To how many thinges respecte ought to be had, in the ordringe of an
armie, 133
An example of Scipio, 134
In what place a Capitain maie order his armie with savegarde not to be
clene overthrowen, 135
Aniball and Scipio praised for the orderynge of their armies, 135
Cartes used of the Asiaticans, 137
Diverse examples of the antiquitie, 137
The prudence which the Capitaine ought to use, in the accidence that
chaunse in faightinge, 138
What a Capitaine ought to doo, that is the conqueror, or that is
conquered, 140
A Capitaine ought not to faighte the battaile, but with advauntage,
excepte he be constrained, 142
How to avoide the faightinge of the fielde, 144
Advertismentes that the Capitaine ought to have, 146
Speakyng to souldiers helpeth muche to make them to be curagious and
bolde, 146
Whether all the armie ought to bee spoken unto, or onely to the heddes
thereof, 147
IN THE FYVETH BOOKE
The manner how to leade an armie gowinge thorough suspected places, or
to incounter the enemie, 152
An example of Aniball, 156
Wether any thing oughte to bee commaunded with the voise or with the
trompet, 159
The occations why the warres made now a dayes, doo impoverish the
conquerors as well as the conquered, 162
Credite ought not to be given to thinges which stand nothinge with
reason, 164
The armie ought not to knowe what the Capitaine purposeth to doo, 165
Diverse examples, 167
IN THE SIXTE BOOKE
The maner how to incampe an armie, 175
How brode the spaces and the wayes ought to be within the campe, 182
What waye ought to be used when it is requiset to incampe nere the
enemie, 184
How the watche and warde ought to be apoincted in the campe, and what
punishmente they ought to have that doo not their dutie, 186
How the Romanies prohibited women to be in their armies and idell games
to be used, 188
How to incampe accordinge to the nomber of men, and what nomber of menne
maie suffise againste, what so ever enemie that wer, 191
How to doo to be assured, of the fideletie of those that are had in
suspition, 193
What a Capitaine ought to doo beinge beseged of his enemies, 194
Example of Coriliano and others, 195
It is requiset chiefly for a Capitain to kepe his souldiers punished and
payed, 197
Of aguries, 197
Moste excellent advertismentes and pollicies, 198
The occation of the overthrowe of the Frenchmen at Garigliano, 202
IN THE SEVENTH BOOKE
Cities are strong, either by nature or by industrie, 205
The maner of fortificacion, 205
Bulwarkes ought not to be made oute of a towne distante from the same,
207
Example of Genoa, 208
Of the Countes Catherin, 208
The fation of percullesies used in Almaine, 210
Howe the battelmentes of walles were made at the first, and how thei are
made now adaies, 210
The provisions that is mete to bee made, for the defence of a towne, 212
Divers pollicies, for the beseginge and defendinge of a toune or
fortres, 214
Secrete conveing of letters, 219
The defence againste a breache, 219
Generall rules of warre, 222
THE FIRST BOOKE
OF THE ARTE OF WARRE OF
NICHOLAS MACHIAVEL, CITEZEIN
AND SECRETARIE OF FLORENCE,
UNTO
LAURENCE PHILIP STROZZE
ONE OF THE NOBILTIE
OF FLORENCE.
