the prince-第7部分

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as　is　said；　those　who　unexpectedly　become　princes　are　men　of　so　much　ability　that　they　know　they　have　to　be　prepared　at　once　to　hold　that　which　fortune　has　thrown　into　their　laps；　and　that　those　foundations；　which　others　have　laid　BEFORE　they　became　princes；　they　must　lay　AFTERWARDS。

＇*＇　〃Le　radici　e　corrispondenze；〃　their　roots　（i。e。　foundations）　and　　　　　correspondencies　or　relations　with　other　statesa　common　meaning　　　　　of　〃correspondence〃　and　〃correspondency〃　in　the　sixteenth　and　　　　　seventeenth　centuries。

Concerning　these　two　methods　of　rising　to　be　a　prince　by　ability　or　fortune；　I　wish　to　adduce　two　examples　within　our　own　recollection；　and　these　are　Francesco　Sforza＇*＇　and　Cesare　Borgia。　Francesco；　by　proper　means　and　with　great　ability；　from　being　a　private　person　rose　to　be　Duke　of　Milan；　and　that　which　he　had　acquired　with　a　thousand　anxieties　he　kept　with　little　trouble。　On　the　other　hand；　Cesare　Borgia；　called　by　the　people　Duke　Valentino；　acquired　his　state　during　the　ascendancy　of　his　father；　and　on　its　decline　he　lost　it；　notwithstanding　that　he　had　taken　every　measure　and　done　all　that　ought　to　be　done　by　a　wise　and　able　man　to　fix　firmly　his　roots　in　the　states　which　the　arms　and　fortunes　of　others　had　bestowed　on　him。

＇*＇　Francesco　Sforza；　born　1401；　died　1466。　He　married　Bianca　Maria　　　　　Visconti；　a　natural　daughter　of　Filippo　Visconti；　the　Duke　of　　　　　Milan；　on　whose　death　he　procured　his　own　elevation　to　the　duchy。　　　　　Machiavelli　was　the　accredited　agent　of　the　Florentine　Republic　to　　　　　Cesare　Borgia　（1478…1507）　during　the　transactions　which　led　up　to　　　　　the　assassinations　of　the　Orsini　and　Vitelli　at　Sinigalia；　and　　　　　along　with　his　letters　to　his　chiefs　in　Florence　he　has　left　an　　　　　account；　written　ten　years　before　〃The　Prince；〃　of　the　proceedings　　　　　of　the　duke　in　his　〃Descritione　del　modo　tenuto　dal　duca　Valentino　　　　　nello　ammazzare　Vitellozzo　Vitelli；〃　etc。；　a　translation　of　which　　　　　is　appended　to　the　present　work。

Because；　as　is　stated　above；　he　who　has　not　first　laid　his　foundations　may　be　able　with　great　ability　to　lay　them　afterwards；　but　they　will　be　laid　with　trouble　to　the　architect　and　danger　to　the　building。　If；　therefore；　all　the　steps　taken　by　the　duke　be　considered；　it　will　be　seen　that　he　laid　solid　foundations　for　his　future　power；　and　I　do　not　consider　it　superfluous　to　discuss　them；　because　I　do　not　know　what　better　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；　but　the　extraordinary　and　extreme　malignity　of　fortune。

Alexander　the　Sixth；　in　wishing　to　aggrandize　the　duke；　his　son；　had　many　immediate　and　prospective　difficulties。　Firstly；　he　did　not　see　his　way　to　make　him　master　of　any　state　that　was　not　a　state　of　the　Church；　and　if　he　was　willing　to　rob　the　Church　he　knew　that　the　Duke　of　Milan　and　the　Venetians　would　not　consent；　because　Faenza　and　Rimini　were　already　under　the　protection　of　the　Venetians。　Besides　this；　he　saw　the　arms　of　Italy；　especially　those　by　which　he　might　have　been　assisted；　in　hands　that　would　fear　the　aggrandizement　of　the　Pope；　namely；　the　Orsini　and　the　Colonnesi　and　their　following。　It　behoved　him；　therefore；　to　upset　this　state　of　affairs　and　embroil　the　powers；　so　as　to　make　himself　securely　master　of　part　of　their　states。　This　was　easy　for　him　to　do；　because　he　found　the　Venetians；　moved　by　other　reasons；　inclined　to　bring　back　the　French　into　Italy；　he　would　not　only　not　oppose　this；　but　he　would　render　it　more　easy　by　dissolving　the　former　marriage　of　King　Louis。　Therefore　the　king　came　into　Italy　with　the　assistance　of　the　Venetians　and　the　consent　of　Alexander。　He　was　no　sooner　in　Milan　than　the　Pope　had　soldiers　from　him　for　the　attempt　on　the　Romagna；　which　yielded　to　him　on　the　reputation　of　the　king。　The　duke；　therefore；　having　acquired　the　Romagna　and　beaten　the　Colonnesi；　while　wishing　to　hold　that　and　to　advance　further；　was　hindered　by　two　things：　the　one；　his　forces　did　not　appear　loyal　to　him；　the　other；　the　goodwill　of　France：　that　is　to　say；　he　feared　that　the　forces　of　the　Orsini；　which　he　was　using；　would　not　stand　to　him；　that　not　only　might　they　hinder　him　from　winning　more；　but　might　themselves　seize　what　he　had　won；　and　that　the　king　might　also　do　the　same。　Of　the　Orsini　he　had　a　warning　when；　after　taking　Faenza　and　attacking　Bologna；　he　saw　them　go　very　unwillingly　to　that　attack。　And　as　to　the　king；　he　learned　his　mind　when　he　himself；　after　taking　the　Duchy　of　Urbino；　attacked　Tuscany；　and　the　king　made　him　desist　from　that　undertaking；　hence　the　duke　decided　to　depend　no　more　upon　the　arms　and　the　luck　of　others。

For　the　first　thing　he　weakened　the　Orsini　and　Colonnesi　parties　in　Rome；　by　gaining　to　himself　all　their　adherents　who　were　gentlemen；　making　them　his　gentlemen；　giving　them　good　pay；　and；　according　to　their　rank；　honouring　them　with　office　and　command　in　such　a　way　that　in　a　few　months　all　attachment　to　the　factions　was　destroyed　and　turned　entirely　to　the　duke。　After　this　he　awaited　an　opportunity　to　crush　the　Orsini；　having　scattered　the　adherents　of　the　Colonna　house。　This　came　to　him　soon　and　he　used　it　well；　for　the　Orsini；　perceiving　at　length　that　the　aggrandizement　of　the　duke　and　the　Church　was　ruin　to　them；　called　a　meeting　of　the　Magione　in　Perugia。　From　this　sprung　the　rebellion　at　Urbino　and　the　tumults　in　the　Romagna；　with　endless　dangers　to　the　duke；　all　of　which　he　overcame　with　the　help　of　the　French。　Having　restored　his　authority；　not　to　leave　it　at　risk　by　trusting　either　to　the　French　or　other　outside　forces；　he　had　recourse　to　his　wiles；　and　he　knew　so　well　how　to　conceal　his　mind　that；　by　the　mediation　of　Signor　Pagolowhom　the　duke　did　not　fail　to　secure　with　all　kinds　of　attention；　giving　him　money；　apparel；　and　horsesthe　Orsini　were　reconciled；　so　that　their　simplicity　brought　them　into　his　power　at　Sinigalia。＇*＇　Having　exterminated　the　leaders；　and　turned　their　partisans　into　his　friends；　the　duke　laid　sufficiently　good　foundations　to　his　power；　having　all　the　Romagna　and　the　Duchy　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