第4部分(第2/7 頁)

h　trouble　to　the　architect　and　danger　to　the　building。　If；therefore；　all　the　steps　taken　by　the　duke　be　considered；　it　will　beseen　that　he　laid　solid　foundations　for　his　future　power；　and　I　do　notconsider　it　superfluous　to　discuss　them；　because　I　do　not　know　whatbetter　precepts　to　give　a　new　prince　than　the　example　of　his　actions；and　if　his　dispositions　were　of　no　avail；　that　was　not　his　fault；　butthe　extraordinary　and　extreme　malignity　of　fortune。Alexander　VI；　in　wishing　to　aggrandize　the　duke；　his　son；　had　manyimmediate　and　prospective　difficulties。　Firstly；　he　did　not　see　his　wayto　make　him　master　of　any　state　that　was　not　a　state　of　the　Church；　andif　he　was　willing　to　rob　the　Church　he　knew　that　the　Duke　of　Milan　andthe　Veians　would　not　consent；　because　Faenza　and　Rimini　were　alreadyunder　the　protection　of　the　Veians。　Besides　this；　he　saw　the　arms　ofItaly；　especially　those　by　which　he　might　have　been　assisted；　in　handsthat　would　fear　the　aggrandizement　of　the　Pope；　namely；　the　Orsini　andthe　Colonna　and　their　following。　It　behoved　him；　therefore；　to　upsetthis　state　of　affairs　and　embroil　the　powers；　so　as　to　make　himselfsecurely　master　of　part　of　their　states。　This　was　easy　for　him　to　do；because　he　found　the　Veians；　moved　by　other　reasons；　inclined　tobring　back　the　French　into　Italy；　he　would　not　only　not　oppose　this；　buthe　would　render　it　more　easy　by　dissolving　the　former　marriage　of　KingLouis。　Therefore　the　king　came　into　Italy　with　the　assistance　of　theVeians　and　the　consent　of　Alexander。　He　was　no　sooner　in　Milan　thanthe　Pope　had　soldiers　from　him　for　the　attempt　on　the　Romagna；　whichyielded　to　him　on　the　reputation　of　the　king。　The　duke；　therefore；having　acquired　the　Romagna　and　beaten　the　Colonna；　while　wishing　tohold　that　and　to　advance　further；　was　hindered