第15部分(第2/7 頁)

　humble　the　Veians；　found　itimpossible　to　refuse　him　soldiers　without　manifestly　offending　him。Therefore　Julius　with　his　impetuous　action　acplished　what　no　otherpontiff　with　simple　human　wisdom　could　have　done；　for　if　he　had　waitedin　Rome　until　he　could　get　away；　with　his　plans　arranged　and　everythingfixed；　as　any　other　pontiff　would　have　done；　he　would　never　havesucceeded。　Because　the　King　of　France　would　have　made　a　thousandexcuses；　and　the　others　would　have　raised　a　thousand　fears。I　will　leave　his　other　actions　alone；　as　they　were　all　alike；　and　theyall　succeeded；　for　the　shortness　of　his　life　did　not　let　him　experiencethe　contrary；　but　if　circumstances　had　arisen to　gocautiously；　his　ruin　would　have　followed；　because　he　would　never　havedeviated　from　those　ways　to　which　nature　inclined　him。I　conclude　therefore　that；　fortune　being　changeful　and　mankind　steadfastin　their　ways；　so　long　as　the　two　are　in　agreement　men　are　successful；but　unsuccessful　when　they　fall　out。　For　my　part　I　consider　that　it　isbetter　to　be　adventurous　than　cautious；　because　fortune　is　a　woman；　andif　you　wish　to　keep　her　under　it　is　necessary　to　beat　and　ill…use　her；and　it　is　seen　that　she　allows　herself　to　be　mastered　by　the　adventurousrather　than　by　those　who　go　to　work　more　coldly。　She　is；　therefore；always；　woman…like；　a　lover　of　young　men；　because　they　are　lesscautious；　more　violent；　and　with　more　audacity　mand　her。CHAPTER　XXVIAN　EXHORTATION　TO　LIBERATE　ITALY　FROM　THE　BARBARIANSHAVING　carefully　considered　the　subject　of　the　above　discourses；　andwondering　within　myself　whether　the　present　times　were　propitious　to　anew　prince；　and　whether　there　were　the　elements　that　would　give　anopportunity　to　a　wise　and　virtuous　one　to　introduce　a　new　order　ofthings　which　would　do　honour　to　him　and　good　to　th