EXHORTATION TO LIBERATE ITALY FROM THE BARBARIANS
Having now considered all the things we have spoken of, and thought
within myself whether at present the time was not propitious in Italy
for a new prince, and if there was not a state of things which offered
an opportunity to a prudent and capable man to introduce a new system
that would do honour to himself and good to the mass of the people, it
seems to me that so many things concur to favour a new ruler that I do
not know of any time more fitting for such an enterprise. And if, as
I said, it was necessary in order that the power of Moses should be
displayed that the people of Israel should be slaves in Egypt, and to
give scope for the greatness and courage of Cyrus that the Persians
should be oppressed by the Medes, and to illustrate the pre-eminence of
Theseus that the Athenians should be dispersed, so at the present time,
in order that the might of an Italian genius might be recognised, it
was necessary that Italy should be reduced to her present condition,
and that she should be more enslaved than the Hebrews, more oppressed
than the Persians, and more scattered than the Athenians; without a
head, without order, beaten, despoiled, lacerated, and overrun, and
that she should have suffered ruin of every kind. And although before
now a spirit has been shown by some which gave hope that he might be
appointed by God for her redemption, yet at the highest summit of his
career he was thrown aside by fortune, so that now, almost lifeless,
she awaits one who may heal her wounds and put a stop to the rapine and
pillaging of Lombardy, to the rapacity and extortion in the kingdom
and in Tuscany, and cure her of those sores which have long been
festering. Behold how she prays God to send some one to redeem her from
this barbarous cruelty and insolence. Behold her ready and willing to
follow any standard if only there be some one to raise it. There is
nothing now she can hope for but that your illustrious house may place
itself at the head of this redemption, being by its power and fortune
so exalted, and being favoured by God and the Church, whose leadership
it now occupies. Nor will this be very difficult to you, if you call to
mind the actions and lives of the men I have named. And although those
men were rare and marvellous, they were none the less men, and had each
of them less occasion than the present, for their enterprise was not
juster than this, nor easier, nor was God more their friend than He is
yours. Here is a just cause; for that war is just which is necessary;
and those arms are merciful where no hope exists save in them. Here
is the greatest willingness, nor can there be great difficulty where
there is great willingness, provided that the measures are adopted of
those whom I have set before you as examples. Besides this, unexampled
wonders have been seen here performed by God, the sea has been opened,
a cloud has shown you the road, the rock has given forth water, manna
has rained, and everything has contributed to your greatness, the
remainder must be done by you. God will not do everything, in order
not to deprive us of freewill and the portion of the glory that falls
to our lot. It is no marvel that none of the before-mentioned Italians
have done that which it is to be hoped your illustrious house may do;
and if in so many revolutions in Italy and so many warlike operations,
it always seems as if the military capacity were extinct, this is
because the ancient methods were not good, and no one has arisen
who knew how to discover new ones. Nothing does so much honour to a
newly-risen man than the new laws and measures which he introduces.
These things, when they are well based and have greatness in them,
render him revered and admired, and there is not lacking scope in Italy
for the introduction of every kind. Here there is great virtue in the
members, if it were not wanting in the heads. Look how in duels and in
councils of a few the Italians are superior in strength, dexterity,
and intelligence. But when it comes to armies they make a poor show;
which proceeds entirely from the weakness of the leaders, for those
that know are not obedient, and every one thinks that he knows, there
being hitherto nobody who has raised himself so high both by valour and
fortune as to make the others yield. Hence it comes about that in all
this time, in all the wars waged during the last twenty years, whenever
there has been an army entirely Italian it has always been a failure,
as witness first Taro, then Alexandria, Capua, Genoa, Vaila, Bologna,
and Mestri. If your illustrious house, therefore, wishes to follow
those great men who redeemed their countries, it is before all things
necessary, as the true foundation of every undertaking, to provide
yourself with your own forces, for you cannot have more faithful, or
truer and better soldiers. And although each one of them may be good,
they will together become better when they see themselves commanded
by their prince, and honoured and supported by him. It is therefore
necessary to prepare such forces in order to be able with Italian
prowess to defend the country from foreigners. And although both the
Swiss and Spanish infantry are deemed terrible, none the less they
each have their defects, so that a third order might not only oppose
them, but be confident of overcoming them. For the Spaniards cannot
sustain the attack of cavalry, and the Swiss have to fear infantry
which meets them with resolution equal to their own. From which it has
resulted, as will be seen by experience, that the Spaniards cannot
sustain the attack of French cavalry, and the Swiss are overthrown
by Spanish infantry. And although a complete example of the latter
has not been seen, yet an instance was furnished in the battle of
Ravenna, where the Spanish infantry attacked the German battalions,
which observe the same order as the Swiss. The Spaniards, through their
bodily agility and aided by their bucklers, had entered between and
under their pikes and were in a position to attack them safely without
the Germans being able to defend themselves; and if the cavalry had not
charged them they would have utterly destroyed them. Knowing therefore
the defects of both these kinds of infantry, a third kind can be
created which can resist cavalry and need not fear infantry, and this
will be done not by the creation of armies but by a change of system.
And these are the things which, when newly introduced, give reputation
and grandeur to a new prince. This opportunity must not, therefore,
be allowed to pass, for letting Italy at length see her liberator. I
cannot express the love with which he would be received in all those
provinces which have suffered under these foreign invasions, with what
thirst for vengeance, with what steadfast faith, with what love, with
what grateful tears. What doors would be closed against him? What
people would refuse him obedience? What envy could oppose him? What
Italian would rebel against him? This barbarous domination stinks in
the nostrils of every one. May your illustrious house therefore assume
this task with that courage and those hopes which are inspired by a
just cause, so that under its banner our fatherland may be raised up,
and under its auspices be verified that saying of Petrarch:
Valour against fell wrath
Will take up arms; and be the combat quickly sped!
For, sure, the ancient worth,
That in Italians stirs the heart, is not yet dead.
THE END