purposed to propounde: whiche were twoo thynges, the one, that a good
manne could not use this exercise for his arte: the other, that a common
weale or a kingdome well governed, did never permitte, that their
Subjectes or Citezeins should use it for an arte. Aboute the firste, I
have spoken as moche as hath comen into my mynde: there remaineth in me
to speake of the seconde where I woll come to aunswere to this your
laste question, and I saie that Pompey and Cesar, and almoste all those
Capitaines, whiche were at Rome, after the laste Carthagenens warre,
gotte fame as valiaunt men, not as good, and those whiche lived before
them, gotte glorie as valiaunte and good menne: the whiche grewe, for
that these tooke not the exercise of warre for their arte: and those
whiche I named firste, as their arte did use it. And so longe as the
common weale lived unspotted, never any noble Citezein would presume, by
the meane of soche exercise, to availe thereby in peace, breakyng the
lawes, spoilyng the Provinces, usurpyng, and plaiyng the Tyraunte in the
countrie, and in every maner prevailyng: nor any of how lowe degree so
ever thei were, would goe aboute to violate the Religion, confederatyng
theim selves with private men, not to feare the Senate, or to followe
any tirannicall insolence, for to bee able to live with the arte of
warre in all tymes. But those whiche were Capitaines, contented with
triumphe, with desire did tourne to their private life, and those whiche
were membres, would be more willyng to laie awaie their weapons, then to
take them, and every manne tourned to his science, whereby thei gotte
their livyng: Nor there was never any, that would hope with praie, and
with this arte, to be able to finde theim selves. Of this there maie be
made concernyng Citezeins, moste evidente conjecture, by the ensample of
Regolo Attillio, who beyng Capitain of the Romaine armies in Affrica,
and havyng as it wer overcome the Carthegenens, he required of the
Senate, licence to retourne home, to kepe his possessions, and told
them, that thei were marde of his housbandmen. Whereby it is more clere
then the Sunne, that if thesame manne had used the warre as his arte,
and by meanes thereof, had purposed to have made it profitable unto him,
havyng in praie so many Provinces, he would not have asked license, to
returne to kepe his feldes: for as moche as every daie he might
otherwise, have gotten moche more, then the value of al those
possessions: but bicause these good men and soche as use not the warre
for their arte, will not take of thesame any thing then labour,
perilles, and gloris, when thei are sufficiently glorious, thei desire
to returne home, and to live of their owne science. Concernyng menne of
lowe degree, and common souldiours, to prove that thei kepte the verie
same order, it doeth appeare that every one willingly absented theim
selves from soche exercise, and when thei served not in the warre, thei
would have desired to serve, and when thei did serve, thei would have
desired leave not to have served: whiche is wel knowen through many
insamples, and inespecially seeyng how emonge the firste privileges,
whiche the Romaine people gave to their Citezeins was, that thei should
not be constrained against their willes, to serve in the warres.
Therefore Rome so long as it was well governed, whiche was untill the
commyng of Graccus, it had not any Souldiour that would take this
exercise for an arte, and therefore it had fewe naughtie, and those few
wer severely punished. Then a citee well governed, ought to desire, that
this studie of warre, be used in tyme of peace for exercise, and in the
time of warre, for necessitie and for glorie: and to suffer onely the
common weale to use it for an arte, as Rome did, and what so ever
Citezein, that hath in soche exercise other ende, is not good, and what
so ever citee is governed otherwise, is not well ordeined.
COSIMO. I remain contented enough and satisfied of thesame, whiche
hetherto you have told, and this conclusion pleaseth me verie wel whiche
you have made, and as muche as is loked for touching a common welth, I
beleve that it is true, but concerning Kinges, I can not tell nowe, for
that I woulde beleve that a Kinge would have about him, whome
particularly should take suche exercise for his arte.
