where much blood has been shed, or much injury done, that that peace should last long,
which was made by compulsion; for seeing, and hearing, and conversing with one ano∣ther
daily, their animosities must of necessity revive, and provoke them to new outrage,
by presenting them with new occasions of indignation and revenge: and of this we can∣not
have an apter example than in the City of Pistoia, which 15 years since (as it is now)
was divided into the Panciatichi, and Cancellieri (only then they were at open defyance,
which now they are not.) After many contests and disputes among themselves, they pro∣ceeded
to blood, to the plundering and demolishing one anothers houses, and committing
all other hostilities imaginable: The Florentines whose business it was to unite them, used
this third way, which rather encreased, than mitigated their tumults; so that weary of
that way, and grown wiser by experience, they made use of the second; banished some of
the Ring-leaders, and imprisoned the rest, whereby they not only quieted their differences
then, but have kept them so ever since. But doubtless the safest way had been to cut them
off at first, and if those executions were forborn then by us, or have been since by any
other Commonwealth, it is for no other cause, but that they require a certain generosity
and greatness of spirit, that in weak Commonwealths is hardly to be found. And these
are the errors, which as I said in the beginning, are committed by the Princes of our
times, when they are to determine in such great controversies; for they should inform
themselves how others have comported in the same cases before them; but they are so weak
by reason of the slightness of our present education, and their unexperience in History, that
they look upon the examples of the ancients as inhumane, or impossible: So that our mo∣dern
opinions are as remote from the truth, as that saying of our wise men was upon a
time, Che bisognavatener Pistoiacon le parti, & Pisacon le fortezze: That Pistoia was to
be kept under by factions, and Pisa by a Citadel; but they were mistaken in both. What
my judgment is about Citadels, and such kind of Fortresses, I have delivered else∣where;
so as in this place, I shall only demonstrate how unpracticable it is to keep Towns
in subjection by fomenting their differences and factions, and first it is impossible to keep
both parties true to you (be you Prince, or Commonwealth, or whatever) for men are
naturally so inconstant, it cannot be that those parties which favour you to day, should be
affected to you always; for they will still look out for some new Patron, and Protector:
so that by degrees one of the parties taking some disgust against you, the next War that
happens, you run a great hazard of losing your Town. If it be under the Government
of a State, the City is in more danger, than in the other case, because each party looks out
for friends among the great ones, and will spare no pains nor mony to corrupt them. From
whence two great inconveniences do arise: One is, you can never make them love you,
because by reason of the frequent alteration of Governors, and putting in sometimes a per∣son
of one humour, and sometimes another of another; they can never be well govern'd
And then the other is, by this fomenting of Factions, your State must be necessarily divi∣ded.
Blondus speaking of the passages betwixt the Florentines and Pistoians, confirms
what we have said in these words, Mentreche i Florentini dis••gnavano de riunir Pistoia, divi∣sono
se Medesimi. Whilst the Florentines thought to have united the Pistoians, they divided
themselves. In the year 1501. Arezzo revolted from the Florentines, and the Valleys di
Tenere, and Chiana were entirely over-run by the Vitelli, and Duke Valentine. Whereupon
Monsieur de Lant was sent from the King of France to see all that they had lost, restored to
the Florentines. Wherever Monsieur de Lant came observing the persons that came to visit
him, did still profess themselves of the party of Morzocco, he was much dissatisfied with
their factions, and more that they should declare themselves so freely; for (said he) if in
France any man should pronounce himself of the King's party, he would be sure to be
punished, because it would imply that there was a party against the King, and it was his
Masters desire, that his Kingdom and Cities should be all of a mind: If therefore a Prince
believes there is no way for him to keep his Towns in obedience, but by keeping up Fa∣ctions,
it is a certain argument of his weakness; for being unable by force and courage to
keep them under, he betakes himself to these pernicious arts; which in peaceable times
may palliate a little, but when troubles, and adversity come will assuredly deceive him.