ItwastoJuliusIIthatMachiavelliwassentin1506, whenthatpontiffwascommencinghisenterpriseagainstBologna; whichhebroughttoasuccessfulissue, ashedidmanyofhisotheradventures, , andconcludesthatitistheboldratherthanthecautiousmanthatwillwinandholdthemboth.
ItisimpossibletofollowherethevaryingfortunesoftheItalianstates, whichin1507werecontrolledbyFrance, Spain, andGermany, withresultsthathavelastedtoourday; weareconcernedwiththoseevents, andwiththethreegreatactorsinthem, , andhisestimateofthatmonarch', butwhoinrealityhadnomercy, faith, humanity, orintegrity; andwho, hadheallowedhimselftobeinfluencedbysuchmotives, , andhischaracterhasbeendrawnbymanyhands; butMachiavelli, whowasanenvoyathiscourtin1507-8, revealsthesecretofhismanyfailureswhenhedescribeshimasasecretiveman, withoutforceofcharacter—ignoringthehumanagenciesnecessarytocarryhisschemesintoeffect, andneverinsistingonthefulfilmentofhiswishes.