FABRICIO. A kingdome well ordred ought moste of all to avoide the like
kinde of men, for only thei, are the destruction of their king, and all
together ministers of tiranny, and alledge me not to the contrarie anie
presente kingdome, for that I woll denie you all those to be kingdomes
well ordered, bicause the kingdomes whiche have good orders, give not
their absolute Empire unto their king, saving in the armies, for as much
as in this place only, a quicke deliberation is necessarie, and for this
cause a principall power ought to be made. In the other affaires, he
ought not to doe any thing without councell, and those are to be feared,
which councell him, leaste he have some aboute him which in time of
peace desireth to have warre bicause they are not able without the same
to live, but in this, I wilbe a little more large: neither to seke a
kingdome altogether good, but like unto those whiche be nowe a daies
where also of a king those ought to be feared, whiche take the warre for
theire art, for that the strength of armies without any doubte are the
foote menne: so that if a king take not order in suche wise, that his
men in time of peace may be content to returne home, and to live of
their owne trades, it will follow of necessitie, that he ruinate: for
that there is not found more perilous men, then those, whiche make the
warre as their arte: bicause in such case, a king is inforsed either
alwaies to make warre, or to paie them alwaies, or else to bee in
perill, that they take not from him his kingdome. To make warre alwaies,
it is not possible: to paie them alwaies it can not be: see that of
necessitie, he runneth in peril to lese the state. The Romaines (as I
have saide) so long as they were wise and good, would never permitte,
that their Citizeins should take this exercise for their arte, although
they were able to nurrishe them therin alwaies, for that that alwaies
they made warre: but to avoide thesame hurte, whiche this continuall
exercise might doe them, seyng the time did not varie, they changed the
men, and from time to time toke such order with their legions, that in
xv. yeres alwaies, they renewed them: and so thei had their men in the
floure of their age, that is from xviij. to xxxiij. yeres, in which time
the legges, the handes, and the yes answere the one the other, nor thei
tarried not till there strengthe should decaie, and there naghtines
increase, as it did after in the corrupted times. For as muche as
Octavian first, and after Tiberius, minding more their own proper power,
then the publicke profite, began to unarme the Romaine people, to be
able easely to commaunde them, and to kepe continually those same armies
on the frontries of the Empire: and bicause also they judged those, not
sufficient to kepe brideled the people and Romaine Senate, they ordeined
an armie called Pretoriano, which laie harde by the walles of Rome, and
was as a rocke on the backe of the same Citie. And for as much as then
thei began frely to permitte, that suche men as were apoincted in suche
exercises, should use the service of warre for their arte, streight waie
the insolence of theim grewe, that they became fearful unto the Senate,
and hurtefull to the Emperour, whereby ensued suche harme, that manie
were slaine thorough there insolensie: for that they gave, and toke
awaie the Empire, to whome they thought good. And some while it hapned,
that in one self time there were manie Emperours, created of divers
armies, of whiche thinges proceded first the devision of the Empire, and
at laste the ruine of the same. Therefore kinges ought, if thei wil live
safely, to have there souldiours made of men, who when it is time to
make warre, willingly for his love will go to the same, and when the
peace cometh after, more willingly will returne home. Whiche alwaies
wilbe, when thei shalbe men that know how to live of other arte then
this: and so they ought to desire, peace beyng come, that there Prince
doo tourne to governe their people, the gentilmen to the tending of
there possessions, and the common souldiours to their particular arte,
and everie one of these, to make warre to have peace, and not to seke to
trouble the peace, to have warre.
COSIMO. Truely this reasonyng of yours, I thinke to bee well considered,
notwithstanding beyng almost contrarie to that, whiche till nowe I have
thought, my minde as yet doeth not reste purged of all doubte, for as
muche as I see manie Lordes and gentelmen, to finde them selves in time
of peace, thorough the studies of warre, as your matches bee, who have
provision of there princes, and of the cominaltie. I see also, almost al
the gentelmen of armes, remaine with neir provision, I see manie
souldiours lie in garison of Cities and fortresses, so that my thinkes,
that there is place in time of peace, for everie one.
