Hoiv the Seigneur Fabritio Colonna, lehg refrejhhg htmfelf one evening with fome other Gentlemen in a heautiful Garden^ took occajion to enter upon this difcourfe of War.
SEEIiiff 1 an of Opinion, that afret a man is dead, it is lawful for any body to corn mend him without danger of reproof, fbecaufe there can be no occafion noi" fufpicion of fl-itrery) I (ball make no difficulty to fpeak fomething in praife of out renowned and true friend Cofimo RiiceUia^ whofe name I cannot remem- ber without tears in my eyes, having known in him all the good qualities, which one good Friend or good Citizet^ would deiire in another; for I know not any thing fo dear tO him, that he woi;ld net have facrih'c'd for his friend; nor any thing fo dread* ful, that he would not have Undertaken for his Country: and I confefs freely among all with whom I hate had any acquaintance and converfation, I do not know any man whofe heart was more difpofcd to great and magnificent things. At his death nothing troubled him fo much, (as he complained often to his friends) as that he fhould die young, and in his own hoilfe, without honour, or the fatisfaftion of having been fer- viceable to any man a> he defir'd, for he was fenfibie that no more could be faid of him than that he died a good friend. However it follows not but we, who were ac* quainted with him, may bear teftimony of his virtues and good qualities, feeing there is nothing left of his works or adions to recommend him to the World: and yet for- tune was not fo much his enemy but (he fuffercd him to leave a fliort monument of the dexterity of his wir, which appears in certain Sonnets, and amorous Verfes of his compontion; in which way (though he was not amorous) he entertained himfelf ac idle times in his youth, till his Stars had conducied him to higher thoughts; by which Veifts it may eafily be difccrned with what comelinefs and felicity he could have expred'ed his conceptions, and how honourable he v/ould have made himfelf by Poetry, had he made it his bufiucfs. But fortune having depriv'd us of fuch a friend, ic ■feems to me that no better remedy can be apply'd, than for us (as far as is poifible) to make as much of his memory as we can, and recoHeft fuch of his fayings, or argu- ments, as were either witty or folid. And becaufe there is nothing of him more frefh than tfie d\ko\.\x{c which he had lately with Fabritio Colcnnn in his Garden, (where the faid Fiihritio gave a large account of all the myfteries of War on the one fide, and Co- Jimo propofed, and objeded, and argued with as much gravity on the other) being then prefenc by accident with orhcr of cur friends, I have thought fit to put in wri- ting, that by reading it, fuch of Ccfimos friends as were there, may renew the mcmcry* L I 1 a of The An of IV A R. Book I.
of his Virtues; fucli as were not there, may be troubled for their abfence, and learn feveral things profitable, not only for military, but civil converfation.
I fay then, Fabritio Colonna retiirnmg from Lombardy, where for a long time he had done very honourable fervice for the King of Spam, paffing by Florence to rcpofe him- felf fome time in that City, vifit the Duke, and enjoy the company of certain Gentlemen with whom he had had a former acquaintance, Lo/imo held himfelf obliged to invite him to his Gardens, not fo much to fliew his own liberality and magnificence, as to have larger opportunity of difcourfing with him, and informini^ himfelf ot fiich things as might be expefted from a perfon of his experience, and fpending a whole day in difcourfing of what might be to the fatisfaction of his mind. Filntio accepted his in- vitation, came to his houfe, and was entertained very nobly by Cnjimo, with feveral other of his more particular friends, as Zanoli Buondelmonti, Buttifla dalla Palla, Luigi Alamami and others, all of them young Gentlemen, his intimate friends, and ardently fludiousof the fame things; of whofe qualifications I fay nothing in this place, becaufe being flill livmg, their own adions do recommend them every hour of the day.