THE FIRST BOOKE
Forasmuch as I beleve that after death, al men maie be praised without
charge, al occasion and suspecte of flatterie beyng taken awaie, I shal
not doubte to praise our Cosimo Ruchellay, whose name was never
remembred of me without teares, havyng knowen in him those condicions,
the whiche in a good frende or in a citezien, might of his freendes, or
of his countrie, be desired: for that I doe not knowe what thyng was so
muche his, not excepting any thing (saving his soule) which for his
frendes willingly of him should not have been spent: I knowe not what
enterprise should have made him afraide, where the same should have ben
knowen to have been for the benefite of his countrie. And I doe painly
confesse, not to have mette emongest so many men, as I have knowen, and
practised withal, a man, whose minde was more inflamed then his, unto
great and magnificent thynges. Nor he lamented not with his frendes of
any thyng at his death, but because he was borne to die a yong manne
within his owne house, before he had gotten honour, and accordynge to
his desire, holpen any manne: for that he knewe, that of him coulde not
be spoken other, savyng that there should be dead a good freende. Yet it
resteth not for this, that we, and what so ever other that as we did
know him, are not able to testifie (seeyng his woorkes doe not appere)
of his lawdable qualities. True it is, that fortune was not for al this,
so muche his enemie, that it left not some brief record of the
readinesse of his witte, as doeth declare certaine of his writinges, and
settyng foorthe of amorous verses, wherin (although he were not in love)
yet for that he would not consume time in vain, til unto profounder
studies fortune should have brought him, in his youthfull age he
exercised himselfe. Whereby moste plainly maie be comprehended, with how
moche felicitie he did describe his conceiptes, and how moche for
Poetrie he should have ben estemed, if the same for the ende therof, had
of him ben exercised. Fortune having therfore deprived us from the use
of so great a frende, me thinketh there can bee founde no other remedie,
then as muche as is possible, to seke to enjoye the memorie of the same,
and to repeate suche thynges as hath been of him either wittely saied,
or wisely disputed. And for as much as there is nothyng of him more
freshe, then the reasonyng, the whiche in his last daies Signior
Fabricio Collonna, in his orchard had with him, where largely of the
same gentilman were disputed matters of warre, bothe wittely and
prudently, for the moste parte of Cosimo demaunded, I thought good, for
that I was present there with certain other of our frendes, to bring it
to memorie, so that reading the same, the frendes of Cosimo, whiche
thether came, might renewe in their mindes, the remembraunce of his
vertue: and the other part beyng sorie for their absence, might partly
learne hereby many thynges profitable, not onely to the life of
Souldiours, but also to civil mennes lives, which gravely of a moste
wise man was disputed. Therfore I saie, that Fabricio Collonna
retournyng out of Lombardie, where longe time greatly to his glorie, he
had served in the warres the catholike kyng, he determined, passyng by
Florence, to rest himself certain daies in the same citee, to visite the
Dukes excellencie, and to see certaine gentilmen, whiche in times paste
he had been acquainted withal. For whiche cause, unto Cosimo it was
thought beste to bid him into his orchard, not so muche to use his
liberalitee, as to have occasion to talke with him at leasure, and of
him to understande and to learne divers thinges, accordyng as of suche a
man maie bee hoped for, semyng to have accasion to spende a daie in
reasonyng of suche matters, which to his minde should best satisfie him.
Then Fabricio came, accordyng to his desire, and was received of Cosimo
together, with certain of his trustie frendes, emongest whome wer Zanoby
Buondelmonti, Baptiste Palla, and Luigi Allamanni, all young men loved
of him and of the very same studies moste ardente, whose good qualities,
for as muche as every daie, and at every houre thei dooe praise
themselves, we will omit. Fabricio was then accordyng to the time and
place honoured, of all those honours, that thei could possible devise:
But the bankettyng pleasures beyng passed, and the tabel taken up, and
al preparacion of feastinges consumed, the which are sone at an ende in
sight of greate men, who to honorable studies have their mindes set, the
daie beyng longe, and the heate muche, Cosimo judged for to content
better his desire, that it wer well doen, takyng occasion to avoide the
heate, to bring him into the moste secret, and shadowest place of his
garden. Where thei beyng come, and caused to sit, some upon herbes, some
in the coldest places, other upon litle seates which there was ordeined,
under the shadow of moste high trees, Fabricio praiseth the place, to be
delectable, and particularly consideryng the trees, and not knowyng some
of them, he did stande musinge in his minde, whereof Cosimo beeyng a
ware saied, you have not peradventure ben acquainted with some of these
sortes of trees: But doe not marvell at it, for as muche as there bee
some, that were more estemed of the antiquitie, then thei are commonly
now a daies: and he tolde him the names of them, and how Barnardo his
graundfather did travaile in suche kinde of plantyng: Fabricio replied,
I thought it shuld be the same you saie, and this place, and this
studie, made me to remember certaine Princes of the Kyngdome of Naples,
whiche of these anncient tillage and shadow doe delight. And staiyng
upon this talke, and somewhat standyng in a studdie, saied moreover, if
I thought I should not offende, I woud tell my opinion, but I beleeve I
shall not, commonyng with friendes, and to dispute of thynges, and not
to condemne them. How much better thei should have doen (be it spoken
without displeasure to any man) to have sought to been like the
antiquitie in thinges strong, and sharpe, not in the delicate and softe:
and in those that thei did in the Sunne, not in the shadowe: and to take
the true and perfecte maners of the antiquitie: not those that are false
and corrupted: for that when these studies pleased my Romaines, my
countrie fell into ruin. Unto which Cosimo answered. But to avoide the
tediousnesse to repeate so many times he saied, and the other answered,
there shall be onely noted the names of those that speakes, without
rehersing other.
