《君主论-the prince(英文版)》the prince(英文版)-第14章


and foot soldiers。 They had; besidesthis; used every art to lessen fatigue and danger to themselves andtheir soldiers; not killing in the fray; but taking prisoners andliberating without ransom。 They did not attack towns at night; nor didthe garrisons of the towns attack encampments at night; they did notsurround the camp either with stockade or ditch; nor did they campaignin the winter。 All these things were permitted by their military rules;and devised by them to avoid; as I have said; both fatigue and dangers;thus they have brought Italy to slavery and contempt。1。 With which to chalk up the billets for his soldiers。2。 As Sir John Hawkwood; the English leader of mercenaries; was calledby the Italians。CHAPTER XIIICONCERNING AUXILIARIES; MIXED SOLDIERY; AND ONE"S OWNAUXILIARIES; which are the other useless arm; are employed when a princeis called in with his forces to aid and defend; as was done by PopeJulius in the most recent times; for he; having; in the enterpriseagainst Ferrara; had poor proof of his mercenaries; turned toauxiliaries; and stipulated with Ferdinand; King of Spain; for hisassistance with men and arms。 These arms may be useful and good inthemselves; but for him who calls them in they are alwaysdisadvantageous; for losing; one is undone; and winning; one is theircaptive。And although ancient histories may be full of examples; I do not wish toleave this recent one of Pope Julius II; the peril of which cannot fallto be perceived; for he; wishing to get Ferrara; threw himself entirelyinto the hands of the foreigner。 But his good fortune brought about athird event; so that he did not reap the fruit of his rash choice;because; having auxiliaries routed at Ravenna; and the Switzers havingrisen and driven out the conquerors (against all expectation; both hisand others); it so came to pass that he did not bee prisoner to hisenemies; they having fled; nor to his auxiliaries; he having conqueredby other arms than theirs。The Florentines; being entirely without arms; sent ten thousandFrenchmen to take Pisa; whereby they ran more danger than at any othertime of their troubles。The Emperor of Constantinople; to oppose his neighbours; sent tenthousand Turks into Greece; who; on the war being finished; were notwilling to quit; this was the beginning of the servitude of Greece tothe infidels。Therefore; let him who has no desire to conquer make use of these arms;for they are much more hazardous than mercenaries; because with them theruin is ready made; they are all united; all yield obedience to others;but with mercenaries; e and betteropportunities are needed to injure you; they are not all of onemunity; they are found and paid by you; and a third party; which youhave made their head; is not able all at once to assume enough authorityto injure you。 In conclusion; in mercenaries dastardy is most dangerous;in auxiliaries; valour。 The wise prince; therefore; has always avoidedthese arms and turned to his own; and has been willing rather to losewith them than to conquer with others; not deeming that a real victorywhich is gained with the arms of others。I shall never hesitate to cite Cesare Borgia and his actions。 This dukeentered the Romagna with auxiliaries; taking there only French soldiers;and with them he captured Imola and Forli; but afterwards; such forcesnot appearing to him reliable; he turned to mercenaries; discerning lessdanger in them; and enlisted the Orsini and Vitelli; whom presently; onhandling and finding them doubtful; unfaithful; and dangerous; hedestroyed and turned to his own men。 And the difference between one andthe other of these forces can easily be seen when one considers thedifference there was in the reputation of the duke; when he had theFrench; when he had the Orsini and Vitelli; and when he relied on hisown soldiers; on whose fidelity he could always count and found it everincreasing; he was never esteemed more highly than when every one sawthat he was plete master of his own forces。I was not intending to go beyond Italian and recent examples; but I amunwilling to leave out Hiero; the Syracusan; he being one of those Ihave named above。 This man; as I have said; made head of the army by theSyracusans; soon found out that a mercenary soldiery; constituted likeour Italian condottieri; was of no use; and it appearing to him that hecould neither keep them nor let them go; he had them all cut to pieces;and afterwards made war with his own forces and not with aliens。I wish also to recall to memory an instance from the Old Testamentapplicable to this subject。 David offered himself to Saul to fight withGoliath; the Philistine champion; and; to give him courage; Saul armedhim with his own weapons; which David rejected as soon as he had them onhis back; saying he could make no use of them; and that he wished tomeet the enemy with his sling and his knife。 In conclusion; the arms ofothers either fall from your back; or they weigh you down; or they bindyou fast。Charles VII; the father of King Louis XI; having by good fortune andvalour liberated France from the English; recognized the necessity ofbeing armed with forces of his own; and he established in his kingdomordinances concerning men…at…arms and infantry。 Afterwards his son; KingLouis; abolished the infantry and began to enlist the Switzers; whichmistake; followed by others; is; as is now seen; a source of peril tothat kingdom; because; having raised the reputation of the Switzers; hehas entirely diminished the value of his own arms; for he has destroyedthe infantry altogether; and his men…at…arms he has subordinated toothers; for; being as they are so accustomed to fight along withSwitzers; it does not appear that they can no。Hence it arises that the French cannot stand against the Switzers; andwithout the Switzers they do not e off well against others。 Thearmies of the French have thus bee mixed; partly mercenary and partlynational; both of which arms together are much better than mercenariesalone or auxiliaries alone; yet much inferior to one"s own forces。 Andthis example proves it; the kingdom of France would be unconquerable ifthe ordinance of Charles had been enlarged or maintained。But the scanty wisdom of man; on entering into an affair which lookswell
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