马基雅维里 君主论英文prince- 第8部分

them；　because；　being　exalted　and　maintained　by　God；　it　would　be　the　act

of　a　presumptuous　and　rash　man　to　discuss　them。



Nevertheless；　if　any　one　should　ask　of　me　how　es　it　that　the　Church

has　attained　such　greatness　in　temporal　power；　seeing　that　from

Alexander　backwards　the　Italian　potentates　（not　only　those　who　have　been

called　potentates；　but　every　baron　and　lord；　though　the　smallest）　have

valued　the　temporal　power　very　slightly　　yet　now　a　king　of　France

trembles　before　it；　and　it　has　been　able　to　drive　him　from　Italy；　and　to

ruin　the　Venetians　　although　this　may　be　very　manifest；　it　does　not

appear　to　me　superfluous　to　recall　it　in　some　measure　to　memory。



Before　Charles；　King　of　France；　passed　into　Italy；　this　country　was

under　the　dominion　of　the　Pope；　the　Venetians；　the　King　of　Naples；　the

Duke　of　Milan；　and　the　Florentines。　These　potentates　had　two　principal

anxieties：　the　one；　that　no　foreigner　should　enter　Italy　under　arms；　the

other；　that　none　of　themselves　should　seize　more　territory。　Those　about

whom　there　was　the　most　anxiety　were　the　Pope　and　the　Venetians。　To

restrain　the　Venetians　the　union　of　all　the　others　was　necessary；　as　it

was　for　the　defence　of　Ferrara；　and　to　keep　down　the　Pope　they　made　use

of　the　barons　of　Rome；　who；　being　divided　into　two　factions；　Orsini　and

Colonna；　had　always　a　pretext　for　disorder；　and；　standing　with　arms　in

their　hands　under　the　eyes　of　the　Pontiff；　kept　the　pontificate　weak　and

powerless。　And　although　there　might　arise　sometimes　a　courageous　pope；

such　as　Sixtus　＇IV＇；　yet　neither　fortune　nor　wisdom　could　rid　him　of

these　annoyances。　And　the　short　life　of　a　pope　is　also　a　cause　of

weakness；　for　in　the　ten　years；　which　is　the　average　life　of　a　pope；　he

can　with　difficulty　lower　one　of　the　factions；　and　if；　so　to　speak；　one

pope　should　almost　destroy　the　Colonna；　another　would　arise　hostile　to

the　Orsini；　who　would　support　their　opponents；　and　yet　would　not　have

time　to　ruin　the　Orsini。　This　was　the　reason　why　the　temporal　powers　of

the　pope　were　little　esteemed　in　Italy。



Alexander　VI　arose　afterwards；　who　of　all　the　pontiffs　that　have　ever

been　showed　how　a　pope　with　both　money　and　arms　was　able　to　prevail；　and

through　the　instrumentality　of　the　Duke　Valentino；　and　by　reason　of　the

entry　of　the　French；　he　brought　about　all　those　things　which　I　have

discussed　above　in　the　actions　of　the　duke。　And　although　his　intention

was　not　to　aggrandize　the　Church；　but　the　duke；　nevertheless；　what　he

did　contributed　to　the　greatness　of　the　Church；　which；　after　his　death

and　the　ruin　of　the　duke；　became　the　heir　to　all　his　labours。



Pope　Julius　came　afterwards　and　found　the　Church　strong；　possessing　all

the　Romagna；　the　barons　of　Rome　reduced　to　impotence；　and；　through　the

chastisements　Alexander；　the　factions　wiped　out；　he　also　found　the　way

open　to　accumulate　money　in　a　manner　such　as　had　never　been　practised

before　Alexander's　time。　Such　things　Julius　not　only　followed；　but

improved　upon；　and　he　intended　to　gain　Bologna；　to　ruin　the　Venetians；

and　to　drive　the　French　out　of　Italy。　All　of　these　enterprises　prospered

with　him；　and　so　much　the　more　to　his　credit；　inasmuch　as　he　did

everything　to　strengthen　the　Church　and　not　any　private　person。　He　kept

