hat they be men,
who make thereof an arte, and of them their should grow every daie a
thousande inconveniencies in the states, where thei should be, if thei
were accompanied of sufficient company: but beyng fewe, and not able by
them selves to make an armie, they cannot often doe suche grevous
hurtes, neverthelesse they have done oftentimes: as I have said of
Frances, and of Sforza his father, and of Braccio of Perugia: so that
this use of keping men of armes, I doe not alowe, for it is a corrupte
maner, and it may make great inconveniencies.

COSIMO. Woulde you live without them? or keping them, how would you kepe
them?

[Sidenote: A kinge that hath about him any that are to much lovers of
warre, or to much lovers of peace shal cause him to erre.]

FABRICIO. By waie of ordinaunce, not like to those of the king of
Fraunce: for as muche as they be perilous, and insolent like unto ours,
but I would kepe them like unto those of the auncient Romaines, whom
created their chivalry of their own subjectes, and in peace time, thei
sente them home unto their houses, to live of their owne trades, as more
largely before this reasoning ende, I shal dispute. So that if now this
part of an armie, can live in such exercise, as wel when it is peace, it
groweth of the corrupt order. Concerning the provisions, which are
reserved to me, and to other capitaines, I saie unto you, that this
likewise is an order moste corrupted: for as much as a wise common
weale, ought not to give such stipendes to any, but rather thei ought to
use for Capitaines in the warre, their Citezeins, and in time of peace
to will, that thei returne to their occupations. Likewise also, a wise
king either ought not to give to suche, or giving any, the occasion
ought to be either for rewarde of some worthy dede, or else for the
desire to kepe suche a kinde of man, as well in peace as in warre. And
bicause you alledged me, I will make ensample upon my self, and saie
that I never used the warre as an arte, for as muche as my arte, is to
governe my subjectes, and to defende them, and to be able to defende
them, to love peace, and to know how to make warre, and my kinge not so
muche to rewarde and esteeme me, for my knowledge in the warre, as for
the knowledge that I have to councel him in peace. Then a king ought not
to desire to have about him, any that is not of this condicion if he be
wise, and prudently minde to governe: for that, that if he shal have
about him eith