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d　get　away；　with　his　plans　arranged　and　everythingfixed；　as　any　other　pontiff　would　have　done；　he　would　never　havesucceeded。　Because　the　King　of　France　would　have　made　a　thousandexcuses；　and　the　others　would　have　raised　a　thousand　fears。I　will　leave　his　other　actions　alone；　as　they　were　all　alike；　and　theyall　succeeded；　for　the　shortness　of　his　life　did　not　let　him　experiencethe　contrary；　but　if　circumstances　had　arisen　　to　gocautiously；　his　ruin　would　have　followed；　because　he　would　never　havedeviated　from　those　ways　to　which　nature　inclined　him。I　conclude　therefore　that；　fortune　being　changeful　and　mankind　steadfastin　their　ways；　so　long　as　the　two　are　in　agreement　men　are　successful；but　unsuccessful　when　they　fall　out。　For　my　part　I　consider　that　it　isbetter　to　be　adventurous　than　cautious；　because　fortune　is　a　woman；　andif　you　wish　to　keep　her　under　it　is　necessary　to　beat　and　ill…use　her；and　it　is　seen　that　she　allows　herself　to　be　mastered　by　the　adventurousrather　than　by　those　who　go　to　work　more　coldly。　She　is；　therefore；always；　woman…like；　a　lover　of　young　men；　because　they　are　lesscautious；　more　violent；　and　with　more　audacity　mand　her。CHAPTER　XXVIAN　EXHORTATION　TO　LIBERATE　ITALY　FROM　THE　BARBARIANSHAVING　carefully　considered　the　subject　of　the　above　discourses；　andwondering　within　myself　whether　the　present　times　were　propitious　to　anew　prince；　and　whether　there　were　the　elements　that　would　give　anopportunity　to　a　wise　and　virtuous　one　to　introduce　a　new　order　ofthings　which　would　do　honour　to　him　and　good　to　the　people　of　thiscountry；　it　appears　to　me　that　so　many　things　concur　to　favour　a　newprince　that　I　never　knew　a　time　more　fit　than　the　present。And　if；　as　I　said；　it　was　necessary　that　the　people　of　Israel　should　becaptive　so　as　to　make　manifest　the　ability　of　Moses；　that　the　Persiansshould　be　oppressed　by　the　Medes　so　as　to　discover　the　greatness　of　thesoul　of　Cyrus；　and　that　the　Athenians　should　be　dispersed　to　illustratethe　capabilities　of　Theseus：　then　at　the　present　time；　in　order　todiscover　the　virtue　of　an　Italian　spirit；　it　was　necessary　that　Italyshould　be　reduced　to　the　extremity　she　is　now　in；　that　she　should　bemore　enslaved　than　the　Hebrews；　more　oppressed　than　the　Persians；　morescattered　than　the　Athenians；　without　head；　without　order；　beaten；despoiled；　torn；　overrun；　and　to　have　endured　every　kind　of　desolation。Although　lately　some　spark　may　have　been　shown　by　one；　which　made　usthink　he　was　ordained　by　God　for　our　redemption；　nevertheless　it　wasafterwards　seen；　in　the　height　of　his　career；　that　fortune　rejected　him；so　that　Italy；　left　as　without　life；　waits　for　him　who　shall　yet　healher　wounds　and　put　an　end　to　the　ravaging　and　plundering　of　Lombardy；　tothe　swindling　and　taxing　of　the　kingdom　and　of　Tuscany；　and　cleansethose　sores　that　for　long　have　festered。　It　is　seen　how　she　entreats　Godto　send　someone　who　shall　deliver　her　from　these　wrongs　and　barbarousinsolencies。　It　is　seen　also　that　she　is　ready　and　willing　to　follow　abanner　if　only　someone　will　raise　it。Nor　is　there　to　be　seen　at　present　one　in　whom　she　can　place　more　hopethan　in　your　illustrious　house；　with　its　valour　and　fortune；　favoured　byGod　and　by　the　Church　of　which　it　is　now　the　chief；　and　which　could　bemade　the　head　of　this　redemption。　This　will　not　be　difficult　if　you　willrecall　to　yourself　the　actions　and　lives　of　the　men　I　have　named。　Andalthough　they　were　great　and　wonderful　men；　yet　they　were　men；　and　eachone　of　them　had　no　more　opportunity　than　the　present　offers；　for　theirenterprises　were　neither　more　just　nor　easier　than　this；　nor　was　Godmore　their　friend　than　He　is　yours。With　us　there　is　great　justice；　because　that　war　is　just　which　isnecessary；　and　arms　are　hallowed　when　there　is　no　other　hope　but　inthem。　Here　there　is　the　greatest　willingness；　and　where　the　willingnessis　great　the　difficulties　cannot　be　great　if　you　will　only　follow　thosemen　to　whom　I　have　directed　your　attention。　Further　than　this；　howextraordinarily　the　ways　of　God　have　been　manifested　beyond　example：　thesea　is　divided；　a　cloud　has　led　the　way；　the　rock　has　poured　forthwater；　it　has　rained　manna；　everything　has　contributed　to　yourgreatness；　you　ought　to　do　the　rest。　