep　friendly　and　faithful。States　that　rise　unexpectedly；　then；　like　all　other　things　in　naturewhich　are　born　and　grow　rapidly；　cannot　have　their　foundations　andrelations　with　other　states　fixed　in　such　a　way　that　the　first　stormwill　not　overthrow　them；　unless；　as　is　said；　those　who　unexpectedlybee　princes　are　men　of　so　much　ability　that　they　know　they　have　to　beprepared　at　once　to　hold　that　which　fortune　has　thrown　into　their　laps；and　that　those　foundations；　which　others　have　laid　before　they　becameprinces；　they　must　lay　afterwards。Concerning　these　two　methods　of　rising　to　be　a　prince　by　ability　orfortune；　I　wish　to　adduce　two　examples　within　our　own　recollection；　andthese　are　Francesco　Sforza　and　Cesare　Borgia。　Francesco；　by　proper　meansand　with　great　ability；　from　being　a　private　person　rose　to　be　Duke　ofMilan；　and　that　which　he　had　acquired　with　a　thousand　anxieties　he　keptwith　little　trouble。　On　the　other　hand；　Cesare　Borgia；　called　by　thepeople　Duke　Valentino；　acquired　his　state　during　the　ascendancy　of　hisfather；　and　on　its　decline　he　lost　it；　notwithstanding　that　he　had　takenevery　measure　and　done　all　that　ought　to　be　done　by　a　wise　and　able　manto　fix　firmly　his　roots　in　the　states　which　the　arms　and　fortunes　ofothers　had　bestowed　on　him。Because；　as　is　stated　above；　he　who　has　not　first　laid　his　foundationsmay　be　able　with　great　ability　to　lay　them　afterwards；　but　they　will　belaid　with　trouble　to　the　architect　and　danger　to　the　building。　If；therefore；　all　the　steps　taken　by　the　duke　be　considered；　it　will　beseen　that　he　laid　solid　foundations　for　his　future　power；　and　I　do　notconsider　it　superfluous　to　discuss　them；　because　I　do　not　know　whatbetter　precepts　to　give　a　new　prince　than　the　example　of　his　actions；and　if　his　dispositions　were　of　no　avail；　that　was　not　his　fault；　butthe　extraordinary　and　extreme　malignity　of　fortune。Alexander　VI；　in　wishing　to　aggrandize　the　duke；　his　son；　had　manyimmediate　and　prospective　difficulties。　Firstly；　he　did　not　see　his　wayto　make　him　master　of　any　state　that　was　not　a　state　of　the　Church；　andif　he　was　willing　to　rob　the　Church　he　knew　that　the　Duke　of　Milan　andthe　Veians　would　not　consent；　because　Faenza　and　Rimini　were　alreadyunder　the　protection　of　the　Veians。　Besides　this；　he　saw　the　arms　ofItaly；　especially　those　by　which　he　might　have　been　assisted；　in　handsthat　would　fear　the　aggrandizement　of　the　Pope；　namely；　the　Orsini　andthe　Colonna　and　their　following。　It　behoved　him；　therefore；　to　upsetthis　state　of　affairs　and　embroil　the　powers；　so　as　to　make　himselfsecurely　master　of　part　of　their　states。　This　was　easy　for　him　to　do；because　he　found　the　Veians；　moved　by　other　reasons；　inclined　tobring　back　the　French　into　Italy；　he　would　not　only　not　oppose　this；　buthe　would　render　it　more　easy　by　dissolving　the　former　marriage　of　KingLouis。　Therefore　the　king　came　into　Italy　with　the　assistance　of　theVeians　and　the　consent　of　Alexander。　He　was　no　sooner　in　Milan　thanthe　Pope　had　soldiers　from　him　for　the　attempt　on　the　Romagna；　whichyielded　to　him　on　the　reputation　of　the　king。　The　duke；　therefore；having　acquired　the　Romagna　and　beaten　the　Colonna；　while　wishing　tohold　that　and　to　advance　further；　was　hindered　by　two　things：　the　one；his　forces　did　not　appear　loyal　to　him；　the　other；　the　goodwill　ofFrance：　that　is　to　say；　he　feared　that　the　forces　of　the　Orsini；　whichwas　using；　would　not　stand　to　him；　that　not　only　might　they　hinder　himfrom　winning　more；　but　might　themselves　seize　what　he　had　won；　and　thatthe　King　might　also　do　the　same。　