COSIMO.  I would desire to understande of you, if ever with your self you have discourced, whereof groweth so moche vilenesse, and so moche disorder, and so moche necligence in these daies of this exercise?

[Sidenote:  A notable discourse of the aucthour, declaryng whereof groweth so moche vilenes disorder and necligence in these daies, concernyng the exercises of warre.]

FABRICIO.  With a good will I will tell you thesame, that I thinke.  You knowe how that of the excellente men of warre, there hath been named many in Europe, fewe in Affric, and lesse in Asia:  this grewe, for that these twoo laste partes of the worlde, have had not paste one kyngdome, or twoo, and fewe common weales, but Europe onely, hath had many kyngdomes, and infinite common weales, where menne became excellent, and did shewe their vertue, accordyng as thei were sette a woorke, and brought before their Prince, or common weale, or king that he be:  it followeth therefore, that where be many dominions, there rise many valiaunt menne, and where be fewe, fewe.  In Asia is founde Ninus, Cirus, Artasercses, Mithridates:  and verie fewe other, that to these maie be compared.  In Africk, is named (lettyng stande thesame auncient Egipt) Massinissa, Jugurta, and those Capitaines, whiche of the Carthaginens common weale were nourished, whom also in respecte to those of Europe, are moste fewe:  bicause in Europe, be excellente men without nomber, and so many more should be, if together with those should bee named the other, that be through the malignitie of time extincte:  for that the worlde hath been moste vertuous, where hath been moste states, whiche have favoured vertue of necessitie, or for other humaine passion.  There rose therfore in Asia, fewe excellente menne:  bicause thesame Province, was all under one kyngdome, in the whiche for the greatnesse thereof, thesame standing for the moste parte of tyme idell, there could not growe men in doynges excellent.  To Africke there happened the verie same, yet there were nourished more then in Asia, by reason of the Carthaginens common weale:  for that in common weales, there growe more excellent men, then in kingdomes, bicause in common weales for the most part, vertue is honoured, in Kyngdomes it is helde backe:  wherby groweth, that in thone, vertuous men are nourished, in the other thei are extincte.  Therefore he that shall consider the partes of Europe, shall finde it to have been full of common weales, and of princedomes, the whiche for feare, that the one had of the other, thei wer constrained to kepe lively the warlike orders, and to honor them, whiche in those moste prevailed:  for that in Grece, besides the kyngdome of the Macedonians, there were many common weales, and in every one of theim, were bred moste excellente men.  In Italie, were the Romaines, the Sannites, the Toscanes, the Gallie Cisalpini.  Fraunce, and Almainie, wer ful of common weales and princedomes.  Spaine likewise:  and although in comparison of the Romaines, there