Page:The Works of the Famous Nicholas Machiavel.djvu/545

Book VII. they mut become a prey to any that would attack them. Thee things in the year 1494 were the occaion of thoe flights, and fears, and depredations, by which three of the mot potent States in Italy were frequently detroyed. But the wort is, they which remain, continue in the ame errors, and live in the fame diorder, without any conideration that thoe who formerly deired to preerve their Dominions, did all that I have precribed this day; and that their whole tudy was to accutom themelves both minds and bodies to labour, to trouble, and depiing of danger. And this was the caue that Cæar, and Alexander, and all the valiant and brave Princes were always at the head of their Armies, compleatly armed and on foot, and rather than loe their tates they would loe their lives; o as they lived and dyed with a great deal of honour: And though perhaps ome of them might be condemned for their ambition, and exorbitant deire to reign; yet they could never be accued of effeminacy, or doing any thing that might render them delicate and unmanly. Which paages if they were read and believed by the Princes of our times, it would be impoible but they mut alter their coure of life, and their Provinces their fortune. But becaue in the beginning of our dicoure you complained of your Militia, I tell you, that if you have ordered it according to my aboveaid direction, and it has not anwered your expectation, you have reaon to complain; but it be not ordered and exercied according to my rules, the complaint lyes more properly againt you, who has made it rather an abortion, than a perfect production. The Venetians, and the Duke of Ferrara began very well, but they did not perevere, and it was imputable rather to themelves, than their Soldiers. And let me affirm this to you for a truth, and among all the preent Princes of Italy, he who takes his way firt, and oberves thee rules and thee orders, hall make himelf greater than any Prince in that Country; and it hall happen to his Subjects as to the Kingdom of Macedon, which falling under the Dominion of King Phillip, was improved to that height by this order and exercie (whilt the ret of Greece were idle, and if employed at all, it was in following Plays and Balls, and uch effeminate entertainments) that in a few years time he was able to conquer the whole Country, and leave a foundation to his Son to make himelf Monarch of the whole world. He then who depies this Doctrine, if he be a Prince depies his own Principality; and if a Citizen, his own City. And in this I cannot but complain of Nature, who hould either have not uffered me to have known thee things; or have given me power to have executed them, which is a thing I can never hope for now, as growing old, and towards the end of my days. For this reaon I have dicoured the more frankly with you who are young, and o qualified that you may be able (if you be atisfied with what is aid) to give the ame Council to your own Princes when occaion hall be offered, and I hope with ucces; and of this I beg you would not dipond; for this Province eems to have a peculiar faculty of reviving things that are dead, as it has done Poetry, and Painting, and Sculpture; though for my own part I cannot expect to ee it, as having one foot already in the grave. Certainly had fortune indulged me in my young days, o far as to have afforded o much Territory as uch an enterprize required, I believe in a hort time I would have demontrated to the world the power and efficacy of the orders of the Ancients, by means of which hould have enlarged my Dominions with honour, or lot them without hame.

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