Page:The Prince.djvu/189

74 came desirous to fight by land, and to adopt the manners and customs of the other states of Itały.

They had however but little to fear from the ambition of their generals whilst their possessions by land were inconsiderable, because they were still sustained by the splendor of their ancient power; but they perceived their error in extending them when by the superior conduct of Carmignola they had defeated the Duke of Milan; for perceiving that he was a man of great abilities, but that he sought to prolong the war, they rightly judged that they could not expect to conquer contrary to the will of this general; on the other hand, not being ablé to dismiss him from his command without losing what they had gained by his valour, they made choice of having him assassinated.

The Venetians have since that timie had for their generals Bartolomeo da Bergamo, Roberto de St. Severino, and the Count of Pitigliano, from whom they had to fear more loss than gain; as happened to them in the affair of Vaifa, when they buried the fruit of eight hundred years of labour and difficulty. The successes which they obtained by their military forces were słow and feeble, but their defeats were sudden and almost miraculous.

Since these examples have led me to speak of Italy; and the melancholy experience she has had of the danger of employing foreign troops, I will resume the consideration of affairs from