ANEXHORTATIONTOLIBERATEITALYFROMTHEBARBARIANS
Havingcarefullyconsideredthesubjectoftheabovediscourses, andwonderingwithinmyselfwhetherthepresenttimeswerepropitioustoanewprince, andwhethertherewereelementsthatwouldgiveanopportunitytoawiseandvirtuousonetointroduceaneworderofthingswhichwoulddohonourtohimandgoodtothepeopleofthiscountry, itappearstomethatsomanythingsconcurtofavouranewprincethatIneverknewatimemorefitthanthepresent.
Andif, asIsaid, itwasnecessarythatthepeopleofIsraelshouldbecaptivesoastomakemanifesttheabilityofMoses; thatthePersiansshouldbeoppressedbytheMedessoastodiscoverthegreatnessofthesoulofCyrus; andthattheAtheniansshouldbedispersedtoillustratethecapabilitiesofTheseus: thenatthepresenttime, inordertodiscoverthevirtueofanItalianspirit, itwasnecessarythatItalyshouldbereducedtotheextremitythatsheisnowin, thatsheshouldbemoreenslavedthantheHebrews, moreoppressedthanthePersians, morescatteredthantheAthenians; withouthead, withoutorder, beaten, despoiled, torn, overrun; andtohaveenduredeverykindofdesolation.
Althoughlatelysomesparkmayhavebeenshownbyone, whichmadeusthinkhewasordainedbyGodforourredemption, neverthelessitwasafterwardsseen, intheheightofhiscareer, thatfortunerejectedhim; sothatItaly, leftaswithoutlife, waitsforhimwhoshallyethealherwoundsandputanendtotheravagingandplunderingofLombardy, totheswindlingandtaxingofthekingdomandofTuscany, .