Fabritio was regal'd with as much pomp and magnificence, as were confiflencwith the time and the place: but dinner being ended, the tables taken away, and all the formalities of the Feaft over, which among perfons of great minds, whofe thoughts are employ 'd upon more honourable things, are not fo tedious as with other people, the day being long, and heat excedive, Ccfmo thought it convenient for the better fa- tisfaAion of his defigns, under pretence of avoiding the heat, to carry Fabritio into a clofe and fiiady Arbour in the Garden, where they might difcourfe with more leifure and ^privacy; and having brought him and the reft of the Company to the place, fome'of them difpofed themfelves upon the grafs, (which was very pleafanr and green) and others upon feats under the ftiadow ot rhofe lofty trees; Fabntto hcgzn to ap- plaud the deliijhtfomenefs of the place, and then looking particularly upon the trees, anci roc knowing of fome of chem, be flood ftill, as it were in fufpence; which being ob- feived by CcfvnOy he told him, 'tis poffible, Sir, you may not be acquainted with thofc trees, but 'tis no wonder, for fome of them were in more requeil with our Fore-fathers than they are with us, and having told him their names, and what delight Scigior Bernado his Grand-father took in planting, Fabrttio replied, I thought they were a^ you fay; but the pleafantnefs of this place, and the innocence of that employment puts me in mind of fome Princes in the Kingdom of Naples, who delighted themfelves ex- ceedingly in thofe kind of diverfions, and would plant and make delicate Arbours to keep themfelves from the heat; and thereupon breaking off ftort in his difcourfe, he llood fiill for a while, as in fom.e ferious fufpence, but prefently he told them, if I thought I fhould not misbehave my felf, (which among my friends 1 fuppofe is not' eafy) I would give you my opinion of it, not to traduce or calumnate them, but for difcourfe fake, and to pafs away the time; for doubtlefs thofe princes (under ccrredi- cn^ had done much betrer to have imitated their Anctftors in great and heroick, rather than in foft and effeminate things; to have followed their examples in the heat of the Sun, rather than to have retir'd and withdrawn themfelves into the coolnefs of a fhade; and rather to have perfonared their Fore- fathers in what was folid and perfed, than in what was delicate and corrupt; for fince thefe kind of entertainments have been pleafing to our Countrymen, our Country has gone to ruin, and all things de- clined.
Cofmo- You have opened a way to a difcourfe which I defire exceedingly, and there- fore I beg of you that you would fpeak of it frankly, without refpeft to any body, feeing I intend to interrogate yon with the fame freedom; and if in my demands and replies I excufe or accufe any man, it will not be barely to excufe or accufe him, but to uuderftand the truth Fabrttio. I fliall be well pleafed to inform you of any thing I know, and (hall leave it to your difcretion to judge whether what 1 fay be true or falfe, expeding to karn as much from your demands, as you will do from my apfwers; for a wife queflion makes, a man confider many thinps which perhaps he regarded not before; and under- ffand others, which without interrogation he had never nnderf^ood.
Cvjtmo. I will return to what you firft faid, that my Grnnd father and your Fore- fathers would have done more prudently to have imitated their Anceflors in difiicult and generous things, rather than in what was delicate and foft; and in this I would excufe my part, and leave the other to be defended by you. I am of opinion that there was not a man in his time who dereftcd all kind of ctftminacy more than he, and who was a greater lover of that kind of adiviry and vigour wliich }ou fo much commend; neverthelefs he found that lie could not make ufc of jt either in hi.s own perfon, or in the perfons of his Children, being born in fo corrupt an age, that a man who fhould have deviated from the common Book!