FABRICIO. I doe not beleve that you beleve this, that in time of peace
everie man may have place, bicause, put case that there coulde not be
brought other reason, the small number, that all they make, whiche
remaine in the places alledged of you, would answer you. What proporcion
have the souldiours, whiche are requiset to bee in the warre with those,
whiche in the peace are occupied? For as much as the fortreses, and the
cities that be warded in time of peace, in the warre are warded muche
more, unto whome are joyned the souldiours, whiche kepe in the fielde,
whiche are a great number, all whiche in the peace be putte awaie. And
concerning the garde of states, whiche are a small number, Pope July,
and you have shewed to everie man, how muche are to be feared those, who
will not learne to exercise any other art, then the warre, and you have
for there insolence, deprived them from your garde, and have placed
therin Swisers, as men borne and brought up under lawes, and chosen of
the cominaltie, according to the true election: so that saie no more,
that in peace is place for everie man. Concerning men at armes, thei al
remaining in peace with their wages, maketh this resolution to seme more
difficulte: notwithstandyng who considereth well all, shall finde the
answere easie, bicause this manner of keping men of armes, is a
corrupted manner and not good, the occasion is, for that they be men,
who make thereof an arte, and of them their should grow every daie a
thousande inconveniencies in the states, where thei should be, if thei
were accompanied of sufficient company: but beyng fewe, and not able by
them selves to make an armie, they cannot often doe suche grevous
hurtes, neverthelesse they have done oftentimes: as I have said of
Frances, and of Sforza his father, and of Braccio of Perugia: so that
this use of keping men of armes, I doe not alowe, for it is a corrupte
maner, and it may make great inconveniencies.
COSIMO. Woulde you live without them? or keping them, how would you kepe
them?
[Sidenote: A kinge that hath about him any that are to much lovers of
warre, or to much lovers of peace shal cause him to erre.]
FABRICIO. By waie of ordinaunce, not like to those of the king of
Fraunce: for as muche as they be perilous, and insolent like unto ours,
but I would kepe them like unto those of the auncient Romaines, whom
created their chivalry of their own subjectes, and in peace time, thei
sente them home unto their houses, to live of their owne trades, as more
largely before this reasoning ende, I shal dispute. So that if now this
part of an armie, can live in such exercise, as wel when it is peace, it
groweth of the corrupt order. Concerning the provisions, which are
reserved to me, and to other capitaines, I saie unto you, that this
likewise is an order moste corrupted: for as much as a wise common
weale, ought not to give such stipendes to any, but rather thei ought to
use for Capitaines in the warre, their Citezeins, and in time of peace
to will, that thei returne to their occupations. Likewise also, a wise
king either ought not to give to suche, or giving any, the occasion
ought to be either for rewarde of some worthy dede, or else for the
desire to kepe suche a kinde of man, as well in peace as in warre. And
bicause you alledged me, I will make ensample upon my self, and saie
that I never used the warre as an arte, for as muche as my arte, is to
governe my subjectes, and to defende them, and to be able to defende
them, to love peace, and to know how to make warre, and my kinge not so
muche to rewarde and esteeme me, for my knowledge in the warre, as for
the knowledge that I have to councel him in peace. Then a king ought not
to desire to have about him, any that is not of this condicion if he be
wise, and prudently minde to governe: for that, that if he shal have
about him either to muche lovers of peace, or to much lovers of warre,
they shall make him to erre. I cannot in this my firste reasoning, and
according to my purpose saie more, and when this suffiseth you not, it
is mete, you seke of them that may satisfie you better. You maie now
verie well understand, how difficulte it is to bringe in use the
auncient maners in the presente warres, and what preparations are mete
for a wise man to make, and what occasions ought to be loked for, to be
able to execute it. But by and by, you shall know these things better,
if this reasoning make you not werie, conferring what so ever partes of
the auncient orders hath ben, to the maners nowe presente.
