through their malignitie becomen Dukes of Milein, so moche the
more thei deserve to bee blamed: for that although thei have not gotten
so moch as he, thei have all (if their lives wer seen) sought to bring
the like thynges to passe. Sforza father of Fraunces, constrained Quene
Jone, to caste her self into the armes of the king of Aragon, havyng in
a sodain forsaken her, and in the middest of her enemies, lefte her
disarmed, onely to satisfie his ambicion, either in taxyng her, or in
takyng from her the Kyngdome. Braccio with the verie same industrie,
sought to possesse the kyngdome of Naples, and if he had not been
overthrowen and slaine at Aquila, he had brought it to passe. Like
disorders growe not of other, then of soche men as hath been, that use
the exercise of warfare, for their proper arte. Have not you a Proverbe,
whiche fortefieth my reasons, whiche saieth, that warre maketh Theves,
and peace hangeth theim up? For as moche as those, whiche knowe not how
to live of other exercise, and in the same finding not enie man to
sustayne theym, and havyng not so moche power, to knowe how to reduce
theim selves together, to make an open rebellion, they are constrayned
of necessetie to Robbe in the highe waies, and Justice is enforced to
extinguishe theim.

COSIMO. You have made me to esteme this arte of warfare almoste as
nothyng, and I have supposed it the moste excellentes, and moste
honourableste that hath been used: so that if you declare me it not
better, I cannot remaine satisfied: For that when it is thesame, that
you saie, I knowe not, whereof groweth the glorie of Cesar, of Pompei,
of Scipio, of Marcello, and of so many Romaine Capitaines, whiche by
fame are celebrated as Goddes.

FABRICIO. I have not yet made an ende of disputyng al thesame, that I
purposed to propounde: whiche were twoo thynges, the one, that a good
manne could not use this exercise for his arte: the other, that a common
weale or a kingdome well governed, did never permitte, that their
Subjectes or Citezeins should use it for an arte. Aboute the firste, I
have spoken as moche as hath comen into my mynde: there remaineth in me
to speake of the seconde where I woll come to aunswere to this your
laste question, and I saie that Pompey and Cesar, and almoste all those
Capitaines, whiche were at Rome, after the laste Carthagenens warre,
gotte fame as valiaunt men, not as good, and those whiche lived before
them, gotte glorie as valiaunte and good me