《君主论-the prince(英文版)》the prince(英文版)-第13章

they　always　aspire　to　their　owngreatness；　either　by　oppressing　you；　who　are　their　master；　or　otherscontrary　to　your　intentions；　but　if　the　captain　is　not　skilful；　you　areruined　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　personand　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　torecall　him；　and　when　one　is　worthy；　to　hold　him　by　the　laws　so　that　hedoes　not　leave　the　mand。　And　experience　has　shown　princes　andrepublics；　single…handed；　making　the　greatest　progress；　and　mercenariesdoing　nothing　except　damage；　and　it　is　more　difficult　to　bring　arepublic；　armed　with　its　own　arms；　under　the　sway　of　one　of　its　citizensthan　it　is　to　bring　one　armed　with　foreign　arms。　Rome　and　Sparta　stoodfor　many　ages　armed　and　free。　The　Switzers　are　pletely　armed　andquite　free。Of　ancient　mercenaries；　for　example；　there　are　the　Carthaginians；　whowere　oppressed　by　their　mercenary　soldiers　after　the　first　war　with　theRomans；　although　the　Carthaginians　had　their　own　citizens　for　captains。After　the　death　of　Epaminondas；　Philip　of　Macedon　was　made　captain　oftheir　soldiers　by　the　Thebans；　and　after　victory　he　took　away　theirliberty。Duke　Filippo　being　dead；　the　Milanese　enlisted　Francesco　Sforza　againstthe　Veians；　and　he；　having　overe　the　enemy　at　Caravaggio；　alliedhimself　with　them　to　crush　the　Milanese；　his　masters。　His　father；Sforza；　having　been　engaged　by　Queen　Johanna　of　Naples；　left　herunprotected；　so　that　she　was　forced　to　throw　herself　into　the　arms　ofthe　King　of　Aragon；　in　order　to　save　her　kingdom。　And　if　the　Veiansand　Florentines　formerly　extended　their　dominions　by　these　arms；　and　yettheir　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；　somehave　not　conquered；　some　have　been　opposed；　and　others　have　turned　theirambitions　elsewhere。　One　who　did　not　conquer　was　Giovanni　Acuto；　＇2＇　andsince　he　did　not　conquer　his　fidelity　cannot　be　proved；　but　every　onewill　acknowledge　that；　had　he　conquered；　the　Florentines　would　havestood　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　tothat　which　happened　a　short　while　ago。　The　Florentines　appointed　astheir　captain　Paolo　Vitelli；　a　most　prudent　man；　who　from　a　privateposition　had　risen　to　the　greatest　renown。　If　this　man　had　taken　Pisa；nobody　can　deny　that　it　would　have　been　proper　for　the　Florentines　tokeep　in　with　him；　for　if　he　became　the　soldier　of　their　enemies　they　hadno　means　of　resisting；　and　if　they　held　to　him　they　must　obey　him。　TheVeians；　if　their　achievements　are　considered；　will　be　seen　to　haveacted　safely　and　gloriously　so　long　as　they　sent　to　war　their　own　men；when　with　armed　gentlemen　and　plebeians　they　did　valiantly。　This　wasbefore　they　turned　to　enterprises　on　land；　but　when　they　began　to　fighton　land　they　forsook　this　virtue　and　followed　the　custom　of　Italy。　Andin　the　beginning　of　their　expansion　on　land；　through　not　having　muchterritory；　and　because　of　their　great　reputation；　they　had　not　much　tofear　from　their　captains；　but　when　they　expanded；　as　under　Carmignola；they　had　a　taste　of　this　mistake；　for；　having　found　him　a　most　valiantman　（they　beat　the　Duke　of　Milan　under　his　leadership）；　and；　on　theother　hand；　knowing　how　lukewarm　he　was　in　the　war；　they　feared　they；　and　for　this　reason　they　were　notwilling；　nor　were　they　able；　to　let　him　go；　and　so；　not　to　lose　againthat　pelled；　in　order　to　securethemselves；　to　murder　him。　They　had　afterwards　for　their　captainsBartolomeo　da　Bergamo；　Roberto　da　San　Severino；　the　Count　of　Pitigliano；and　the　like；　under　whom　they　had　to　dread　loss　and　not　gain；　ashappened　afterwards　at　Vaila；　where　in　one　battle　they　lost　that　whichin　eight　hundred　years　they　had　acquired　with　so　much　trouble。　Becausefrom　such　arms　conquests　e　but　slowly；　long　delayed　andinconsiderable；　but　the　losses　sudden　and　portentous。And　as　with　these　examples　I　have　reached　Italy；　which　has　been　ruledfor　many　years　by　mercenaries；　I　wish　to　discuss　them　more　seriously；　inorder　that；　having　seen　their　rise　and　progress；　one　may　be　betterprepared　to　counteract　them。　You　must　understand　that　the　empire　hasrecently　e　to　be　repudiated　in　Italy；　that　the　Pope　has　acquired　moretemporal　power；　and　that　Italy　has　been　divided　up　into　more　states；　forthe　reason　that　many　of　the　great　cities　took　up　arms　against　theirnobles；　who；　formerly　favoured　by　the　emperor；　were　oppressing　them；whilst　the　Church　was　favouring　them　so　as　to　gain　authority　in　temporalpower：　in　many　others　their　citizens　became　princes。　From　this　it　cameto　pass　that　Italy　fell　partly　into　the　hands　of　the　Church　and　ofrepublics；　and；　the　Church　consisting　of　priests　and　the　republic　ofcitizens　unaccustomed　to　arms；　both　menced　to　enlist　foreigners。The　first　who　gave　renown　to　this　soldiery　was　Alberigo　da　Conio；　anative　of　the　Romagna。　From　the　school　of　this　man　sprang；　among　others；Braccio　and　Sforza；　who　in　their　time　were　the　arbiters　of　Italy。　Afterthese　came　all　the　other　captains　who　till　now　have　directed　the　arms　ofItaly；　and　the　end　of　all　their　valour　has　been；　that　she　has　beenoverrun　by　Charles；　robbed　by　Louis；　ravaged　by　Ferdinand；　and　insultedby　the　Switzers。　The　principle　that　has　guided　them　has　been；　first；　tolower　the　credit　of　infantry　so　that　they　might　increase　their　own。　Theydid　this　because；　subsisting　on　their　pay　and　without　territory；　theywere　unable　to　support　many　soldiers；　and　a　few　infantry　did　not　givethem　any　authority；　so　they　were　led　to　employ　cavalry；　with　a　moderateforce　of　which　they　were　maintained　and　honoured；　and　affairs　werebrought　to　such　a　pass　that；　in　an　army　of　twenty　thousand　soldiers；there　were　not　to　be　found　two　thousand　foot　soldiers。　They　had；　besidesthis；　used　every　art　to　lessen　fatigue　and　danger　to　themselves