Page 8 of 68
Other Works.
Though Machiavelli must always stand as a political thinker, an
historian, and a military theorist it would leave an insufficient
idea of his mental activities were there no short notice of his
other literary works. With his passion for incarnating his theories
in a single personality, he wrote the Life of Castruccio
Castracani, a politico-military romance. His hero was a soldier
of fortune born Lucca in 1281, and, playing with a free hand,
Machiavelli weaves a life of adventure and romance in which his
constant ideas of war and politics run through and across an almost
imaginary tapestry. He seems to have intended to illustrate and to
popularise his ideals and to attain by a story the many whom his
discourses could not reach. In verse Machiavelli was fluent,
pungent, and prosaic. The unfinished Golden Ass is merely
made of paragraphs of the Discorsi twined into rhymes. And
the others are little better. Countless pamphlets, essays, and
descriptions may be searched without total waste by the very
curious and the very leisurely. The many despatches and
multitudinous private letters tell the story both of his life and
his mind. But the short but famous Novella di Belfagor
Arcidiavolo is excellent in wit, satire, and invention. As a
playwright he wrote, among many lesser efforts, one supreme comedy,
Mandragola, which Macaulay declares to be better than the
best of Goldoni's plays, and only less excellent than the very best
of Molière's. Italian critics call it the finest play in
Italian. The plot is not for nursery reading, but there are tears
and laughter and pity and anger to furnish forth a copious author,
and it has been not ill observed that Mandragola is the
comedy of a society of which The Prince is the tragedy.
The End.
It has been said of the Italians of the Renaissance that with so
much of unfairness in their policy, there was an extraordinary
degree of fairness in their intellects. They were as direct in
thought as they were tortuous in action and could see no wickedness
in deceiving a man whom they intended to destroy. To such a
charge—if charge it be—Machiavelli would have willingly
owned himself answerable. He observed, in order to know, and he
wished to use his knowledge for the advancement of good. To him the
means were indifferent, provided only that they were always apt and
moderate in accordance with necessity, A surgeon has no room for
sentiment: in such an operator pity were a crime. It is his to
examine, to probe, to diagnose, flinching at no ulcer, sparing
neither to himself or to his patient. And if he may not act, he is
to lay down very clearly the reasons which led to his conclusions
and to state the mode by which life itself may be saved, cost what
amputation and agony it may. This was Machiavelli's business, and
he applied his eye, his brains, and his knife with a relentless
persistence, which, only because it was so faithful, was not called
heroic. And we know that he suffered in the doing of it and that
his heart was sore for his patient. But there was no other way. His
record is clear and shining. He has been accused of no treachery,
of no evil action. His patriotism for Italy as a fatherland, a
dream undreamt by any other, never glowed more brightly than when
Italy lay low in shame, and ruin, and despair. His faith never
faltered, his spirit never shrank. And the Italy that he saw,
through dark bursts of storm, broken and sinking, we see to-day
riding in the sunny haven where he would have her to be.
HENRY CUST.
CONTENTS
WRITTEN FIRST IN ITALIAN BY
NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL
AND SET FORTHE IN ENGLISHE BY
PETER WHITEHORNE
STUDIENT AT GRAIES INNE
WITH AN ADDICION OF OTHER LIKE MARCIALLE FEATES AND
EXPERIMENTES
AS IN A TABLE
IN THE ENDE OF THE BOOKE
MAIE APPERE
1560
Menfss. Iulij.
{3}
TO THE MOSTE
HIGHE, AND EXCELLENT PRINCES,
ELIZABETH, by the Grace of God, Quene
of Englande, Fraunce, and Irelande,
defender of the faithe, and of the Churche
of Englande, and Irelande, on yearth
next under God, the supreme
Governour.