Then COSIMO saied, you have opened the waie of a reasoning, which I have
desired, and I praie you that you will speake withoute respecte, for
that that I without respecte will aske you, and if I demaundyng, or
repliyng shall excuse, or accuse any, it shal not be to excuse, or
accuse, but to understande of you the truth.
FABRICIO. And I shall be very well contented to tell you that, whiche I
understand of al the same that you shall aske me, the whiche if it shall
be true, or no, I wil report me to your judgemente: and I will be glad
that you aske me, for that I am to learne, as well of you in askyng me,
as you of me in aunswerynge you: for as muche as many times a wise
demaunder, maketh one to consider many thynges, and to knowe many other,
whiche without havyng been demaunded, he should never have knowen.
COSIMO. I will retourne to thesame, that you said first, that my
graundfather and those your Princes, should have doen more wisely, to
have resembled the antiquitie in hard thinges, then in the delicate, and
I will excuse my parte, for that, the other I shall leave to excuse for
you. I doe not beleve that in his tyme was any manne, that so moche
detested the livyng in ease, as he did, and that so moche was a lover of
the same hardenesse of life, whiche you praise: notwithstandyng he knewe
not how to bee able in persone, nor in those of his sonnes to use it,
beeyng borne in so corrupte a worlde, where one that would digresse from
the common use, should bee infamed and disdained of every man:
consideryng that if one in the hottest day of Summer being naked, should
wallowe hymself upon the Sande, or in Winter in the moste coldest
monethes upon the snowe, as Diogenes did, he should be taken as a foole.
If one, (as the Spartans were wonte to doe) should nourishe his children
in a village, makyng them to slepe in the open aire, to go with hedde
and feete naked, to washe them selves in the colde water for to harden
them, to be able to abide moche paine, and for to make theim to love
lesse life, and to feare lesse death, he should be scorned, and soner
taken as a wilde beast, then as a manne. If there wer seen also one, to
nourishe himself with peason and beanes, and to despise gold, as
Fabricio doeth, he should bee praised of fewe, and followed of none: so
that he being afraied of this present maner of livyng, he left
thauncient facions, and thesame, that he could with lest admiracion
imitate in the antiquitie, he did.
FABRICIO. You have excused it in this parte mooste strongly: and surely
you saie the truthe: but I did not speake so moche of this harde maner
of livyng, as of other maners more humaine, and whiche have with the
life now a daies greater conformitie. The whiche I doe not beleve, that
it hath been difficulte to bryng to passe unto one, who is nombred
emongest Princes of a citee: for the provyng whereof, I will never seke
other, then thexample of the Romaines. Whose lives, if thei wer well
considred, and thorders of thesame common weale, there should therin be
seen many thinges, not impossible to induce into a cominaltie, so that
it had in her any good thing.
COSIMO. What thynges are those, that you would induce like unto the
antiquitie.
