第 16 节
作者:津夏      更新:2021-02-27 02:39      字数:9321
  support many soldiers; and a few infantry did not give them any authority;
  so they were led to employ cavalry; with a moderate force of which they
  were   maintained   and   honoured;   and   affairs   were  brought   to   such   a   pass
  that; in an army of twenty thousand soldiers; there were not to be found
  two thousand foot soldiers。 They had; besides this; used every art to lessen
  fatigue and danger to themselves and their soldiers; not killing in the fray;
  but   taking   prisoners   and   liberating   without   ransom。   They   did   not   attack
  towns at night; nor did the garrisons of the towns attack encampments at
  night; they did not   surround the camp either  with stockade or ditch;  nor
  did they campaign in 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。
  '*'   Alberigo      da  Conio。     Alberico    da   Barbiano;     Count     of  Cunio     in
  Romagna。   He   was   the   leader   of   the   famous   〃Company   of   St   George;〃
  composed entirely of Italian soldiers。 He died in 1409。
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  The Prince
  CHAPTER XIII
  CONCERNING AUXILIARIES; MIXED SOLDIERY; AND
  ONE'S OWN
  Auxiliaries;   which   are   the   other   useless   arm;   are   employed   when   a
  prince is called in with his forces to aid and defend; as was done by Pope
  Julius   in   the   most   recent   times;   for  he;   having;   in   the   enterprise   against
  Ferrara;    had   poor    proof   of  his  mercenaries;     turned    to  auxiliaries;   and
  stipulated with Ferdinand; King of Spain;'*' for his assistance with men
  and arms。 These arms may be useful and good in themselves; but for him
  who   calls   them   in   they   are   always   disadvantageous;   for   losing;   one   is
  undone; and winning; one is their captive。
  '*' Ferdinand V (F。 II of Aragon and Sicily; F。 III of Naples); surnamed
  〃The Catholic;〃 born 1542; died 1516。
  And although ancient histories may be full of examples; I do not wish
  to   leave   this   recent   one   of   Pope   Julius   the   Second;   the   peril   of   which
  cannot fail to be perceived; for he; wishing to get Ferrara; threw himself
  entirely into the hands of the foreigner。 But his good fortune brought about
  a third event; so that he did not reap the fruit of his rash choice; because;
  having   his   auxiliaries   routed   at   Ravenna;   and   the   Switzers   having   risen
  and driven out the conquerors (against all expectation; both his and others);
  it so   came   to   pass   that   he   did not   become   prisoner   to his   enemies;   they
  having fled; nor to his auxiliaries; he having conquered by other arms than
  theirs。
  The     Florentines;    being    entirely   without     arms;    sent   ten  thousand
  Frenchmen to take Pisa; whereby they ran more danger than at any other
  time of their troubles。
  The Emperor of Constantinople;'*' to oppose his neighbours; sent ten
  thousand   Turks   into   Greece;   who;   on   the   war   being   finished;   were   not
  willing to quit; this   was   the beginning   of   the servitude of   Greece   to   the
  infidels。
  '*' Joannes Cantacuzenus; born 1300; died 1383。
  Therefore;   let   him   who   has   no   desire   to   conquer   make   use   of   these
  arms; for they are much more hazardous than mercenaries; because with
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  them   the   ruin   is   ready   made;   they   are   all   united;   all   yield   obedience   to
  others; but with mercenaries; when they have conquered; more time and
  better   opportunities   are   needed   to   injure   you;   they   are   not   all   of   one
  community; they are found and paid by you; and a third party; which you
  have made their head; is not able all at once to assume enough authority to
  injure you。 In conclusion; in   mercenaries dastardy is most dangerous;   in
  auxiliaries;   valour。 The   wise   prince;   therefore;   has   always   avoided   these
  arms and turned to his own; and has been willing rather to lose with them
  than to conquer with the others; not deeming that a real victory which is
  gained with the arms of others。
  I shall never hesitate to cite Cesare Borgia and his actions。 This duke
  entered the  Romagna   with auxiliaries;  taking there only  French soldiers;
  and with them he captured Imola and Forli; but afterwards; such forces not
  appearing to him reliable; he turned to mercenaries; discerning less danger
  in them; and enlisted the Orsini and Vitelli; whom presently; on handling
  and   finding   them   doubtful;   unfaithful;   and   dangerous;   he   destroyed   and
  turned to his own men。 And the difference between one and the other of
  these   forces   can   easily   be   seen   when   one   considers   the   difference   there
  was in the reputation of the duke; when he had the French; when he had
  the Orsini and Vitelli; and when he relied on his own soldiers; on whose
  fidelity he could always count and found it ever increasing; he was never
  esteemed   more   highly   than   when   every   one   saw   that   he   was   complete
  master of his own forces。
  I was not intending to go beyond Italian and recent examples; but I am
  unwilling to leave out Hiero; the Syracusan; he being one of those I have
  named   above。   This   man;   as   I   have   said;   made   head   of   the   army   by   the
  Syracusans; soon found out that a mercenary soldiery; constituted like our
  Italian condottieri;  was of no use;   and it   appearing to him  that he   could
  neither   keep   them   not   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 Testament
  applicable   to   this   subject。   David   offered   himself   to   Saul   to   fight   with
  Goliath;   the   Philistine   champion;   and;   to   give   him   courage;   Saul   armed
  him with his own weapons; which David rejected as soon as he had them
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  on his back; saying he could make no use of them; and that he wished to
  meet   the   enemy  with   his sling   and   his knife。   In   conclusion;   the   arms   of
  others either fall from your back; or they weigh you down; or they bind
  you fast。
  Charles      the  Seventh;'*'      the  father    of  King    Louis    the   Eleventh;'+'
  having   by   good   fortune   and   valour   liberated   France   from   the   English;
  recognized the necessity  of   being   armed   with   forces of   his own;  and   he
  established       in  his   kingdom       ordinances      concerning       men…at…arms       and
  infantry。 Afterwards his son; King Louis; abolished the infantry and began
  to   enlist   the   Switzers;   which   mistake;   followed   by   others;   is;   as   is   now
  seen;     a  source    of   peril  to   that   kingdom;      because;     having    raised    the
  reputation of the Switzers; he has entirely diminished the value of his own
  arms; for he has destroyed the infantry altogether; and his men…at…arms he
  has subordinated to others; for; being as they are so accustomed to fight
  along with Switzers; it does not appear that they can now conquer without
  them。   Hence   it   arises   that   the   French   cannot   stand   against   the   Switzers;
  and   without   the   Switzers   they  do   not   come   off   well   against   others。  The
  armies of the French have thus become mixed; partly mercenary and partly
  national;   both   of   which   arms   together   are   much   better   than   mercenaries
  alone or auxiliaries alone; but much inferior to one's own forces。 And this
  example proves it; for the kingdom of France would be unconquerable if
  the ordinance of Charles had been enlarged or maintained。
  '*' Charles VII of France; surnamed 〃The Victorious;〃 born 1403; died
  1461。
  '+' Louis XI; son of the above; born 1423; died 1483。
  But the scanty wisdom of man; on entering into an affair which looks
  well at first; cannot discern the poison that is hidden in it; as I have said
  above   of   hectic   fevers。   Therefore;   if   he   who   rules   a   principality   cannot
  recognize   evils   until   they   are   upon   him;   he   is   not   truly   wise;   and   this
  insight is given to few。 And if the first disaster to the Roman Empire'*'
  should   be  examined;   it   will   be   found