IV^e An of WA R.
common pradice of chofe times, would have made himfelf contemptible to every bo- dy. For if a man in the heat of Summer fhould have Jain basking upon the fands, or in the midft of Winter fhould have taken up hi.s quarters in the fnow, (as Diogenes did^ he would have been thought a fool, or a madman: fliould a man have followed the Spartan way, brought up his children in fome corrage, taught them to fleep in the fields, to run about bare-foot and bare-headed, wafh in cold water to inure them to hardfliip, and by making them lefs fond of ]ife, to make ti.cm lefs fcnfible of death, he would have been defpifed for his pains j and have been thought rather a brute than a man. Again fliould a man have been obferved to flarve his own carcafs, and to live only upon beans and peafe, and fuch kind of pulfe, and have made as fmall account of mony as Fabritius did of what was offered him by the Samnites, 'tis poflibie he might have been commended by fome few, but he fhould have been followed by no bodyt being difcouraged therefore by the pradice of the prefcnr age, he follow'd not the example of his Anceflors exadly, but followed them as much as he could, with as lit- tle notice and admiration to the World.
Fabritio. You have cxcufed your Grandfather very handfomely on that particular, and what you have faid is doubtefly true j but I did not fpeak fo much of that hard and ruftick way of living, as of other ways that are more foft and effeminate, have greater conformity and correfpondence with our prefent times, and are (in my judg- ment) eafily to be introduced by any man who has the government of affaits: and in mv difcourfe of this matter I fliall not need to flraggle into other Countries for exam- ples, for the Romans (my own Countrymen) will furnifh me abundantly; whofe Prafti- ccs, and order of Government, if well confidered, will not be found fo impoflible to be introduced in any other City where there is but the leaft fpark of virriie and goodnefs.
Cojimo. What are thofe things that you would introduce according to the example of our Anceftors?
Fabritio. To honour and reward virtue; not to defpife poverty,- to value order, and difcipline of war; to conftrain Citizens to love one anoriier; to live without fa<5tions j to poftponc all private intereft to the pubiick; and feveral other things that may eafi- ly accommodate with our times; and thefe things are not difficult to be introduced, provided it be done deliberately and by right means, becaufe in them the truth is fo manifeft and apparent, xhat the commoneft capacity may apprehend it. He therefore who orders his affairs in this manner, plants himfelf trees which will afford him a happier and more pleafant flielrer and proteftion than thefe.
Cojimo. I will not reply to what you have laid, but referring it to the difcretion of the company, (who can eafily judge of it) I fhali addrefs my difcourfe to you, who feem to find fault with all thofe who in their great and weighty affairs do nor follow the examples of our Anceftors, fuppofing thereby I may be more eafily fatisfy'd in my intention. I would know therefore how it comes to pafs, that on one fide you con- demn all thofe who do not imitate the prafticeof our Anceflors; and yet on the other, in your wars (which is your profeflion and excellence) itdoes not appear that you have made ufe of any thing of the ancient method and difcipline, or done any thing that rcfembled it.
Fabritio. You are now come to the point where I expefted you, and indeed my dif- courfe deferved, and I my felf defired no other demand. And though I might fave my felf the labour, with a very plaufible excufe, yet I will fatisfy both your defire and my own, and that the more largely, becaufe both time and place concurs to our con- venience. Men who are defirous to do any great adion, arefirft to prepare themfelves with all diligence and induftry, that when occafion is offered, they may be ready to execute and compleat it. And becaufe where thofe preparations are made cautiouflys they are not to be difcovercd; no man is to be accufed of negligence, unlefs occafion difcovers him firft, to which if he be remifs, and makes not ufe of his time to exe- cute his defign, it gives us to underfland, that either he is not prepar'd as he ought to have been, or that he had not thought of it at all: and therefore no occafion having pre- fcnted it felf to me to difcover the preparations which I had made to reduce our Mi- litia into the form of the ancients; if I have not yet reduced it, I conceive I cannot jullly be condemned, either by you or any body elfe: and this I thini is a fufficient: anfwer to your accufation.
Ccfimo. It would be fufficient indeed, could I be affured that you never had any occafion.
Fabritio. But becaufe 1 find you may doubt whether ever fuch occafion were offered or not, 1 am content to difcourfe more largely (upon condition you will have the pa- tience to hear me) what preparations are neceffary to be made; what occafion is ne- cefiary to be had; what difficulties obftrud our preparatives, and hinder our occafion; and how this is eafy and hard to tall out at the fame time, which fecms a contradiftion. • Ctjtmc.
