THE PROHEME
OF NICHOLAS MACHIAVELL,
Citezein and Secretarie of Florence,
upon his booke of the Arte of Warre, unto
Laurence Philippe Strozze, one of the
nobilitie of Florence.


There have Laurence, many helde, and do holde this opinion, that there
is no maner of thing, whiche lesse agreeth the one with the other, nor
that is so much unlike, as the civil life to the Souldiours. Wherby it
is often seen, that if any determin in thexercise of that kinde of
service to prevaile, that incontinent he doeth not only chaunge in
apparel, but also in custome and maner, in voice, and from the facion of
all civil use, he doeth alter: For that he thinketh not meete to clothe
with civell apparell him, who wil be redie, and promt to all kinde of
violence, nor the civell customes, and usages maie that man have, the
whiche judgeth bothe those customes to be effeminate, and those usages
not to be agreable to his profession: Nor it semes not convenient for
him to use the civill gesture and ordinarie wordes, who with fasing and
blasphemies, will make afraied other menne: the whiche causeth in this
time, suche opinion to be moste true. But if thei should consider
thauncient orders, there should nothing be founde more united, more
confirmable, and that of necessitie ought to love so much the one the
other, as these: for as muche as all the artes that are ordeined in a
common weale, in regarde or respecte of common profite of menne, all the
orders made in the same, to live with feare of the Lawe, and of God
should be vaine, if by force of armes their defence wer not prepared,