《君主论·第十二章·军队有多少种·论雇佣军》第7节
The first who gave renown to this soldiery was Alberigo da Conio, the Romagnian. From the school of this man sprang, among others, Braccio and Sforza, who in their time were the arbiters of Italy. After these came all the other captains who till now have directed the arms of Italy; and the end of all their valour has been, that she has been overrun by Charles, robbed by Louis, ravaged by Ferdinand, and insulted by the Switzers. The principle that has guided them has been, first, to lower the credit of infantry so that they might increase their own. They did this because, subsisting on their pay and without territory, they were unable to support many soldiers, and a few infantry did not give them any authority; so they were led to employ cavalry, with a moderate force of which they were maintained and honoured; and affairs were brought to such a pass that, in an army of twenty thousand soldiers, there were not to be found two thousand foot soldiers. They had, besides this, used every art to lessen fatigue and danger to themselves and their soldiers, not killing in the fray, but taking prisoners and liberating without ransom. They did not attack towns at night, nor did the garrisons of the towns attack encampments at night; they did not surround the camp either with stockade or ditch, nor did they campaign in the winter. All these things were permitted by their military rules, and devised by them to avoid, as I have said, both fatigue and dangers; thus they have brought Italy to slavery and contempt. Alberigo da Conio. Alberico da Barbiano, Count of Cunio in Romagna. He was the leader of the famous “Company of St George,” composed entirely of Italian soldiers. He died in 1409.
注释摘要
马基雅维利在这一段的论述，是把对雇佣军危害的剖析从就事论事的批判，转入到一种历史谱系学的追溯。他的核心论证是：意大利长久以来的军事虚弱和最终被外敌蹂躏，并非偶然，而是由一群佣兵首领出于自身利益，刻意塑造的一套腐败的军事体制所导致的必然结果。他先指出阿尔贝里戈·达·科尼奥是这种佣兵行当的始祖人物。此人的真实身份是阿尔贝里科·达·巴尔比亚诺，罗马涅地区的库尼奥…