COSIMO.  The naughtie profe, which it hath alwaies, maketh us to have soche opinion thereof.

FABRICIO.  Take hede it be not your fault, and not the kepyng of order, the whiche you shall knowe, before this reasonyng be ended.

COSIMO.  You shall doe a thyng moste thankfull, yet I will saie concernyng thesame, that thei accuse it, to the entente you maie the better justifie it.  Thei saie thus, either it is unprofitable, and we trustyng on the same, shall make us to lese our state, or it shall be verteous, and by thesame meane, he that governeth may easely deprive us thereof.  Thei alledge the Romaines, who by meane of their owne powers, loste their libertie.  Thei alledge the Venicians, and the Frenche king, whiche Venicians, bicause thei will not be constrained, to obeie one of their owne Citezeins, use the power of straungers:  and the Frenche kyng hath disarmed his people, to be able more easely to commaunde them, but thei whiche like not the ordinaunces, feare moche more the unprofitablenesse, that thei suppose maie insue thereby, then any thyng els:  the one cause whiche thei allege is, bicause thei are unexperte:  The other, for that thei have to serve par force:  for asmoche as thei saie, that the aged bee not so dissiplinable, nor apte to learne the feate of armes, and that by force, is doen never any thyng good.

[Sidenote:  By what meanes souldiours bee made bolde and experte.]

FABRICIO.  All these reasons that you have rehearsed, be of men, whiche knoweth the thyng full little, as I shall plainly declare.  And firste, concernyng the unprofitablenesse, I tell you, that there is no service used in any countrie more profitable, then the service by the Subjectes of thesame nor thesame service cannot bee prepared, but in this maner:  and for that this nedeth not to be disputed of, I will not lese moche tyme:  bicause al thensamples of auncient histores, make for my purpose, and for that thei alledge the lacke of experience, and to use constraint:  I saie how it is true, that the lacke of experience, causeth lacke of courage, and constrainte, maketh evill contentacion:  but courage, and experience thei are made to gette, with the maner of armyng theim, exercisyng, and orderyng theim, as in proceadyng of this reasonyng, you shall heare.  But concernyng constrainte, you ought to understande, that the menne, whiche are conducted to warfare, by commaundement of their Prince, thei ought to come, neither altogether forced, nor altogether willyngly, for as moche as to moche willyngnesse, would make thinconveniencies, where I told afore, that he should not be a chosen manne, and those would be fewe that would go:  and so to moche constraint, will bring forth naughtie effectes.  Therefore, a meane ought to be taken, where is not all constrainte, nor all willingnesse:  but beyng drawen of a respecte, that thei have towardes their Prince, where thei feare more the displeasure of thesame, then the presente paine:  and alwaies