ether might have had a victory. But by delay they
stood to lose in every way, as the event showed.

This example, had it been remembered by the Florentines, might have
saved them from all that loss and vexation which they underwent at the
hands of the French, at the time King Louis XII. of France came into
Italy against Lodovico, duke of Milan. For when Louis first proposed
to pass through Tuscany he met with no objection from the Florentines,
whose envoys at his court arranged with him that they should stand
neutral, while the king, on his arrival in Italy, was to maintain their
government and take them under his protection; a month's time being
allowed the republic to ratify these terms. But certain persons, who, in
their folly, favoured the cause of Lodovico, delayed this ratification
until the king was already on the eve of victory; when the Florentines
suddenly becoming eager to ratify, the king would not accept their
ratification, perceiving their consent to be given under constraint and
not of their own good-will. This cost the city of Florence dear, and
went near to lose her freedom, whereof she was afterwards deprived on
another like occasion. And the course taken by the Florentines was the
more to be blamed in that it was of no sort of service to Duke Lodovico,
who, had he been victorious, would have shown the Florentines many more
signs of his displeasure than did the king.

Although the hurt which results to republics from weakness of this sort
has already been discussed in another Chapter, nevertheless, since an
opportunity offered for touching upon it again, I have willingly availed
myself of it, because to me it seems a matter of which republics like
ours should take special heed.

CHAPTER XVI.--_That the Soldiers of our days depart widely from the
methods of ancient Warfare._

In all their wars with other nations, the most momentous battle ever
fought by the Romans, was that which they fought with the Latins when
Torquatus and Decius were consuls. For it may well be believed that as
by the loss of that battle the Latins became subject to the Romans,
so the Romans had they not prevailed must have become subject to the
Latins. And Titus Livius is of this opinion, since he represents the
armies as exactly equal in every respect, in discipline and in valour,
in numbers and in obstinacy, the only difference he draws being, that
of the two armies the Romans had the more capable commanders. We find,
how