438 The An of WA R. Book!.
Cojtmo. You cannot do me and the whole company a greater favour; and if it will be no trouble to you to enlarge, it will be none to us to attend: but becaufe the difcourfe is like to belong, 1 defire I rnay have the affiftance of my friends, yet with your licence and permifTion; wherefore they and I do make it 01 r requeft, that you would not take it amifs if we interrupt you fometimes with force importunate de- mand, Fabtitio. I am very well contented, that you (Cofimo) and thefe young Gentlemen your friends, ask any thing of me, btcaufe 1 believe the heat of your youth makes you in.iineable to arms, and by confequence more apt to give credit to what I Iball fay: and thefe other Gentlemen fhall have tiie fame liberty, becaufe their grey heads, and their cold blood, makes them commonly enemies to warfare, and incorrigible, as people poffeifed with an opinion that it is the times, not the ill cufloms, which con- ftrain men to live at that rare. Qneftion me then freely, as you pleafe; 'tis the thing 1 defire, becaufe I fhall thereby have fome rtfpite and repofe; and withal, the fatisladi' on of clearing your doubts, and leaving nothing unanfwercd in your minds.
C H A P. II.
A perfoH of honour and condition is not to make War his profejfwn.
Fabritio. T Will begin my difcourfe with what you faid, that in matter of War (which is my profcflion) 1 never nr.ade ufe of any thing oi the ancients. To which I anfwer, that War being a profellion by which men cannot live honotr^ble ac all times, it is not to be taken up as a trade, unlcfs ir be by a Common-wealth, or a Kingdom; and if they be well conflituted, they will neither of them fuffer any of their Citizens or Subjeds, or any other good man to m ike it his bufinefs; for he will never be thought a good man who takes upon him an tmploymenr, by which if he would reap any profit at any time, he is obliged to be falfe, and rapacious, and cruel, and to entertain feveral other qualities that are not coufiflent in a good man; nor can any man (great or fmallj who makes war his proftffion, be otherwife than vicious; becaufe that trade being not to be followed in time of peace, they are neccffitated either to prevent or obftrud peace; or in time of war to provide fo for themfelves, that they may fubfift in time of peace; and neither of thofe two ways are prafticable to an honeft man; for from the defire of providing for themlelves againft the evil day, when the wars fhould be ended, proceed the robberies, and thefts, and murders, which are committed daily by fuch kind of people, and that upon their friends as well as enemies. And from the defire of obflruding the peace, proceed all the frauds and jugling which the Officers ufe with thofe who pay them, and all to continue the War j but if by accident peace be concluded contrary to "their endeavours and defign, it is to be fear'd that the officers finding them deflitute of pay, and their old liberty and li- tentioufnefs, will get together fuch Soldiers of fortune as have nothing to fubfift up- on, and falling into fome Province, plunder and rifle it without any compaflion. Do you not remember that here in Italy we had feveral of thefe disbanded Soldiers, which got together when the wars were done, called themfelves the Ccmpanies, and went up and down ranfacking Towns, and pillaging the Country, and all without remedy? Have you not read how after the firft Carthagenian War, disbanded Soldiers united un- der the command of Matko and Spendius^ (two of their Officcrsj and in a tumultuous manner made a more dangerous War upon the Carthagenians, than that which they had had with the Romans: In the days of our Predeccffors, F*'ancis Sfurz.<i not only betray'd the Milanois who had made hira their General, but ufurped upon their liberty, and made himfelf their Prince; and for what, bur that he might live in the fame fplendor when the Peace was concluded. And all the reft of the great Officers in Italy were like him, (efpecially if War was their profcffion); and though (e faBo they did not all make themfelves Dukes of Milan by their treachery, they were the more to be blamed, becaufe without the temptation of fo great advantage their lives and exorbitances were as bad. The Father of Francis Sjorz^a being in the Service of Qjcea Jane, conflraincd her to caff her!clf into the protedion of the King of Arragon, having defcrtcd her on a fud- den, and left her dilarm'd in the midff of her enemies, and all to fariare his ambiti- on, to fati.sfy his revei'ge, or to have got her Kingdom for himfelf. Braaio wiih the fame induflry endeavour'd to poflefs himfelf of the Kingdom of Naplfs, and had he not been defeated and flain at Aquiln, he had certainly effe(5tcd it; and -rheff confufi- «n» proceeded from nothing elfe but fiorn the employing of fuch men as were merce- nary.