also　the　Orsini　and　Colonna　factions　within　the　bounds　in　which　he　found

them；　and　although　there　was　among　them　some　mind　to　make　disturbance；

nevertheless　he　held　two　things　firm：　the　one；　the　greatness　of　the

church；　with　which　he　terrified　them；　and　the　other；　not　allowing　them

to　have　their　own　cardinals；　who　caused　the　disorders　among　them。　For

whenever　these　factions　have　their　cardinals　they　do　not　remain　quiet

for　long；　because　cardinals　foster　the　factions　in　Rome　and　out　of　it；

and　the　barons　are　pelled　to　support　them；　and　thus　from　the

ambitions　of　prelates　arise　disorders　and　tumults　among　the　barons。　For

these　reasons　his　Holiness　Pope　Leo　found　the　pontificate　most　powerful；

and　it　is　to　be　hoped　that；　if　others　made　it　great　in　arms；　he　will

make　it　still　greater　and　more　venerated　by　his　goodness　and　infinite

other　virtues。



CHAPTER　XII



HOW　MANY　KINDS　OF　SOLDIERY　THERE　ARE；　AND　CONCERNING　MERCENARIES



HAVING　discoursed　particularly　on　the　characteristics　of　such

principalities　as　in　the　beginning　I　proposed　to　discuss；　and　having

considered　in　some　degree　the　causes　of　their　being　good　or　bad；　and

having　shown　the　methods　by　which　many　have　sought　to　acquire　them　and

to　hold　them；　it　now　remains　for　me　to　discuss　generally　the　means　of

offence　and　defence　which　belong　to　each　of　them。



We　have　seen　above　how　necessary　it　is　for　a　prince　to　have　his

foundations　well　laid；　otherwise　it　follows　of　necessity　he　will　go　to

ruin。　The　chief　foundations　of　all　states；　new　as　well　as　old　or

posite；　are　good　laws　and　good　arms；　and　as　there　cannot　be　good　laws

where　the　state　is　not　well　armed；　it　follows　that　where　they　are　well

armed　they　have　good　laws。　I　shall　leave　the　laws　out　of　the　discussion

and　shall　speak　of　the　arms。



I　say；　therefore；　that　the　arms　with　which　a　prince　defends　his　state

are　either　his　own；　or　they　are　mercenaries；　auxiliaries；　or　mixed。

Mercenaries　and　auxiliaries　are　useless　and　dangerous；　and　if　one　holds

his　state　based　on　these　arms；　he　will　stand　neither　firm　nor　safe；　for

they　are　disunited；　ambitious　and　without　discipline；　unfaithful；

valiant　before　friends；　cowardly　before　enemies；　they　have　neither　the

fear　of　God　nor　fidelity　to　men；　and　destruction　is　deferred　only　so

long　as　the　attack　is；　for　in　peace　one　is　robbed　by　them；　and　in　war　by

the　enemy。　The　fact　is；　they　have　no　other　attraction　or　reason　for

keeping　the　field　than　a　trifle　of　stipend；　which　is　not　sufficient　to

make　them　willing　to　die　for　you。　They　are　ready　enough　to　be　your

soldiers　whilst　you　do　not　make　war；　but　if　war　es　they　take

themselves　off　or　run　from　the　foe；　which　I　should　have　little　trouble

to　prove；　for　the　ruin　of　Italy　has　been　caused　by　nothing　else　than　by

resting　all　her　hopes　for　many　years　on　mercenaries；　and　although　they

formerly　made　some　display　and　appeared　valiant　amongst　themselves；　yet

when　the　foreigners　came　they　showed　what　they　were。　Thus　it　was　that

Charles；　King　of　France；　was　allowed　to　seize　Italy　with　chalk　in　hand；

＇1＇　and　he　who　told　us　that　our　sins　were　the　cause　of　it　told　the

truth；　but　they　were　not　the　sins　he　imagined；　but　those　which　I　have

related。　And　as　they　were　the　sins　of　princes；　it　is　the　princes　who

have　also　suffered　the　penalty。



I　wish　to　demonstrate　further　the　infelicity　of　these　arms。　The

