ee Comte's _Cours de philosophie positive_, iv. 252-253,
and _Systeme de politique positive_, iv. Appendice General, 109-111;
F. Laurent, _Etudes_, xii. 121-126, 89-110; and R. Flint, _Philosophy
of History in France and Germany_, i. 125-138. The _Memoires de
Condorcet sur la Revolution francaise, extraits de sa correspondance
et de celles de ses amis_ (2 vols., Paris, Ponthieu, 1824), which were
in fact edited by F. G. de la Rochefoucauld-Liancourt, are spurious.
See also Dr J. F. E. Robinet, _Condorcet, sa vie et son [oe]uvre_, and
more especially L. Cahen, _Condorcet et la Revolution francaise_
(Paris, 1904). On Madame de Condorcet see Antoine Guillois, _La
Marquise de Condorcet, sa famille, son salon et ses [oe]uvres_ (Paris,
1897).

CONDOTTIERE (plural, _condottieri_), an Italian term, derived ultimately
from Latin _conducere_, meaning either "to conduct" or "to hire," for
the leader of the mercenary military companies, often several thousand
strong, which used to be hired out to carry on the wars of the Italian
states. The word is often extended so as to include the soldiers as well
as the leader of a company. The condottieri played a very important part
in Italian history from the middle of the 13th to the middle of the 15th
century. The special political and military circumstances of medieval
Italy, and in particular the wars of the Guelphs and Ghibellines,
brought it about that the condottieri and their leaders played a more
conspicuous and important part in history than the "Free Companies"
elsewhere. Amongst these circumstances the absence of a numerous feudal
cavalry, the relative luxury of city life, and the incapacity of city
militia for wars of aggression were the most prominent. From this it
resulted that war was not merely the trade of the condottiere, but also
his monopoly, and he was thus able to obtain whatever terms he asked,
whether money payments or political concessions. These companies were
recruited from wandering mercenary bands and individuals of all nations,
and from the ranks of the many armies of middle Europe which from time
to time overran Italy.

Montreal d'Albarno, a gentleman of Provence, was the first to give them
a definite form. A severe discipline and an elaborate organization were
introduced within the company itself, while in their relations to the
people the most barbaric licence was permitted. Montreal himself was put
to death at Rome by Rienzi, an