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.
Auxiliaries, which are the other useless arm, are
employed when a prince is called in with his forces
to aid and defend, as was done by Pope Julius in the
most recent times; for he, having, in the enterprise
against Ferrara, had poor proof of his mercenaries,
turned to auxiliaries, and stipulated with Ferdinand,
King of Spain,(*) for his assistance with men and
arms. These arms may be useful and good in themselves,
but for him who calls them in they are always disadvantageous;
for losing, one is undone, and winning, one is their
captive.
(*) Ferdinand V (F.
II of Aragon and Sicily, F. III of
Naples), surnamed “The
Catholic,” born 1542, died 1516.
And although ancient histories may be full of examples,
I do not wish to leave this recent one of Pope Julius
the Second, the peril of which cannot fail to be perceived;
for he, wishing to get Ferrara, threw himself entirely
into the hands of the foreigner. But his good
fortune brought about a third event, so that he did
not reap the fruit of his rash choice; because, having
his auxiliaries routed at Ravenna, and the Switzers
having risen and driven out the conquerors (against
all expectation, both his and others), it so came
to pass that he did not become prisoner to his enemies,
they having fled, nor to his auxiliaries, he having
conquered by other arms than theirs.
