the prince-第9章

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e：　that　is　to　say；　he　feared　that　the　forces　of　the　Orsini；　which　he　was　using；　would　not　stand　to　him；　that　not　only　might　they　hinder　him　from　winning　more；　but　might　themselves　seize　what　he　had　won；　and　that　the　king　might　also　do　the　same。　Of　the　Orsini　he　had　a　warning　when；　after　taking　Faenza　and　attacking　Bologna；　he　saw　them　go　very　unwillingly　to　that　attack。　And　as　to　the　king；　he　learned　his　mind　when　he　himself；　after　taking　the　Duchy　of　Urbino；　attacked　Tuscany；　and　the　king　made　him　desist　from　that　undertaking；　hence　the　duke　decided　to　depend　no　more　upon　the　arms　and　the　luck　of　others。

For　the　first　thing　he　weakened　the　Orsini　and　Colonnesi　parties　in　Rome；　by　gaining　to　himself　all　their　adherents　who　were　gentlemen；　making　them　his　gentlemen；　giving　them　good　pay；　and；　according　to　their　rank；　honouring　them　with　office　and　command　in　such　a　way　that　in　a　few　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　house。　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　of　the　Magione　in　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　Pagolowhom　the　duke　did　not　fail　to　secure　with　all　kinds　of　attention；　giving　him　money；　apparel；　and　horsesthe　Orsini　were　reconciled；　so　that　their　simplicity　brought　them　into　his　power　at　Sinigalia。＇*＇　Having　exterminated　the　leaders；　and　turned　their　partisans　into　his　friends；　the　duke　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。

＇*＇　Sinigalia；　31st　December　1502。

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；＇*＇　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　become　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。

＇*＇　Ramiro　d'Orco。　Ramiro　de　Lorqua。

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　accomplished　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　accomplished　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　become　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　compelled　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　overcome　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　come　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　different　to　him。　On　the　day　that　Julius　the　Second＇＋＇　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。

＇*＇　Alexander　VI　died　of　fever；　18th　August　1503。

＇＋＇　Julius　II　was　Giuliano　della　Rovere；　Cardinal　of　San　Pietro　ad　　　　　Vincula；　born　1443；　died　1513。

When　all　the　actions　of　the　duke　are　recalled；　I　do　not　know　how　to　blame　him；　but　rather　it　appears　to　be；　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　overcome　either　by　force　or　fraud；　to　make