£9ukl.
The An of WA R.
Dary, and had nothing to fiibfift upon but their pay? Have you not a Proverb which confirms what I fay, and tells us, that Pl^'ar makes Thieves^ and Peace brings them to the Gal/ows; the reafon is, for that thofe perfons who have no other way of Jiveh'hood, nor fo much temper and ingenuity as to take to any other courfe that may hoheftly fu- ftain them, are forced by neceflity to rob upon the high-ways, and then juftice is for- ced to difparch them.
Cofimo. You have reprefented this trade and profeflion of a Soldier fo vile and con- temptible, that to me it feems now to be worfe than none at all, whereas before I thought it one of the moft noble and excellent things in the World: fo that unlefs you farisfy me better, I fhall never be contented; for if it be fo as you fay, I cannot ima- gine how it fliould come to pafs, that Cafar, and Pompey, and Sctpto, and Manellus^ and fo many other great Captains of the Romans fhould become fo famous as to be worfhipped like Gods.
Fabrttio. 1 have not yet thoroughly examined thofe two things which* I propbfed in the beginning; one is, that a good man cannot rake up that calling as his profefli- on: the other is, that no well conftituted Government (whether Common-wealth or Kingdom) will fuffcr its Subjeds or Citizens to make War their whole bufinefs. To the firft I have fpoke what I thought fit j it remains now that I fpeak to the fecond, in which I fhall ha?e occafion to reply to your Jaft demand.
CHAP. ni.
How a Common-^wealth ought not (i« prudence) to permit any of its Citizens to make War their profejfion.
Pahritio. '^Ouching the Romans which you mentioned, it is true Pontpey and Cafari and moft of the great Captains who were at Rome after the laft Carthage- tiian War, arriv'd at great reputation, but it was rather as brave and generous, than good and virtuous men; whereas thofe who were before them, were famous as much for their virtue as conduft, and the reafon was, becaufe thefe made not War their profef- fion, and the others did.
Whilft tne Roman Common-wealth was incorrupt and immaculate, there never was any Citizen who prefumed by means of this profeffion to make his own fortune or party in time of Peace; by breaking the Laws, exafting upon the Provinces, ufurping and tyrannizing over his Country, and ufing all means to make himfeU rich. No man of inferior condition ever thought of violating his Oaths; maintaining of Parties,• dif- refpeding the Senate; or promoting of tumults, or any tyrannical fedition, with ot making himfelf a fortune by the profeffion of Arms. But thofe who had the com- mand of their Armies, contented with their triumphs, returned joyfully to their private Affairs; and the Officers who were under them laid down their Arms with more ala- crity than they had taken them up; every man rerurning to his former courfe of life, without any hopes of advancing himfelf by plunder and rapine. And of this we have ftrong and evident caufe of conjedure from the example of Regulus Attilius, who being General of the Roman Armies in Africa, and having \\\ a manner conquered the Cartha^ geniansy defired leave of the Senate to return, that he might look to a Farm of his in the Country which his fervants had negleded. From whence it is as clear as the day, that hat] he made War his profeffion, or defioned to have rais'd his own fortune out of the ruins of other people, having fo many provinces at his mercy, he would never have been fo careful of the improvement of a Cottage, when every day would have brought him in more than his whole Patrimony was worth. But becaufe good men, and fuch as are not deflrous to make a trade of War, are unwilling to reap any other fruit therefrom but labour, and danger, and glory; wl)cn they are arrived at a fuffici- «nt proportion of the latter, 'tis their ambition to return quietly to their houfes, and lire upon their o!J pvofeffions in Peace. As to the common and private Soldiers, it's clear they were of the fame humour, and declin'd any fuch profeffion for though when they were at home, they defired many of them to be in the wars, yet when they were in the wars, they were as willing to be difmifl'ed. This is manifefl: by feveral argu- ments, hvx cipecially by the privilege which the Romans granted to their Citizens, that none of them fhould be conflrained to the wars againft his own inclination. So that Rome vvhilft it was well governed (which was till the time of the Gracchi) had never aay Soldier who made it his profeffion to be fo, by which means few of them were difibiijte, and thofe who were, were punifced feverely. A. City then well conftituted The An of WA R. Book I.