FABRICIO. To honour, and to reward vertue, not to despise povertie, to
esteme the maners and orders of warfare, to constrain the citezeins to
love one an other, to live without sectes, to esteme lesse the private,
than the publike, and other like thinges, that easily might bee with
this time accompanied: the which maners ar not difficult to bring to
passe, when a man should wel consider them, and entre therin by due
meanes: for asmoche as in thesame, the truth so moche appereth, that
every common wit, maie easely perceive it: which thing, who that
ordeineth, doth plant trees, under the shadowe wherof, thei abide more
happie, and more pleasantly, then under these shadowes of this goodly
gardeine.
COSIMO. I will not speake any thyng againste thesame that you have
saied, but I will leave it to bee judged of these, whom easely can
judge, and I will tourne my communicacion to you, that is an accusar of
theim, the whiche in grave, and greate doynges, are not followers of the
antiquitie, thinkyng by this waie more easely to be in my entent
satisfied. Therfore, I would knowe of you whereof it groweth, that of
the one side you condempne those, that in their doynges resemble not the
antiquitie? Of the other, in the warre, whiche is your art, wherin you
are judged excellent, it is not seen, that you have indevoured your
self, to bryng the same to any soche ende, or any thyng at all resembled
therein the auncient maners.
FABRICIO. You are happened upon the poincte, where I loked: for that my
talke deserved no other question: nor I desired other: and albeit that I
could save my self with an easie excuse, not withstandyng for my more
contentacion, and yours, seyng that the season beareth it, I will enter
in moche longer reasoning. Those men, whiche will enterprise any thyng,
ought firste with all diligence to prepare theim selves, to be ready and
apte when occasion serveth, to accomplish that, which thei have
determined to worke: and for that when the preparacions are made
craftely, thei are not knowen, there cannot be accused any man of any
negligence, if firste it be not disclosed by thoccasion: in the which
working not, is after seen, either that there is not prepared so moche
as suffiseth, or that there hath not been of any part therof thought
upon. And for as moche as to me there is not come any occasion to be
able, to shewe the preparacions made of me, to reduce the servise of
warre into his auncient orders, if I have not reduced it, I cannot be of
you, nor of other blamed: I beleve this excuse shuld suffise for answere
to your accusement.
COSIMO. It should suffice, when I wer certain, that thoccasion were not
come.
FABRICIO. But for that I know, that you maie doubt whether this occasion
hath been cum, or no, I will largely (when you with pacience will heare
me) discourse what preparacions are necessary first to make, what
occasion muste growe, what difficultie doeth let, that the preparacions
help not, and why thoccasion cannot come, and how these things at ones,
which some contrary endes, is most difficill, and most easie to do.
COSIMO. You cannot do bothe to me, and unto these other, a thing more
thankfull then this. And if to you it shall not be tedious to speake,
unto us it shal never be grevous to heare: but for asmoch as this
reasonyng ought to be long, I will with your license take helpe of these
my frendes: and thei, and I praie you of one thyng, that is, that you
will not bee greved, if some tyme with some question of importaunce, we
interrupte you.
[Sidenote: Why a good man ought never to use the exercise of armes, as
his art.]