mercenary　captains　are　either　capable　men　or　they　are　not；　if　they　are；

you　cannot　trust　them；　because　they　always　aspire　to　their　own

greatness；　either　by　oppressing　you；　who　are　their　master；　or　others

contrary　to　your　intentions；　but　if　the　captain　is　not　skilful；　you　are

ruined　in　the　usual　way。



And　if　it　be　urged　that　whoever　is　armed　will　act　in　the　same　way；

whether　mercenary　or　not；　I　reply　that　when　arms　have　to　be　resorted　to；

either　by　a　prince　or　a　republic；　then　the　prince　ought　to　go　in　person

and　perform　the　duty　of　captain；　the　republic　has　to　send　its　citizens；

and　when　one　is　sent　who　does　not　turn　out　satisfactorily；　it　ought　to

recall　him；　and　when　one　is　worthy；　to　hold　him　by　the　laws　so　that　he

does　not　leave　the　mand。　And　experience　has　shown　princes　and

republics；　single…handed；　making　the　greatest　progress；　and　mercenaries

doing　nothing　except　damage；　and　it　is　more　difficult　to　bring　a

republic；　armed　with　its　own　arms；　under　the　sway　of　one　of　its　citizens

than　it　is　to　bring　one　armed　with　foreign　arms。　Rome　and　Sparta　stood

for　many　ages　armed　and　free。　The　Switzers　are　pletely　armed　and

quite　free。



Of　ancient　mercenaries；　for　example；　there　are　the　Carthaginians；　who

were　oppressed　by　their　mercenary　soldiers　after　the　first　war　with　the

Romans；　although　the　Carthaginians　had　their　own　citizens　for　captains。

After　the　death　of　Epaminondas；　Philip　of　Macedon　was　made　captain　of

their　soldiers　by　the　Thebans；　and　after　victory　he　took　away　their

liberty。



Duke　Filippo　being　dead；　the　Milanese　enlisted　Francesco　Sforza　against

the　Venetians；　and　he；　having　overe　the　enemy　at　Caravaggio；　allied

himself　with　them　to　crush　the　Milanese；　his　masters。　His　father；

Sforza；　having　been　engaged　by　Queen　Johanna　of　Naples；　left　her

unprotected；　so　that　she　was　forced　to　throw　herself　into　the　arms　of

the　King　of　Aragon；　in　order　to　save　her　kingdom。　And　if　the　Venetians

and　Florentines　formerly　extended　their　dominions　by　these　arms；　and　yet

their　captains　did　not　make　themselves　princes；　but　have　defended　them；

I　reply　that　the　Florentines　in　this　case　have　been　favoured　by　chance；

for　of　the　able　captains；　of　whom　they　might　have　stood　in　fear；　some

have　not　conquered；　some　have　been　opposed；　and　others　have　turned　their

ambitions　elsewhere。　One　who　did　not　conquer　was　Giovanni　Acuto；　＇2＇　and

since　he　did　not　conquer　his　fidelity　cannot　be　proved；　but　every　one

will　acknowledge　that；　had　he　conquered；　the　Florentines　would　have

stood　at　his　discretion。　Sforza　had　the　Bracceschi　always　against　him；

so　they　watched　each　other。　Francesco　turned　his　ambition　to　Lombardy；

Braccio　against　the　Church　and　the　kingdom　of　Naples。　But　let　us　e　to

that　which　happened　a　short　while　ago。　The　Florentines　appointed　as

their　captain　Paolo　Vitelli；　a　most　prudent　man；　who　from　a　private

position　had　risen　to　the　greatest　renown。　If　this　man　had　taken　Pisa；

nobody　can　deny　that　it　would　have　been　proper　for　the　Florentines　to

keep　in　with　him；　for　if　he　became　the　soldier　of　their　enemies　they　had

no　means　of　resisting；　and　if　they　held　to　him　they　must　obey　him。　The

Venetians；　if　their　achievements　are　considered；　will　be　seen　to　have

acted　safely　and　gloriously　so　long　as　they　sent　to　war　their　own　men；

when　with　armed