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LETTER XIV. - Niccolo Machiavelli, The Historical, Political, and Diplomatic Writings, vol. 4 (Diplomatic Missions 1506-1527) [1506]

Edition used:

The Historical, Political, and Diplomatic Writings of Niccolo Machiavelli, tr. from the Italian, by Christian E. Detmold (Boston, J. R. Osgood and company, 1882). Vol. 4.

Part of: The Historical, Political, and Diplomatic Writings, 4 vols.

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LETTER XIV.

Magnificent Signori, etc.: —

Francesco Vettori wrote to your Lordships from Trent on the 8th of June and sent the letter by Pietro, the son of the German Giovanni, who promised to be in Florence yesterday. That despatch will have informed you of the conclusion of the truce, and of various other things that have occurred here up to the date of the despatch. By way of precaution Francesco intrusted a full copy of it to Ortolano, the bearer of the present, whom I send from here to-day, so that your Lordships may learn the sooner what Francesco has charged me to communicate to you orally, being myself detained here by my malady.

I left Trent on Saturday last, the 10th instant; but the evening previous I went to see Serentano to ask him for a passport, and he told me that he wished the ambassador to call on him the next morning. Accordingly I accompanied Francesco the following morning to see Serentano, who informed Francesco that the truce had been concluded, each party to name their respective adherents within three months, and that he wished to know whether your Lordships desired to be named by the Emperor. Francesco replied, that he could not speak for your Lordships upon that point, but would write to you at once and inform him of your reply; and that he thought that your Lordships would feel grateful for all the honors which the Emperor was disposed to show you. In answer to which Serentano said, that he ought to write promptly and obtain a reply as quickly as possible, for he had received information that the Pisans had appealed to France for aid in consequence of the attack upon them by the Florentines; and that in his judgment he thought it would not be well that the French should have begun to send troops to them before your Lordships had decided whether or not you wished to be named as adherents of the Emperor.

I recommend myself to your Lordships.

Since writing the above, I have learned the following in relation to the truce; namely, that it has been concluded for three years between the Emperor and the Venetians nominatively; that it comprises the allies and confederates of the contracting parties respectively, named or to be named within three months. Each party to continue to hold what they possess actually at the time of signing the truce, with the right to build thereon whatever they may deem fit, and to trade in perfect security. And that it is understood that the truce extends to all the imperial towns and places, and to the allies of the Empire, but only to those in Italy, and not elsewhere. Bene valete.

Bologna, 14 June, 1508.

According to the conditions of this truce the Emperor named immediately the Pope and the king of Aragon; and the Venetians on their part named the kings of France and of Aragon.

Servus

Niccolo Machiavelli,
Secretary.

SECOND MISSION INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE STATE.*

[* ]The Florentine republic never had anything more at heart than to be able to put an end once for all to the protracted and costly war with Pisa; and in the spring of 1508, whilst Machiavelli was in Germany, the first trial was made of the militia of the country, which were employed by Niccolo Capponi to lay waste the Pisan territory, where everything was destroyed up to the very walls of the town of Pisa. In adopting so barbarous a way of making war it was evidently the aim of the Florentines to constrain the people of the country to seek refuge within the walls of the city, where, by thus increasing the number of mouths and at the same time the want of provisions, the horrors of famine would soon be produced, with their usual consequences of disturbances and riots, which are the most powerful auxiliaries of a besieging army. In the following month of August the Florentines wanted to repeat this experiment of devastation by destroying all the standing corn and what little had escaped the first attempt; and accordingly Machiavelli was charged with the operation, giving him thus the opportunity of seeing the working of that militia system for the establishment of which he had labored so hard.