time of peace to will, that thei returne to their occupations.  Likewise also, a wise king either ought not to give to suche, or giving any, the occasion ought to be either for rewarde of some worthy dede, or else for the desire to kepe suche a kinde of man, as well in peace as in warre.  And bicause you alledged me, I will make ensample upon my self, and saie that I never used the warre as an arte, for as muche as my arte, is to governe my subjectes, and to defende them, and to be able to defende them, to love peace, and to know how to make warre, and my kinge not so muche to rewarde and esteeme me, for my knowledge in the warre, as for the knowledge that I have to councel him in peace.  Then a king ought not to desire to have about him, any that is not of this condicion if he be wise, and prudently minde to governe:  for that, that if he shal have about him either to muche lovers of peace, or to much lovers of warre, they shall make him to erre.  I cannot in this my firste reasoning, and according to my purpose saie more, and when this suffiseth you not, it is mete, you seke of them that may satisfie you better.  You maie now verie well understand, how difficulte it is to bringe in use the auncient maners in the presente warres, and what preparations are mete for a wise man to make, and what occasions ought to be loked for, to be able to execute it.  But by and by, you shall know these things better, if this reasoning make you not werie, conferring what so ever partes of the auncient orders hath ben, to the maners nowe presente.

COSIMO.  If we desired at the first to here your reason of these thinges, truly thesame whiche hetherto you have spoken, hath doubled our desire:  wherefore we thanke you for that we have hard, and the rest, we crave of you to here.

FABRICIO.  Seyng that it is so your pleasure, I will begin to intreate of this matter from the beginning, to the intent it maye be better understode, being able by thesame meane, more largely to declare it.  The ende of him that wil make warre, is to be able to fight with every enemy in the fielde and to be able to overcum an armie.  To purpose to doe this, it is convenient to ordeine an hoost.  To ordein an hoost, their must be found menne, armed, ordered, and as well in the small, as in the great orders exercised, to knowe howe to kepe araie, and to incampe, so that after bringing them unto the enemie, either standing or marching, they maie know how to behave themselves valiantly.  In this thing consisteth all the industrie of the warre on the lande, whiche is the most necessarie, and the most honorablest, for he that can wel order a fielde against the enemie, the other faultes that he should make in the affaires of warre, wilbe borne with:  but he that lacketh this knowledge, although that in other particulars he be verie good, he shal never bring a warre to honor:  for as muche as a fielde that thou winnest, lesing? img 94 doeth cancell all other thy evill actes:  so like wise lesing