considered by me in my "_Treatise of the Prince_" wherefore I say no
more on that subject here.

CHAPTER XLIII.--_That Men born in the same Province retain through all
Times nearly the same Character._

The wise are wont to say, and not without reason or at random, that he
who would forecast what is about to happen should look to what has been;
since all human events, whether present or to come, have their exact
counterpart in the past. And this, because these events are brought
about by men, whose passions and dispositions remaining in all ages the
same naturally give rise to the same effects; although, doubtless, the
operation of these causes takes a higher form, now in one province, and
now in another, according to the character of the training wherein the
inhabitants of these provinces acquire their way of life.

Another aid towards judging of the future by the past, is to observe
how the same nation long retains the same customs, remaining constantly
covetous or deceitful, or similarly stamped by some one vice or virtue.
Any one reading the past history of our city of Florence, and noting
what has recently befallen it, will find the French and German nations
overflowing with avarice, pride, cruelty, and perfidy, all of which four
vices have at divers times wrought much harm to our city. As an instance
of their perfidy, every one knows how often payments of money were made
to Charles VIII. of France, in return for which he engaged to restore
the fortresses of Pisa, yet never did restore them, manifesting thereby
his bad faith and grasping avarice. Or, to pass from these very recent
events, all may have heard of what happened in the war in which the
Florentines were involved with the Visconti, dukes of Milan, when
Florence, being left without other resource, resolved to invite the
emperor into Italy, that she might be assisted by his name and power in
her struggle with Lombardy. The emperor promised to come with a strong
army to take part against the Visconti and to protect Florence from
them, on condition that the Florentines paid him a hundred thousand
ducats on his setting out, and another hundred thousand on his arrival
in Italy; to which terms the Florentines agreed. But although he then
received payment of the first instalment and, afterwards, on reaching
Verona, of the second, he turned back from the expedition without
effecting anything, alleging as his excuse that he was stopped by
certain persons who