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months　all　attachment　to　the　factions　was　destroyed　and　turned　entirely

to　the　duke。　After　this　he　awaited　an　opportunity　to　crush　the　Orsini；

having　scattered　the　adherents　of　the　Colonna。　This　came　to　him　soon　and

he　used　it　well；　for　the　Orsini；　perceiving　at　length　that　the

aggrandizement　of　the　duke　and　the　Church　was　ruin　to　them；　called　a

meeting　at　Magione；　in　the　territory　of　Perugia。　From　this　sprung　the

rebellion　at　Urbino　and　the　tumults　in　the　Romagna；　with　endless　dangers

to　the　duke；　all　of　which　he　overcame　with　the　help　of　the　French。

Having　restored　his　authority；　not　to　leave　it　at　risk　by　trusting

either　to　the　French　or　other　outside　forces；　he　had　recourse　to　his

wiles；　and　he　knew　so　well　how　to　conceal　his　mind　that；　by　the

mediation　of　Signor　Paolo　＇Orsini＇　　whom　the　duke　did　not　fail　to

secure　with　all　kinds　of　attention；　giving　him　money；　apparel；　and

horses　　the　Orsini　were　reconciled；　so　that　their　simplicity　brought

them　into　his　power　at　Sinigaglia。　Having　exterminated　the　leaders；　and

turned　their　partisans　into　his　friends；　the　duke　had　laid　sufficiently

good　foundations　to　his　power；　having　all　the　Romagna　and　the　duchy　of

Urbino；　and　the　people　now　beginning　to　appreciate　their　prosperity；　he

gained　them　all　over　to　himself。　And　as　this　point　is　worthy　of　notice；

and　to　be　imitated　by　others；　I　am　not　willing　to　leave　it　out。



When　the　duke　occupied　the　Romagna　he　found　it　under　the　rule　of　weak

masters；　who　rather　plundered　their　subjects　than　ruled　them；　and　gave

them　more　cause　for　disunion　than　for　union；　so　that　the　country　was

full　of　robbery；　quarrels；　and　every　kind　of　violence；　and　so；　wishing

to　bring　back　peace　and　obedience　to　authority；　he　considered　it

necessary　to　give　it　a　good　governor。　Thereupon　he　promoted　Messer

Ramiro　d'Orco　＇de　Lorqua＇；　a　swift　and　cruel　man；　to　whom　he　gave　the

fullest　power。　This　man　in　a　short　time　restored　peace　and　unity　with

the　greatest　success。　Afterwards　the　duke　considered　that　it　was　not

advisable　to　confer　such　excessive　authority；　for　he　had　no　doubt　but

that　he　would　bee　odious；　so　he　set　up　a　court　of　judgment　in　the

country；　under　a　most　excellent　president；　wherein　all　cities　had　their

advocates。　And　because　he　knew　that　the　past　severity　had　caused　some

hatred　against　himself；　so；　to　clear　himself　in　the　minds　of　the　people；

and　gain　them　entirely　to　himself；　he　desired　to　show　that；　if　any

cruelty　had　been　practised；　it　had　not　originated　with　him；　but　in　the

natural　sternness　of　the　minister。　Under　this　pretence　he　took　Ramiro；

and　one　morning　caused　him　to　be　executed　and　left　on　the　piazza　at

Cesena　with　the　block　and　a　bloody　knife　at　his　side。　The　barbarity　of

this　spectacle　caused　the　people　to　be　at　once　satisfied　and　dismayed。



But　let　us　return　whence　we　started。　I　say　that　the　duke；　finding

himself　now　sufficiently　powerful　and　partly　secured　from　immediate

dangers　by　having　armed　himself　in　his　own　way；　and　having　in　a　great

measure　crushed　those　forces　in　his　vicinity　that　could　injure　him　if　he

wished　to　proceed　with　his　conquest；　had　next　to　consider　France；　for　he

knew　that　the　king；　who　too　late　was　aware　of　his　mistake；　would　not

support　him。　And　from　this　time　he　began　to　seek　new　alliances　and　to

