The Works of Nicholas Machiavel (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: NARRATIVE Of the METHOD taken by DUKE VALENTINE To rid himfelf of Vitellozzo Vitelli, Oliverotto Da Fermo, Paola Ursini, and the Duke of Gravina. AFTER the revolt of Arezzo, and fome other towns in the Vale of Chiana, from the Florentines, the latter made fuch complaints to Lewis XII. King of France, againft Duke Valentine, thst he found himfelf obliged to wait upon his Majefty, (who was then in Lombardy) in order to exculpate himfelf: and arriving at Imola, in his return from thence, he there laid a fcheme to difpoflefs Giovanni Bentivoglio of Bologna, and to make it the Capital of the States which he had lately acquired in Romagna. But the Vitelli and Urfini, and their friends, having intelligence of this defign, began to be apprehen- five that the Duke would grow too powerful, and that when he had taken Bologna from the Bentivogli, he would endeavour to ruin them alfo, and make himfelf fole Arbiter of Italy, Upon thefe confidera- tions, tions, they thought proper to hold a Diet at Magione, in the territories of Perugia; at which place Cardinal Urfini, Signier Paolo, the Duke of Gravina, (all of the fame family) Vitelozzo Vitelli, Oliverotto da Fermo, Gianpaolo Baglioni, Lord of Perugia, and Antonio da Venafro, Minifter from Pandolpho Petrucci, Lord of Siena, all met together, and entered into a confultation, what meafures they ihould take to curb the Duke's ambition and greatnefs, which othrwife muft prove fatal to them, as well as others in the end. The refult of their deliberations was, to affift the Bentivogli, and endeavour to prevail upon the Florentines to join them: for which purpofe, they fent Am- bafladors to both; promifing fuccour to one, and exhorting the other to unite with them again ft their common enemy. The news of this meeting being foon c...