possesse it all, and to leave soche foundacion to his sonne, that he was
able to make hymself, prince of all the world. He then that despiseth
these studies, if he be a Prince, despiseth his Princedome: if he bee a
Citezein, his Citee. Wherefore, I lamente me of nature, the whiche
either ought not to have made me a knower of this, or it ought to have
given me power, to have been able to have executed it: For now beyng
olde, I cannot hope to have any occasion, to bee able so to dooe: In
consideracion whereof, I have been liberall with you, who beeyng grave
yong menne, maie (when the thynges saied of me shall please you) at due
tymes in favour of your Princes, helpe theim and counsaile them, wherein
I would have you not to bee afraied, or mistrustfull, bicause this
Province seemes to bee altogether given, to raise up againe the thynges
dedde, as is seen by the perfeccion that poesie, paintyng, and writing,
is now brought unto: Albeit, as moche as is looked for of me, beyng
strooken in yeres, I do mistruste. Where surely, if Fortune had
heretofore graunted me so moche state, as suffiseth for a like
enterprise, I would not have doubted, but in moste shorte tyme, to have
shewed to the worlde, how moche the aunciente orders availe: and without
peradventure, either I would have increased it with glory, or loste it
without shame.

* * * * *

The ende of the seventh and laste booke of the arte of warre, of
Nicholas Machiavell, Citezein and Secretarie of Florence, translated out
of Italian into Englishe: By Peter Whitehorne, felow of Graise Inne.

NICHOLAS MACHIAVEL,

CITEZEIN AND SECRETARIE OF FLORENCE,

TO THE READERS

To thentente that such as rede this booke maie without difficultie
understande the order of the battailes, or bandes of men, and of the
armies, and lodgynges in the Campe, accordynge as they in the
discription of theim are apoincted, I thinke it necessarie to shewe you
the figure of everie one of them: wherefore it is requiset firste, to
declare unto you, by what poinctes and letters, the footemen, the
horsemen, and everie other particuler membre are set foorthe.

KNOW THERFORE THAT

.} Signifieth {Targetmen.

'} {Pikemen.

c} {a Capitaine of ten men.

v} {Veliti ordinarie. (Those men that shoot with harcabuses or bowes)

r} {Veliti extraordinari.

C} {a Centurion or captaine of a hundred men.

k} {a Constable or a captaine of a band of fower hundred and