COSIMO. If we desired at the first to here your reason of these thinges,
truly thesame whiche hetherto you have spoken, hath doubled our desire:
wherefore we thanke you for that we have hard, and the rest, we crave of
you to here.
FABRICIO. Seyng that it is so your pleasure, I will begin to intreate of
this matter from the beginning, to the intent it maye be better
understode, being able by thesame meane, more largely to declare it. The
ende of him that wil make warre, is to be able to fight with every enemy
in the fielde and to be able to overcum an armie. To purpose to doe
this, it is convenient to ordeine an hoost. To ordein an hoost, their
must be found menne, armed, ordered, and as well in the small, as in the
great orders exercised, to knowe howe to kepe araie, and to incampe, so
that after bringing them unto the enemie, either standing or marching,
they maie know how to behave themselves valiantly. In this thing
consisteth all the industrie of the warre on the lande, whiche is the
most necessarie, and the most honorablest, for he that can wel order a
fielde against the enemie, the other faultes that he should make in the
affaires of warre, wilbe borne with: but he that lacketh this knowledge,
although that in other particulars he be verie good, he shal never bring
a warre to honor: for as muche as a fielde that thou winnest, lesing?
img 94 doeth cancell all other thy evill actes: so like wise lesing it,
all thinges well done of thee before, remaine vaine. Therfore, beyng
necessarie first to finde the menne, it is requiset to come to the
choise of them. They whiche unto the warre have given rule, will that
the menne be chosen out of temperate countries, to the intente they may
have hardines, and prudence, for as muche as the hote countrey, bredes
prudente men and not hardy, the colde, hardy, and not prudente. This
rule is good to be geven, to one that were prince of all the world,
bicause it is lawfull for him to choose men out of those places, whiche
he shall thinke beste. But minding to give a rule, that every one may
use, it is mete to declare, that everie common weale, and every
kingdome, ought to choose their souldiours out of their owne countrie,
whether it be hote, colde, or temperate: for that it is scene by olde
ensamples, how that in every countrie with exercise, their is made good
souldiours: bicause where nature lacketh, the industry supplieth, the
which in this case is worthe more, then nature, and taking them in other
places, you shal not have of the choise, for choise is as much to saie,
as the best of a province, and to have power to chuse those that will
not, as well as those that wil serve. Wherfore, you muste take your
choise in those places, that are subjecte unto you, for that you cannot
take whome you liste, in the countries that are not yours, but you muste
take suche as will goe with you.
COSIMO. Yet there maie bee of those, that will come, taken and lefte,
and therefore, thei maie be called chosen.
[Sidenote: Oute of what Countrie is best to chuse Souldiours to make a
good election.]
FABUICIO. You saie the truthe in a certaine maner, but consider the
faultes, whiche soche a chosen manne hath in himselfe, for that also
many times it hapneth, that he is not a chosen manne. For those that are
not thy subjectes, and whiche willyngly doe serve, are not of the beste,
but rather of the worste of a Province, for as moche as if any be
sclanderous, idell, unruly, without Religion, fugetive from the rule of
their fathers, blasphemours, Dise plaiers, in every condicion evill
brought up, bee those, whiche will serve, whose customes cannot be more
contrarie, to a true and good servise: Albeit, when there bee offered
unto you, so many of soche men, as come to above the nomber, that you
have appoincted, you maie chuse them: but the matter beyng naught, the
choise is not possible to be good: also, many times it chaunceth, that
thei be not so many, as will make up the nomber, whereof you have nede,
so that beyng constrained to take them al, it commeth to passe, that
thei cannot then bee called chosen men, but hired Souldiours. With this
disorder the armies of Italie, are made now a daies, and in other
places, except in Almaine, bicause there thei doe not hire any by
commaundemente of the Prince, but accordyng to the will of them, that
are disposed to serve. Then consider now, what maners of those aunciente
armies, maie bee brought into an armie of men, put together by like
waies.
