《君主论·第七章·凭他人武力与命运获得的新君主国》第5节
For the first thing he weakened the Orsini and Colonnesi parties in Rome, by gaining to himself all their adherents who were gentlemen, making them his gentlemen, giving them good pay, and, according to their rank, honouring them with office and command in such a way that in a few months all attachment to the factions was destroyed and turned entirely to the duke. After this he awaited an opportunity to crush the Orsini, having scattered the adherents of the Colonna house. This came to him soon and he used it well; for the Orsini, perceiving at length that the aggrandizement of the duke and the Church was ruin to them, called a meeting of the Magione in Perugia. From this sprung the rebellion at Urbino and the tumults in the Romagna, with endless dangers to the duke, all of which he overcame with the help of the French. Having restored his authority, not to leave it at risk by trusting either to the French or other outside forces, he had recourse to his wiles, and he knew so well how to conceal his mind that, by the mediation of Signor Pagolo—whom the duke did not fail to secure with all kinds of attention, giving him money, apparel, and horses—the Orsini were reconciled, so that their simplicity brought them into his power at Sinigalia. Having exterminated the leaders, and turned their partisans into his friends, the duke laid sufficiently good foundations to his power, having all the Romagna and the Duchy of Urbino; and the people now beginning to appreciate their prosperity, he gained them all over to himself. And as this point is worthy of notice, and to be imitated by others, I am not willing to leave it out. Sinigalia, 31st December 1502.
注释摘要
马基雅维利在这一段里要描摹的，是切萨雷·博尔贾如何一步一步摆脱对他人武力和命运的依赖，把权力的根基扎在自己手里。此前他靠着父亲亚历山大六世的教皇权威和法王路易十二的军队拿下了罗马涅，但马基雅维利已经指出，凭他人武力与命运得来的国家，上升时不费力，守成却极难，因为基础是悬浮在别人善意上的。这里要论证的，就是博尔贾怎样通过一系列有次序的操作，把原先属于奥尔西尼…