Of　the　Orsini　he　had　a　warning　when；after　taking　Faenza　and　attacking　Bologna；　he　saw　them　go　veryunwillingly　to　that　attack。　And　as　to　the　king；　he　learned　his　mind　whenhe　himself；　after　taking　the　duchy　of　Urbino；　attacked　Tuscany；　and　theking　made　him　desist　from　that　undertaking；　hence　the　duke　decided　todepend　no　more　upon　the　arms　and　the　luck　of　others。For　the　first　thing　he　weakened　the　Orsini　and　Colonna　parties　in　Rome；by　gaining　to　himself　all　their　adherents　who　were　gentlemen；　makingthem　his　gentlemen；　giving　them　good　pay；　and；　according　to　their　rank；honouring　them　with　office　and　mand　in　such　a　way　that　in　a　fewmonths　all　attachment　to　the　factions　was　destroyed　and　turned　entirelyto　the　duke。　After　this　he　awaited　an　opportunity　to　crush　the　Orsini；having　scattered　the　adherents　of　the　Colonna。　This　came　to　him　soon　andhe　used　it　well；　for　the　Orsini；　perceiving　at　length　that　theaggrandizement　of　the　duke　and　the　Church　was　ruin　to　them；　called　ameeting　at　Magione；　in　the　territory　of　Perugia。　From　this　sprung　therebellion　at　Urbino　and　the　tumults　in　the　Romagna；　with　endless　dangersto　the　duke；　all　of　which　he　overcame　with　the　help　of　the　French。Having　restored　his　authority；　not　to　leave　it　at　risk　by　trustingeither　to　the　French　or　other　outside　forces；　he　had　recourse　to　hiswiles；　and　he　knew　so　well　how　to　conceal　his　mind　that；　by　themediation　of　Signor　Paolo　＇Orsini＇　……　whom　the　duke　did　not　fail　tosecure　with　all　kinds　of　attention；　giving　him　money；　apparel；　andhorses　……　the　Orsini　were　reconciled；　so　that　their　simplicity　broughtthem　into　his　power　at　Sinigaglia。　Having　exterminated　the　leaders；　andturned　their　partisans　into　his　friends；　the　duke　had　laid　sufficientlygood　foundations　to　his　power；　having　all　the　Romagna　and　the　duchy　ofUrbino；　and　the　people　now　beginning　to　appreciate　their　prosperity；　hegained　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。When　the　duke　occupied　the　Romagna　he　found　it　under　the　rule　of　weakmasters；　who　rather　plundered　their　subjects　than　ruled　them；　and　gavethem　more　cause　for　disunion　than　for　union；　so　that　the　country　wasfull　of　robbery；　quarrels；　and　every　kind　of　violence；　and　so；　wishingto　bring　back　peace　and　obedience　to　authority；　he　considered　itnecessary　to　give　it　a　good　governor。　Thereupon　he　promoted　MesserRamiro　dOrco　＇de　Lorqua＇；　a　swift　and　cruel　man；　to　whom　he　gave　thefullest　power。　This　man　in　a　short　time　restored　peace　and　unity　withthe　greatest　success。　Afterwards　the　duke　considered　that　it　was　notadvisable　to　confer　such　excessive　authority；　for　he　had　no　doubt　butthat　he　would　bee　odious；　so　he　set　up　a　court　of　judgment　in　thecountry；　under　a　most　excellent　president；　wherein　all　cities　had　theiradvocates。　And　because　he　knew　that　the　past　severity　had　caused　somehatred　against　himself；　so；　to　clear　himself　in　the　minds　of　the　people；and　gain　them　entirely　to　himself；　he　desired　to　show　that；　if　anycruelty　had　been　practised；　it　had　not　originated　with　him；　but　in　thenatural　sternness　of　the　minister。　Under　this　pretence　he　took　Ramiro；and　one　morning　caused　him　to　be　executed　and　left　on　the　piazza　atCesena　with　the　block　and　a　bloody　knife　at　his　side。　The　barbarity　ofthis　spectacle　caused　the　people　to　be　at　once　satisfied　and　dismayed。But　let　us　return　whence　we　started。　I　say　that　the　duke；　findinghimself　now　sufficiently　powerful　and　partly　secured　from　immediatedangers　by　having　armed　himself　in　his　own　way；　and　having　in　a　greatmeasure　crushed　those　forces　in　his　vicinity　that　could　injure　him　if　hewished　to　proceed　with　his　conquest；　had　next　to　consider　France；　for　heknew　that　the　king；　who　too　late　was　aware　of　his　mistake；　would　notsupport　him。　