COSIMO. What waie ought to bee used then?
FABRICIO. The same waie that I saied, to chuse them of their owne
subjectes, and with the auethoritie of the Prince.
COSMO. In the chosen, shall there bee likewise brought in any auncient
facion?
FABRICIO. You know well enough that ye: when he that should commaunde
theim, were their Prince, or ordinarie lorde, whether he were made
chief, or as a Citezein, and for the same tyme Capitaine, beyng a common
weale, otherwise it is harde to make any thyng good.
COSIMO. Why?
FABRICIO. I will tell you a nane: For this time I will that this suffise
you, that it cannot be wrought well by other waie.
[Sidenote: Whether it be better to take menne oute of townes or out of
the countrie to serve.]
COSIMO. Having then to make this choyse of men in their owne countries,
whether judge you that it be better to take them oute of the citie, or
out of the countrie?
FABRICIO. Those that have written of such matters, doe all agree, that
it is best to chuse them out of the countrie, being men accustomed to no
ease, nurished in labours, used to stonde in the sunne, to flie the
shadow, knowing how to occupy the spade, to make a diche, to carrie a
burden, and to bee without any deceite, and without malisiousnes. But in
this parte my opinion should be, that beyng two sortes of souldiours, on
foote, and on horsebacke, that those on foote, should be chosen out of
the countrie, and those on horseback, oute of the Cities.
[Sidenote: Of what age Souldiours ought to bee chosen.]
COSIMO. Of what age would you choose them?
FABRICIO. I would take them, when I had to make a newe armie, from xvii.
to xl. yeres: when it were made alredy, and I had to restore them, of
xvii. alwaies.
COSIMO. I doe not understonde well this distinction.
FABRICIO. I shall tell you: when I should ordaine an hooste to make
warre, where were no hooste alredy, it should be necessarie to chuse all
those men, which were most fitte and apte for the warre, so that they
were of servisable age, that I might bee able to instructe theim, as by
me shalbe declared: but when I would make my choise of menne in places,
where a powre were alredy prepared, for suppliyng of thesame, I would
take them of xvii. yeres: for as much as the other of more age be alredy
chosen and apoincted.
COSIMO. Then woulde you prepare a power like to those whiche is in our
countrie?
FABRICIO. Ye truly, it is so that I would arme them, Captaine them,
exercise and order them in a maner, whiche I cannot tell, if you have
ordred them so.
COSIMO. Then do you praise the keping of order?
FABRICIO. Wherefore would you that I should dispraise it?
COSIMO. Bicause many wise menne have alwaies blamed it.
FABRICIO. You speake against all reason, to saie that a wise man blameth
order, he maie bee well thought wise, and be nothyng so.
COSIMO. The naughtie profe, which it hath alwaies, maketh us to have
soche opinion thereof.
FABRICIO. Take hede it be not your fault, and not the kepyng of order,
the whiche you shall knowe, before this reasonyng be ended.
COSIMO. You shall doe a thyng moste thankfull, yet I will saie
concernyng thesame, that thei accuse it, to the entente you maie the
better justifie it. Thei saie thus, either it is unprofitable, and we
trustyng on the same, shall make us to lese our state, or it shall be
verteous, and by thesame meane, he that governeth may easely deprive us
thereof. Thei alledge the Romaines, who by meane of their owne powers,
loste their libertie. Thei alledge the Venicians, and the Frenche king,
whiche Venicians, bicause thei will not be constrained, to obeie one of
their owne Citezeins, use the power of straungers: and the Frenche kyng
hath disarmed his people, to be able more easely to commaunde them, but
thei whiche like not the ordinaunces, feare moche more the
unprofitablenesse, that thei suppose maie insue thereby, then any thyng
els: the one cause whiche thei allege is, bicause thei are unexperte:
The other, for that thei have to serve par force: for asmoche as thei
saie, that the aged bee not so dissiplinable, nor apte to learne the
feate of armes, and that by force, is doen never any thyng good.
