d made a great faction. And
touching his new Conquest, he had a designe to become Lord of Tuscany.
And he had possessed himself already of Perusia, and Pombin, and taken
protection of Pisa: and so soon as he should have cast off his respect
to France (which now he meant to hold no longer) being the French were
now driven out of the Kingdome of Naples by the Spaniards, so that each
of them was forc'd to buy his friendship at any termes; he was then to
leap into Pisa. After this Lucca and Siena were presently to fall to
him, partly for envy to the Florentines, and partly for fear. The
Florentines had no way to escape him: all which, had it succeeded with
him, as without question it had, the very same year that Alexander dy'd,
he had made himself master of so great forces, and such reputation, that
he would have been able to have stood upon his own bottom, without any
dependance of fortune, or resting upon others helps, but only upon his
own strength and valor. But Alexander dy'd five years after that he had
begun to draw forth his sword: and left him setled only in the State of
Romania, with all his other designes in the ayre, sick unto death,
between two very strong armies of his enemies; and yet was there in this
Duke such a spirit and courage; and he understood so well, how men are
to be gaind, and how to be lost, and so firm were the grounds he had
laid in a short time, that, had he not had those armies upon his back,
or had been in health, he would have carried through his purpose in
spight of all opposition; and that the foundations he grounded upon were
good, it appeard in that Romania held for him above a moneth, and he
remained secure in Rome, though even at deaths doore: and however the
Baglioni, Vitelli, and Orsini came into Rome; yet found they none would
take their parts against him. And this he was able to have effected,
that if he could not have made him Pope whom be would, he could have
hindred him that he would not should be Pope. But had he been in health
when Alexander dy'd, every thing had gone easily with him; and he told
me on that day that Julius the second was created Pope, that he had
fore-thought on all that which could happen, in case his father chanc'd
to dye, and for every thing provided its remedy, this onely excepted,
that he foresaw not that he should at the same time be brought unto
deaths dore also. Having then collected all the Dukes actions, me thinks
I could not well blame him, but rathe