FABRICIO. I am moste well contented, that you Cosimo with these other
younge men here, doe aske me: for that I beleve, that youthfulnes, will
make you lovers of warlike thinges, and more easie to beleve thesame,
that of me shalbe saied. These other, by reason of havyng nowe their
hedde white, and for havyng upon their backes their bloude congeled,
parte of theim are wonte to bee enemies of warre, parte uncorrectable,
as those, whom beleve, that tymes, and not the naughtie maners,
constraine men to live thus: so that safely aske you all of me, and
without respecte: the whiche I desire, as well, for that it maie be unto
me a little ease, as also for that I shall have pleasure, not to leave
in your mynde any doubt. I will begin at your woordes, where you saied
unto me, that in the warre, that is my arte, I had not indevoured to
bryng it to any aunciente ende: whereupon I saie, as this beyng an arte,
whereby men of no maner of age can live honestly, it cannot bee used for
an arte, but of a common weale: or of a kyngdome: and the one and the
other of these, when thei bee well ordeined, will never consente to any
their Citezeins, or Subjectes, to use it for any arte, nor never any
good manne doeth exercise it for his particulare arte: for as moche as
good he shall never bee judged, whom maketh an excersise thereof, where
purposing alwaies to gaine thereby, it is requisite for hym to be
ravenyng, deceiptfull, violente, and to have many qualities, the whiche
of necessitie maketh hym not good: nor those menne cannot, whiche use it
for an arte, as well the greate as the leaste, bee made otherwise: for
that this arte doeth not nourishe them in peace. Wherfore thei ar
constrained either to thinke that there is no peace, or so moche to
prevaile in the tyme of warre, that in peace thei maie bee able to kepe
them selves: and neither of these two thoughtes happeneth in a good man:
for that in mindyng to bee able to finde himself at all tymes, dooe
growe robberies, violence, slaughters, whiche soche souldiours make as
well to the frendes, as to the enemies: and in mindyng not to have
peace, there groweth deceiptes, whiche the capitaines use to those,
whiche hire them, to the entent the warre maie continue, and yet though
the peace come often, it happeneth that the capitaines beyng deprived of
their stipendes, and of their licencious livyng, thei erecte an ansigne
of adventures, and without any pitie thei put to sacke a province. Have
not you in memorie of your affaires, how that beyng many Souldiours in
Italie without wages, bicause the warre was ended, thei assembled
together many companies, and went taxyng the tounes, and sackyng the
countrie, without beyng able to make any remedie? Have you not red, that
the Carthagenes souldiours, the first warre beyng ended which thei had
with the Romaines, under Matho, and Spendio, twoo capitaines,
rebelliously constituted of theim, made more perillous warre to the
Carthaginens, then thesame whiche thei had ended with the Romaines? In
the time of our fathers, Frances Sforza, to the entente to bee able to
live honourably in the time of peace, not only beguiled the Millenars,
whose souldiour he was, but he toke from them their libertie and became
their Prince. Like unto him hath been all the other souldiours of Italie
whiche have used warfare, for their particulare arte, and albeeit thei
have not through their malignitie becomen Dukes of Milein, so moche the
more thei deserve to bee blamed: for that although thei have not gotten
so moch as he, thei have all (if their lives wer seen) sought to bring
the like thynges to passe. Sforza father of Fraunces, constrained Quene
Jone, to caste her self into the armes of the king of Aragon, havyng in
a sodain forsaken her, and in the middest of her enemies, lefte her
disarmed, onely to satisfie his ambicion, either in taxyng her, or in
takyng from her the Kyngdome. Braccio with the verie same industrie,
sought to possesse the kyngdome of Naples, and if he had not been
overthrowen and slaine at Aquila, he had brought it to passe. Like
disorders growe not of other, then of soche men as hath been, that use
the exercise of warfare, for their proper arte. Have not you a Proverbe,
whiche fortefieth my reasons, whiche saieth, that warre maketh Theves,
and peace hangeth theim up? For as moche as those, whiche knowe not how
to live of other exercise, and in the same finding not enie man to
sustayne theym, and havyng not so moche power, to knowe how to reduce
theim selves together, to make an open rebellion, they are constrayned
of necessetie to Robbe in the highe waies, and Justice is enforced to
extinguishe theim.
COSIMO. You have made me to esteme this arte of warfare almoste as
nothyng, and I have supposed it the moste excellentes, and moste
honourableste that hath been used: so that if you declare me it not
better, I cannot remaine satisfied: For that when it is thesame, that
you saie, I knowe not, whereof groweth the glorie of Cesar, of Pompei,
of Scipio, of Marcello, and of so many Romaine Capitaines, whiche by
fame are celebrated as Goddes.