[Sidenote: By what meanes souldiours bee made bolde and experte.]
FABRICIO. All these reasons that you have rehearsed, be of men, whiche
knoweth the thyng full little, as I shall plainly declare. And firste,
concernyng the unprofitablenesse, I tell you, that there is no service
used in any countrie more profitable, then the service by the Subjectes
of thesame nor thesame service cannot bee prepared, but in this maner:
and for that this nedeth not to be disputed of, I will not lese moche
tyme: bicause al thensamples of auncient histores, make for my purpose,
and for that thei alledge the lacke of experience, and to use
constraint: I saie how it is true, that the lacke of experience, causeth
lacke of courage, and constrainte, maketh evill contentacion: but
courage, and experience thei are made to gette, with the maner of armyng
theim, exercisyng, and orderyng theim, as in proceadyng of this
reasonyng, you shall heare. But concernyng constrainte, you ought to
understande, that the menne, whiche are conducted to warfare, by
commaundement of their Prince, thei ought to come, neither altogether
forced, nor altogether willyngly, for as moche as to moche willyngnesse,
would make thinconveniencies, where I told afore, that he should not be
a chosen manne, and those would be fewe that would go: and so to moche
constraint, will bring forth naughtie effectes. Therefore, a meane ought
to be taken, where is not all constrainte, nor all willingnesse: but
beyng drawen of a respecte, that thei have towardes their Prince, where
thei feare more the displeasure of thesame, then the presente paine: and
alwaies it shall happen to be a constrainte, in maner mingled with
willingnesse, that there cannot growe soche evil contentacion, that it
make evill effectes. Yet I saie not for all this, that it cannot bee
overcome, for that full many tymes, were overcome the Romaine armies,
and the armie of Aniball was overcome, so that it is seen, that an armie
cannot be ordained so sure, that it cannot be overthrowen. Therefore,
these your wise men, ought not to measure this unprofitablenesse, for
havyng loste ones, but to beleve, that like as thei lese, so thei maie
winne, and remeadie the occasion of the losse: and when thei shall seke
this thei shall finde, that it hath not been through faulte of the waie,
but of the order, whiche had not his perfeccion and as I have saied,
thei ought to provide, not with blamyng the order, but with redressing
it, the whiche how it ought to be doen, you shall understande, from
poinct to poinct. Concernyng the doubte, leste soche ordinaunces, take
not from thee thy state, by meane of one, whiche is made hedde therof, I
answere, that the armure on the backes of citezeins, or subjectes, given
by the disposicion of order and lawe, did never harme, but rather
alwaies it doeth good, and mainteineth the citee, moche lenger in
suretie, through helpe of this armure, then without. Rome continued free
CCCC. yeres, and was armed. Sparta viii.C. Many other citees have been
disarmed, and have remained free, lesse then xl. For as moche as citees
have nede of defence, and when thei have no defence of their owne, thei
hire straungers, and the straunges defence, shall hurte moche soner the
common weale, then their owne: bicause thei be moche easier to be
corrupted, and a citezein that becommeth mightie, maie moche soner
usurpe, and more easely bryng his purpose to passe, where the people bee
disarmed, that he seketh to oppresse: besides this, a citee ought to
feare a greate deale more, twoo enemies then one. Thesame citee that
useth straungers power, feareth at one instant the straunger, whiche it
hireth, and the Citezein: and whether this feare ought to be, remember
thesame, whiche I rehearsed a little a fore of Frances Sforza. That
citee, whiche useth her own proper power, feareth no man, other then
onely her owne Citezein. But for all the reasons that maie bee saied,
this shall serve me, that never any ordeined any common weale, or
Kyngdome, that would not thinke, that thei theim selves, that inhabite
thesame, should with their sweardes defende it.