And　from　this　time　he　began　to　seek　new　alliances　and　totemporize　with　France　in　the　expedition　which　she　was　making　towards　thekingdom　of　Naples　against　the　Spaniards　who　were　besieging　Gaeta。　It　washis　intention　to　secure　himself　against　them；　and　this　he　plished　had　Alexander　lived。Such　was　his　line　of　action　as　to　present　affairs。　But　as　to　the　futurehe　had　to　fear；　in　the　first　place；　that　a　new　successor　to　the　Churchmight　not　be　friendly　to　him　and　might　seek　to　take　from　him　that　whichAlexander　had　given　him；　so　he　decided　to　act　in　four　ways。　Firstly；　byexterminating　the　families　of　those　lords　whom　he　had　despoiled；　so　asto　take　away　that　pretext　from　the　Pope。　Secondly；　by　winning　to　himselfall　the　gentlemen　of　Rome；　so　as　to　be　able　to　curb　the　Pope　with　theiraid；　as　has　been　observed。　Thirdly；　by　converting　the　college　more　tohimself。　Fourthly；　by　acquiring　so　much　power　before　the　Pope　should　diethat　he　could　by　his　own　measures　resist　the　first　shock。　Of　these　fourthings；　at　the　death　of　Alexander；　he　had　acplished　three。　For　he　hadkilled　as　many　of　the　dispossessed　lords　as　he　could　lay　hands　on；　andfew　had　escaped；　he　had　won　over　the　Roman　gentlemen；　and　he　had　themost　numerous　party　in　the　college。　And　as　to　any　fresh　acquisition；　heintended　to　bee　master　of　Tuscany；　for　he　already　possessed　Perugiaand　Piombino；　and　Pisa　was　under　his　protection。　And　as　he　had　no　longerto　study　France　（for　the　French　were　already　driven　out　of　the　kingdomof　Naples　by　the　Spaniards；　and　in　this　way　both　were　pelled　to　buyhis　goodwill）；　he　pounced　down　upon　Pisa。　After　this；　Lucca　and　Sienayielded　at　once；　partly　through　hatred　and　partly　through　fear　of　theFlorentines；　and　the　Florentines　would　have　had　no　remedy　had　hecontinued　to　prosper；　as　he　was　prospering　the　year　that　Alexander　died；for　he　had　acquired　so　much　power　and　reputation　that　he　would　havestood　by　himself；　and　no　longer　have　depended　on　the　luck　and　the　forcesof　others；　but　solely　on　his　own　power　and　ability。But　Alexander　died　five　years　after　he　had　first　drawn　the　sword。　Heleft　the　duke　with　the　state　of　Romagna　alone　consolidated；　with　therest　in　the　air；　between　two　most　powerful　hostile　armies；　and　sick　untodeath。　Yet　there　were　in　the　duke　such　boldness　and　ability；　and　he　knewso　well　how　men　are　to　be　won　or　lost；　and　so　firm　were　the　foundationswhich　in　so　short　a　time　he　had　laid；　that　if　he　had　not　had　thosearmies　on　his　back；　or　if　he　had　been　in　good　health；　he　would　haveovere　all　difficulties。　And　it　is　seen　that　his　foundations　weregood；　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　e　to　Rome；　they　could　not　effectanything　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。　Butif　he　had　been　in　sound　health　at　the　death　of　Alexander；　everythingwould　have　been　easy　to　him。　On　the　day　that　Julius　II　was　elected；　hetold　me　that　he　had　thought　of　everything　that　might　occur　at　the　deathof　his　father；　and　had　provided　a　remedy　for　all；　except　that　he　hadnever　anticipated　that；　when　the　death　did　happen；　he　himself　would　beon　the　point　to　die。When　all　the　actions　of　the　duke　are　recalled；　I　do　not　know　how　toblame　him；　but　rather　it　appears　to　me；　as　I　have　said；　that　I　ought　tooffer　him　for　imitation　to　all　those　who；　by　the　fortune　or　the　arms　ofothers；　are　raised　to　government。　Because　he；　having　a　lofty　spirit　andfar…reaching　aims；　could　not　have　regulated　his　conduct　otherwise；　andonly　the　shortne