temporize　with　France　in　the　expedition　which　she　was　making　towards　the

kingdom　of　Naples　against　the　Spaniards　who　were　besieging　Gaeta。　It　was

his　intention　to　secure　himself　against　them；　and　this　he　would　have

quickly　acplished　had　Alexander　lived。



Such　was　his　line　of　action　as　to　present　affairs。　But　as　to　the　future

he　had　to　fear；　in　the　first　place；　that　a　new　successor　to　the　Church

might　not　be　friendly　to　him　and　might　seek　to　take　from　him　that　which

Alexander　had　given　him；　so　he　decided　to　act　in　four　ways。　Firstly；　by

exterminating　the　families　of　those　lords　whom　he　had　despoiled；　so　as

to　take　away　that　pretext　from　the　Pope。　Secondly；　by　winning　to　himself

all　the　gentlemen　of　Rome；　so　as　to　be　able　to　curb　the　Pope　with　their

aid；　as　has　been　observed。　Thirdly；　by　converting　the　college　more　to

himself。　Fourthly；　by　acquiring　so　much　power　before　the　Pope　should　die

that　he　could　by　his　own　measures　resist　the　first　shock。　Of　these　four

things；　at　the　death　of　Alexander；　he　had　acplished　three。　For　he　had

killed　as　many　of　the　dispossessed　lords　as　he　could　lay　hands　on；　and

few　had　escaped；　he　had　won　over　the　Roman　gentlemen；　and　he　had　the

most　numerous　party　in　the　college。　And　as　to　any　fresh　acquisition；　he

intended　to　bee　master　of　Tuscany；　for　he　already　possessed　Perugia

and　Piombino；　and　Pisa　was　under　his　protection。　And　as　he　had　no　longer

to　study　France　（for　the　French　were　already　driven　out　of　the　kingdom

of　Naples　by　the　Spaniards；　and　in　this　way　both　were　pelled　to　buy

his　goodwill）；　he　pounced　down　upon　Pisa。　After　this；　Lucca　and　Siena

yielded　at　once；　partly　through　hatred　and　partly　through　fear　of　the

Florentines；　and　the　Florentines　would　have　had　no　remedy　had　he

continued　to　prosper；　as　he　was　prospering　the　year　that　Alexander　died；

for　he　had　acquired　so　much　power　and　reputation　that　he　would　have

stood　by　himself；　and　no　longer　have　depended　on　the　luck　and　the　forces

of　others；　but　solely　on　his　own　power　and　ability。



But　Alexander　died　five　years　after　he　had　first　drawn　the　sword。　He

left　the　duke　with　the　state　of　Romagna　alone　consolidated；　with　the

rest　in　the　air；　between　two　most　powerful　hostile　armies；　and　sick　unto

death。　Yet　there　were　in　the　duke　such　boldness　and　ability；　and　he　knew

so　well　how　men　are　to　be　won　or　lost；　and　so　firm　were　the　foundations

which　in　so　short　a　time　he　had　laid；　that　if　he　had　not　had　those

armies　on　his　back；　or　if　he　had　been　in　good　health；　he　would　have

overe　all　difficulties。　And　it　is　seen　that　his　foundations　were

good；　for　the　Romagna　awaited　him　for　more　than　a　month。　In　Rome；

although　but　half　alive；　he　remained　secure；　and　whilst　the　Baglioni；

the　Vitelli；　and　the　Orsini　might　e　to　Rome；　they　could　not　effect

anything　against　him。　If　he　could　not　have　made　Pope　him　whom　he　wished；

at　least　the　one　whom　he　did　not　wish　would　not　have　been　elected。　But

if　he　had　been　in　sound　health　at　the　death　of　Alexander；　everything

would　have　been　easy　to　him。　On　the　day　that　Julius　II　was　elected；　he

told　me　that　he　had　thought　of　everything　that　might　occur　at　the　death

of　his　father；　and　had　provided　a　remedy　for　all；　except　that　he　had

never　anticipated　that；　when　the　death　did　happen；　he　himself　would　be

on　the　point　to　die。



