第2部分(第1/7 页)

to　cure　but　difficult　todetect；　but　in　the　course　of　time；　not　having　been　either　detected　ortreated　in　the　beginning；　it　bees　easy　to　detect　but　difficult　tocure。　Thus　it　happens　in　affairs　of　state；　for　when　the　evils　that　arisehave　been　foreseen　（which　it　is　only　given　to　a　wise　man　to　see）；　theycan　be　quickly　redressed；　but　when；　through　not　having　been　foreseen；they　have　been　permitted　to　grow　in　a　way　that　every　one　can　see　them。there　is　no　longer　a　remedy。　Therefore；　the　Romans；　foreseeing　troubles；dealt　with　them　at　once；　and；　even　to　avoid　a　war；　would　not　let　theme　to　a　head；　for　they　knew　that　war　is　not　to　be　avoided；　but　is　onlyput　off　to　the　advantage　of　others；　moreover　they　wished　to　fight　withPhilip　and　Antiochus　in　Greece　so　as　not　to　have　to　do　it　in　Italy；　theycould　have　avoided　both；　but　this　they　did　not　wish；　nor　did　that　everplease　them　which　is　for　ever　in　the　mouths　of　the　wise　ones　of　ourtime：……　Let　us　enjoy　the　benefits　of　the　time　……　but　rather　the　benefits　oftheir　own　valour　and　prudence；　for　time　drives　everything　before　it；　andis　able　to　bring　with　it　good　as　well　as　evil；　and　evil　as　well　as　good。But　let　us　turn　to　France　and　inquire　whether　she　has　done　any　of　thethings　mentioned。　I　will　speak　of　Louis　＇XII＇　（and　not　of　Charles＇VIII＇）　as　the　one　whose　conduct　is　the　better　to　be　observed；　he　havingheld　possession　of　Italy　for　the　longest　period；　and　you　will　see　thathe　has　done　the　opposite　to　those　things　which　ought　to　be　done　toretain　a　state　posed　of　divers　elements。King　Louis　was　brought　into　Italy　by　the　ambition　of　the　Veians；　whodesired　to　obtain　half　the　state　of　Lombardy　by　his　intervention。　I　willnot　blame　the　course　taken　by　the　king；　because；　wishing　to　get　afoothold　in　Italy；　and　having　no　friends　there　……　seeing　rathe