efore he was the sole arbitre of Italy, he
brought in a competitor, to the end that all the ambitious persons of
that country, and all that were ill affected to him, might have
otherwhere to make their recourse: and whereas he might have left in
that Kingdome some Vice-King of his own, he took him from thence, to
place another there, that might afterward chace him thence. It is a
thing indeed very natural and ordinary, to desire to be of the getting
hand: and alwaies when men undertake it, if they can effect it, they
shall be prais'd for it, or at least not blam'd: but when they are not
able, and yet will undertake it, here lies the blame, here is the error
committed. If France then was able with her own power to assail the
Kingdome of Naples, she might well have done it; but not being able, she
should not have divided it: and if the division she made of Lombardy
with the Venetians, deserv'd some excuse, thereby to set one foot in
Italy; yet this merits blame, for not being excused by that necessity.
Lewis then committed these five faults; extinguisht the feebler ones,
augmented the State of another that was already powerful in Italy,
brought thereinto a very puissant forreiner, came not thither himself to
dwell there, nor planted any colonies there: which faults while he
liv'd, he could not but be the worse for; yet all could not have gone so
ill, had he not committed the sixt, to take from the Venetians their
State; for if he had not enlarg'd the Churches territories nor brought
the Spaniard into Italy, it had bin necessary to take them lower; but
having first taken those other courses, he should never have given way
to their destruction; for while they had been strong, they would alwaies
have kept the others off from venturing on the conquest of Lombardy. For
the Venetians would never have given their consents thereto, unless they
should have been made Lords of it themselves; and the others would never
have taken it from France, to give it them: and then they would never
have dar'd to go and set upon them both together. And if any one should
say, that King Lewis yeelded Romania to Alexander, and the Kingdome of
Naples to Spain, to avoid a war; I answer with the reasons above
alledged, that one should never suffer any disorder to follow, for
avoiding of a war; for that war is not sav'd, but put off to thy
disadvantage. And if any others argue, that the King had given his word
to the Pope, to do that exploit for him, for