When　all　the　actions　of　the　duke　are　recalled；　I　do　not　know　how　to

blame　him；　but　rather　it　appears　to　me；　as　I　have　said；　that　I　ought　to

offer　him　for　imitation　to　all　those　who；　by　the　fortune　or　the　arms　of

others；　are　raised　to　government。　Because　he；　having　a　lofty　spirit　and

far…reaching　aims；　could　not　have　regulated　his　conduct　otherwise；　and

only　the　shortness　of　the　life　of　Alexander　and　his　own　sickness

frustrated　his　designs。　Therefore；　he　who　considers　it　necessary　to

secure　himself　in　his　new　principality；　to　win　friends；　to　overe

either　by　force　or　fraud；　to　make　himself　beloved　and　feared　by　the

people；　to　be　followed　and　revered　by　the　soldiers；　to　exterminate　those

who　have　power　or　reason　to　hurt　him；　to　change　the　old　order　of　things

for　new；　to　be　severe　and　gracious；　magnanimous　and　liberal；　to　destroy

a　disloyal　soldiery　and　to　create　new；　to　maintain　friendship　with　kings

and　princes　in　such　a　way　that　they　must　help　him　with　zeal　and　offend

with　caution；　cannot　find　a　more　lively　example　than　the　actions　of　this

man。



Only　can　he　be　blamed　for　the　election　of　Julius　II；　in　whom　he　made　a

bad　choice；　because；　as　is　said；　not　being　able　to　elect　a　Pope　to　his

own　mind；　he　could　have　hindered　any　other　from　being　elected　Pope；　and

he　ought　never　to　have　consented　to　the　election　of　any　cardinal　whom　he

had　injured　or　who　had　cause　to　fear　him　if　they　became　pontiffs。　For

men　injure　either　from　fear　or　hatred。　Those　whom　he　had　injured；

amongst　others；　were　San　Pietro　ad　Vincula；　Colonna；　San　Giorgio；　and

Ascanio。　＇1＇　Any　one　of　the　others；　on　being　Pope；　would　have　had　to

fear　him；　Rouen　and　the　Spaniards　excepted；　the　latter　from　their

relationship　and　obligations；　the　former　from　his　influence；　the　kingdom

of　France　having　relations　with　him。　Therefore；　above　everything；　the

duke　ought　to　have　created　a　Spaniard　Pope；　and；　failing　him；　he　ought

to　have　consented　to　Rouen　and　not　San　Pietro　ad　Vincula。　He　who

believes　that　new　benefits　will　cause　great　personages　to　forget　old

injuries　is　deceived。　Therefore；　the　duke　erred　in　his　choice；　and　it

was　the　cause　of　his　ultimate　ruin。



1。　Julius　II　had　been　Cardinal　of　San　Pietro　ad　Vincula；　San　Giorgio　was

Raffaells　Riaxis；　and　Ascanio　was　Cardinal　Ascanio　Sforza。



CHAPTER　VIII



CONCERNING　THOSE　WHO　HAVE　OBTAINED　A　PRINCIPALITY　BY　WICKEDNESS



ALTHOUGH　a　prince　may　rise　from　a　private　station　in　two　ways；　neither

of　which　can　be　entirely　attributed　to　fortune　or　genius；　yet　it　is

manifest　to　me　that　I　must　not　be　silent　on　them；　although　one　could　be

more　copiously　treated　when　I　discuss　republics。　These　methods　are　when；

either　by　some　wicked　or　nefarious　ways；　one　ascends　to　the

principality；　or　when　by　the　favour　of　his　fellow…citizens　a　private

person　bees　the　prince　of　his　country。　And　speaking　of　the　first

method；　it　will　be　illustrated　by　two　examples　　one　ancient；　the　other

modern　　and　without　entering　further　into　the　subject；　I　consider

these　two　examples　will　suffice　those　who　may　be　pelled　to　follow

them。



Agathocles；　the　Sicilian；　became　King　of　Syracuse　not　only　from　a

private　but　from　a　low　and　abject　position。　This　man；　the　son　of　a

potter；　through　all　the　changes　in　his　fortunes　always　led　an　infamous

life。　Nevertheless；　he　acpanied　his　infamies　with　so　much　ability　of