emongest Princes of a citee: for the provyng whereof, I will never seke
other, then thexample of the Romaines. Whose lives, if thei wer well
considred, and thorders of thesame common weale, there should therin be
seen many thinges, not impossible to induce into a cominaltie, so that
it had in her any good thing.

COSIMO. What thynges are those, that you would induce like unto the
antiquitie.

FABRICIO. To honour, and to reward vertue, not to despise povertie, to
esteme the maners and orders of warfare, to constrain the citezeins to
love one an other, to live without sectes, to esteme lesse the private,
than the publike, and other like thinges, that easily might bee with
this time accompanied: the which maners ar not difficult to bring to
passe, when a man should wel consider them, and entre therin by due
meanes: for asmoche as in thesame, the truth so moche appereth, that
every common wit, maie easely perceive it: which thing, who that
ordeineth, doth plant trees, under the shadowe wherof, thei abide more
happie, and more pleasantly, then under these shadowes of this goodly
gardeine.

COSIMO. I will not speake any thyng againste thesame that you have
saied, but I will leave it to bee judged of these, whom easely can
judge, and I will tourne my communicacion to you, that is an accusar of
theim, the whiche in grave, and greate doynges, are not followers of the
antiquitie, thinkyng by this waie more easely to be in my entent
satisfied. Therfore, I would knowe of you whereof it groweth, that of
the one side you condempne those, that in their doynges resemble not the
antiquitie? Of the other, in the warre, whiche is your art, wherin you
are judged excellent, it is not seen, that you have indevoured your
self, to bryng the same to any soche ende, or any thyng at all resembled
therein the auncient maners.

FABRICIO. You are happened upon the poincte, where I loked: for that my
talke deserved no other question: nor I desired other: and albeit that I
could save my self with an easie excuse, not withstandyng for my more
contentacion, and yours, seyng that the season beareth it, I will enter
in moche longer reasoning. Those men, whiche will enterprise any thyng,
ought firste with all diligence to prepare theim selves, to be ready and
apte when occasion serveth, to accomplish that, which thei have
determined to worke: and for that when the preparacions are made
craftely, thei are not knowen, there cannot be accused any man of