lthough
commonlie every man, moste worthie and renoumed Soveraine, seketh
specially to commend and extolle the thing, whereunto he feleth
hymself naturally bent and inclined, yet al soche parciallitie and
private affection laid aside, it is to bee thought (that for the
defence, maintenaunce, and advauncemente of a Kyngdome, or Common
weale, or for the good and due observacion of peace, and
administracion of Justice in the same) no one thinge to be more
profitable, necessarie, or more honourable, then the knowledge of
service in warre, and dedes of armes; bicause consideryng the
ambicion of the {4} worlde, it is impossible for any realme or
dominion, long to continue free in quietnesse and savegarde, where
the defence of the sweard is not alwaies in a readinesse. For like
as the Grekes, beyng occupied aboute triflyng matters, takyng
pleasure in resityng of Comedies, and soche other vain thinges,
altogether neclecting Marciall feates, gave occasion to Philip kyng
of Macedonia, father to Alexander the Great, to oppresse and to
bring theim in servitude, under his subjeccion, even so
undoubtedly, libertie will not be kepte, but men shall be troden
under foote, and brought to moste horrible miserie and calamitie,
if thei givyng theim selves to pastymes and pleasure, forssake the
juste regarde of their owne defence, and savegarde of their
countrie, whiche in temporall regimente, chiefly consisteth in
warlike skilfulnesse. And therefore the aunciente Capitaines and
mightie Conquerours, so longe as thei florished, did devise with
moste greate diligence, all maner of waies, to bryng their men to
the perfect knowledge of what so ever thing appertained to the
warre: as manifestly appereth by the warlike games, whiche in old
time the Princes of Grecia ordained, upon the mount Olimpus, and
also by thorders and exercises, that the aunciente {5} Romaines used
in sundrie places, and specially in Campo Martio, and in their
wonderful sumptuous Theaters, whiche chiefly thei builded to that
purpose. Whereby thei not onely made their Souldiours so experte,
that thei obtained with a fewe, in faightyng againste a greate
houge multitude of enemies, soche marveilous victories, as in many
credible Histories are mencioned, but also by the same meanes,
their unarmed and rascalle people that followed their Campes, gotte
soche understandyng in the feates of warre, that thei in the daie
of battaile, beeyng lefte destitute of succour, were able without
any other help, to set themselves in good order, for their defence
againste the enemie, that would seke to hurte theim, and in soche
daungerous times, have doen their countrie so good service, that
verie often by their helpe, the adversaries have been put to
flight, and fieldes moste happely wone. So that thantiquitie
estemed nothing more happie in a common weale, then to have in the
same many men skilfull in warlike affaires: by meanes whereof,
their Empire continually inlarged, and moste wonderfully and
triumphantly prospered. For so longe as men for their
valiauntnesse, were then rewarded and had in estimacion, glad was
he that {6} could finde occasion to venter, yea, and
spende his life, to benefite his countrie: as by the manly actes
that Marcus Curcius, Oracius Cocles, and Gaius Mucius did for the
savegarde of Rome and also by other innumerable like examples
dooeth plainly appeare. But when through long and continuall peace,
thei began to bee altogether given to pleasure and delicatenesse,
little regardyng Marciall feates, nor soche as were expert in the
practise thereof: Their dominions and estates, did not so moche
before increase and prospere, as then by soche meanes and
oversight, thei sodainly fell into decaie and utter ruine. For
soche truly is the nature and condicion, bothe of peace and warre,
that where in governemente, there is not had equalle consideration
of them bothe, the one in fine, doeth woorke and induce, the others
oblivion and utter abholicion. Wherfore, sith the necessitie of the
science of warres is so greate, and also the necessarie use thereof
so manifeste, that even Ladie Peace her self, doeth in maner from
thens crave her chief defence and preservacion, and the worthinesse
moreover, and honour of the same so greate, that as by prose we
see, the perfecte glorie therof, cannot easely finde roote, but in
the hartes of moste noble couragious {7} and manlike personages, I thought
most excellente Princes, I could not either to the specialle
gratefiyng of your highnesse, the universall delight of all
studious gentlemen, or the common utilitie of the publike wealth,
imploie my labours more profitablie in accomplishyng of my duetie
and good will, then in settyng foorthe some thing, that might
induce to the augmentyng and increase of the knowledge thereof:
inespecially thexample of your highnes most politike governemente
over us, givyng plaine testimonie of the wonderfull prudente desire
that is in you, to have your people instructed in this kinde of
service, as well for the better defence of your highnesse, theim
selves, and their countrie, as also to discourage thereby, and to
be able to resist the malingnitie of the enemie, who otherwise
would seeke peradventure, to invade this noble realme or
kyngdome.
