WHATFORTUNECANEFFECTINHUMANAFFAIRSANDHOWTOWITHSTANDHER
Itisnotunknowntomehowmanymenhavehad, andstillhave, theopinionthattheaffairsoftheworldareinsuchwisegovernedbyfortuneandbyGodthatmenwiththeirwisdomcannotdirectthemandthatnoonecanevenhelpthem; andbecauseofthistheywouldhaveusbelievethatitisnotnecessarytolabourmuchinaffairs, , andmaystillbeseen, everyday, , , nottoextinguishourfreewill, IholdittobetruethatFortuneisthearbiterofone-halfofouractions,[1] butthatshestillleavesustodirecttheotherhalf, orperhapsalittleless.
Icomparehertooneofthoseragingrivers, whichwheninfloodoverflowstheplains, sweepingawaytreesandbuildings, bearingawaythesoilfromplacetoplace; everythingfliesbeforeit, allyieldtoitsviolence, withoutbeingableinanywaytowithstandit; andyet, thoughitsnaturebesuch, itdoesnotfollowthereforethatmen, whentheweatherbecomesfair, shallnotmakeprovision, bothwithdefencesandbarriers, insuchamannerthat, risingagain, thewatersmaypassawaybycanal, , whoshowsherpowerwherevalourhasnotpreparedtoresisther, andthithersheturnsherforceswheresheknowsthatbarriersanddefenceshavenotbeenraisedtoconstrainher.
AndifyouwillconsiderItaly, whichistheseatofthesechanges, andwhichhasgiventothemtheirimpulse, , asareGermany, Spain, andFrance, .
