《君主论·第十二章·军队有多少种·论雇佣军》第6节
Battle of Caravaggio, 15th September 1448. Johanna II of Naples, the widow of Ladislao, King of Naples. Giovanni Acuto. An English knight whose name was Sir John Hawkwood. He fought in the English wars in France, and was knighted by Edward III; afterwards he collected a body of troops and went into Italy. These became the famous “White Company.” He took part in many wars, and died in Florence in 1394. He was born about 1320 at Sible Hedingham, a village in Essex. He married Domnia, a daughter of Bernabo Visconti. Carmignuola. Francesco Bussone, born at Carmagnola about 1390, executed at Venice, 5th May 1432. Bartolomeo Colleoni of Bergamo; died 1457. Roberto of San Severino; died fighting for Venice against Sigismund, Duke of Austria, in 1487. “Primo capitano in Italia.”—Machiavelli. Count of Pitigliano; Nicolo Orsini, born 1442, died 1510. Battle of Vaila in 1509. And as with these examples I have reached Italy, which has been ruled for many years by mercenaries, I wish to discuss them more seriously, in order that, having seen their rise and progress, one may be better prepared to counteract them. You must understand that the empire has recently come to be repudiated in Italy, that the Pope has acquired more temporal power, and that Italy has been divided up into more states, for the reason that many of the great cities took up arms against their nobles, who, formerly favoured by the emperor, were oppressing them, whilst the Church was favouring them so as to gain authority in temporal power: in many others their citizens became princes. From this it came to pass that Italy fell partly into the hands of the Church and of republics, and, the Church consisting of priests and the republic of citizens unaccustomed to arms, both commenced to enlist foreigners.
注释摘要
马基雅维利在这一段里密集列举一连串人物与战事，是为了用一个接一个的具体案例来夯实他在本章反复申说的命题：雇佣军对君主而言是沉重、危险、最终往往带来毁灭的工具。他的推理链条是这样的：雇佣军的指挥官如果无能，就会直接让你吃败仗；如果有能力，他自己就会生出野心，要么反过来压迫你这位主人，要么违背你的意图去为自己谋取权势。君主一旦把自己的国家建立在雇佣武装之上，便…