God　is　not　willing　to　doeverything；　and　thus　take　away　our　free　will　and　that　share　of　glorywhich　belongs　to　us。And　it　is　not　to　be　wondered　at　if　none　of　the　above…named　Italians　havebeen　able　to　acplish　all　that　is　expected　from　your　illustrioushouse；　and　if　in　so　many　revolutions　in　Italy；　and　in　so　many　campaigns；it　has　always　appeared　as　if　military　virtue　were　exhausted；　this　hashappened　because　the　old　order　of　things　was　not　good；　and　none　of　ushave　known　how　to　find　a　new　one。　And　nothing　honours　a　man　more　than　toestablish　new　laws　and　new　ordinances　when　he　himself　was　newly　risen。Such　things　when　they　are　well　founded　and　dignified　will　make　himrevered　and　admired；　and　in　Italy　there　are　not　wanting　opportunities　tobring　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　bats；　how　superiorthe　Italians　are　in　strength；　dexterity；　and　subtlety。　But　when　it　esto　armies　they　do　not　bear　parison；　and　this　springs　entirely　fromthe　insufficiency　of　the　leaders；　since　those　who　are　capable　are　notobedient；　and　each　one　seems　to　himself　to　know；　there　having　never　beenany　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；　andduring　so　much　fighting　in　the　past　twenty　years；　whenever　there　hasbeen　an　army　wholly　Italian；　it　has　always　given　a　poor　account　ofitself；　as　witness　Taro；　Alessandria；　Capua；　Genoa；　Vaila；　Bologna；Mestre。If；　therefore；　your　illustrious　house　wishes　to　follow　those　remarkablemen　who　have　redeemed　their　country；　it　is　necessary　before　all　things；as　a　true　foundation　for　every　enterprise；　to　be　provided　with　your　ownforces；　because　there　can　be　no　more　faithful；　truer；　or　bettersoldiers。　And　although　singly　they　are　good；　altogether　they　will　bemuch　better　when　they　find　themselves　manded　by　their　prince；honoured　by　him；　and　maintained　at　his　expense。　Therefore　it　isnecessary　to　be　prepared　with　such　arms；　so　that　you　can　be　defendedagainst　foreigners　by　Italian　valour。And　although　Swiss　and　Spanish　infantry　may　be　considered　veryformidable；　nevertheless　there　is　a　defect　in　both；　by　reason　of　which　athird　order　would　not　only　be　able　to　oppose　them；　but　might　be　reliedupon　to　overthrow　them。　For　the　Spaniards　cannot　resist　cavalry；　and　theSwitzers　are　afraid　of　infantry　whenever　they　encounter　them　in　closebat。　Owing　to　this；　as　has　been　and　may　again　be　seen；　the　Spaniardsare　unable　to　resist　French　cavalry；　and　the　Switzers　are　overthrown　byinfantry。　And　although　a　plete　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；　whofollow　the　same　tactics　as　the　Swiss；　when　the　Spaniards；　by　agility　ofbody　and　with　the　aid　of　their　shields；　got　in　under　the　pikes　of　theGermans　and　stood　out　of　danger；　able　to　attack；　while　the　Germans　stoodhelpless；　and；　if　the　cavalry　had　not　dashed　up；　all　would　have　beenover　with　them。　It　is　possible；　therefore；　knowing　the　defects　of　boththese　infantries；　to　invent　a　new　one；　which　will　resist　cavalry　and　notbe　afraid　of　infantry；　this　need　not　create　a　new　order　of　arms；　but　avariation　upon　the　old。　And　these　are　the　kind　of　improvements　whichconfer　reputation　and　power　upon　a　new　prince。This　opportunity；　therefore；　ought　not　to　be　allowed　to　pass　for　lettingItaly　at　last　see　her　liberator　appear。　Nor　can　one　express　the　lovewith　which　he　would　be　received　in　all　those　provinces　which　havesuffered　so　much　from　these　foreign　scourings；　with　what　thirst　forrevenge；　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　allof　us　this　barbarous　dominion　stinks。　Let；　therefore；　your　illustrioushouse　take　up　this　charge　with　that　courage　and　hope　with　which　all　justenterprises　are　undertaken；　so　that　under　its　standard　our　nativecountry　may　be　ennobled；　and　under　its　auspices　may　be　verified　thatsaying　of　Petrarch：　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Virtu　contro　al　Furore　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Prendera　l'arme；　e　fia　il　batter　corto：　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Che　l'antico　valore　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Negli　italici　cuor　non　e　ancor　morto。　＇1＇1。　Virtue　against　fury　shall　advance　the　fight；　　　And　it　i'　th'　bat　soon　shall　put　to　flight；　　　For　the　old　Roman；　valour　is　not　dead；　　　Nor　in　th'　Italians'　breasts　extinguished。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　


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