第5部分(第5/7 頁)

such　matters　ought　to　bediscussed　in　a　more　private　place；　and　he　betook　himself　to　a　chamber；whither　Giovanni　and　the　rest　of　the　citizens　went　in　after　him。　Nosooner　were　they　seated　than　soldiers　issued　from　secret　places　andslaughtered　Giovanni　and　the　rest。　After　these　murders　Oliverotto；mounted　on　horseback；　rode　up　and　down　the　town　and　besieged　the　chiefmagistrate　in　the　palace；　so　that　in　fear　the　people　were　forced　to　obeyhim；　and　to　form　a　government；　of　which　he　made　himself　the　prince。　Hekilled　all　the　malcontents　who　were　able　to　injure　him；　and　strengthenedhimself　with　new　civil　and　military　ordinances；　in　such　a　way　that；　inthe　year　during　which　he　held　the　principality；　not　only　was　he　securein　the　city　of　Fermo；　but　he　had　bee　formidable　to　all　hisneighbours。　And　his　destruction　would　have　been　as　difficult　as　that　ofAgathocles　if　he　had　not　allowed　himself　to　be　overreached　by　CesareBorgia；　who　took　him　with　the　Orsini　and　Vitelli　at　Sinigaglia；　as　wasstated　above。　Thus　one　year　after　he　had　mitted　this　parricide；　hewas　strangled；　together　with　Vitellozzo；　whom　he　had　made　his　leader　invalour　and　wickedness。Some　may　wonder　how　it　can　happen　that　Agathocles；　and　his　like；　afterinfinite　treacheries　and　cruelties；　should　live　for　long　secure　in　hiscountry；　and　defend　himself　from　external　enemies；　and　never　beconspired　against　by　his　own　citizens；　seeing　that　many　others；　by　meansof　cruelty；　have　never　been　able　even　in　peaceful　times　to　hold　thestate；　still　less　in　the　doubtful　times　of　war。　I　believe　that　thisfollows　from　severities　being　badly　or　properly　used。　Those　may　becalled　properly　used；　if　of　evil　it　is　lawful　to　speak　well；　that　areapplied　at　one　blow　and　are　necessary　to　one's　security；　and　that　arenot　persisted　in　afterwards　unless　they　can