Chapter 25 Summary

Many men believe that the affairs of the world are controlled by God and fortune. Therefore, they should not worry much over these matters and so go as the wind takes them. The great changes in our time have only reinforced this idea.

Fortune is like a river that occasionally overruns its banks. Though all must flee before the flood, still one can make provisions against it during times when the river is calm. Just as one can channel rising water or reduce its damage, one can do the same with fortune. It tends to show its strength where there are no provisions against it. Italy is a country without defenses against fortune. If it was guarded by suitable forces, as is the case with Germany, France, and Spain, fortune would have made little or no changes to it.

There are two main...