and governed, is to take care that this Arc of War be uled in time of Peace only as an exercile, and in time of War only for necefFty, and the acquifition of £^iory,- leav- ing the conitant praftice and profefTion of it to the State, as the Romans did anciently to the Common-wealth of Rome. That Citizen who has any other defion in the pro- feflion of Arms, let him be what he will, is no honeft man; and that City which is governed any other way, is as much in the wrong.
Cofimo. 1 am very well fatisfied with what you have faid hitherto, and do acquiefce in your conclufion as far as it relates to a Common-wealth; but as to Kinj^s I am apt to diflent, becaufe I am apt to think it convenient a King fhould have thofe about him who make Arms their profeffion.
440 C H A P. IV.
That a King ought not to permit his Suhjetls to make Arms their profeffion^ for the mifchiefs which do frequently enfue.
Fcihritio. A Kingdom well governed ought the more carefully avoid people of that condition, becaufe it is they who debauch their King by being the only Minifters of his Tyranny. And do not objed to me any of our prefent Kingdoms; for I (hall deny abfolutely that they are as well governed as formerly, when Kings had no Soveraignty, nor abfolute Power, but in the Armies, becaufe there (and no where clfe) there is a neceflity of fpeedy refolutions, and that fuch a power fhould be repo- fed in a fingle perfon; in other cafes they ought to do nothing without their Counfel, and it is to be the particular care of ail who are ot Counfel to a Piince, to keep oft fuch perfons from about him as promote War in time of Peace, becaufe they can- not frame themfelves to any other way of fubiiffance. But I will difcourfe Tomethinlf^ more largely of this matter, not flanding fo much upon a Kingdom that is perfedly good according to the model of the Ancients, but fuppofing fuch a one as is like the Kingdoms of our days i in which likewife a King ought to be fearful of fuch as lire vrholly by War, becaufe the nerves and ftrcngth of all Armies lies certainly in the In- fantry.
Wherefore if a King orders his matters fo ill, that his foot be not content to return to their feveral callings in time of Peace, and live as formerly by their labour, he, rauft neceflarily be ruined; for of all the Soldiers in the world none are fo dangerous as thofe who make War their profeffion ^ and the reafon is, becaufe you mull be always at War, or keep tliem always in pay; otherwife you will run a great hazard of being turn'd out of your Kingdom; and becaufe it is impoffible either to maintain War per- petually, or keep them in continual pay, you will be in great danger of being driven out of your Kingdom. My Countrymen the Romans (as 1 faid before) whilfl they were wife, and honeft, never fuffered their Citizens to make that exercile their calling, though in refped of their perpetual Wars, they were able to have paid tiicm perpetual- ly: But to avoid the inconveniencies which might follow thereupon, feeing the condi- tion of their times did not alter, they alrcr'd their Men, ordering their affairs in fuch a manner, that every fifteen years their Legions were renewed, and filled up again with young men in the flower of their age; that is to fay, betwixt eighteen and thir-