Niccolò Machiavelli · Complete work
Chapter XI
Chapter XI of 27. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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De’ Principati Ecclesiastici.
Restaci solamente al presente a ragionare de’ Principati Ecclesiastici, circa i quali tutte le difficultà sono avanti che si possegghino; perchè si acquistano o per virtù o per fortuna, e senza l’una e l’altra si mantengono; perchè sono sostentati dagli ordini anticati nella Religione, quali sono tutti potenti, e di qualità, che tengono i loro Principi in istato in qualunque modo si procedino e vivino. Costoro soli hanno Stati e non gli difendono, hanno sudditi e non gli governano; e gli Stati, per essere indifesi, non sono loro tolti; e li sudditi, per non essere governati, non se ne curano, nè pensano nè possono alienarsi da loro. Solo adunque questi Principati sono sicuri e felici. Ma essendo quelli retti da cagioni superiori, alle quali la mente umana non aggiugne, lascerò il parlarne, perchè essendo esaltati e mantenuti da Dio, sarebbe ufficio d’uomo presuntuoso e temerario il discorrerne. Nondimanco se alcuno mi ricerca donde viene che la Chiesa nel temporale sia venuta a tanta grandezza, conciossiachè da Alessandro indietro i potentati Italiani, e non solamente quelli che si chiamano potentati, ma ogni Barone e Signore, benchè minimo, quanto al temporale, la stimava poco; e ora un Re di Francia ne trema, e l’ha potuto cavare d’Italia, e rovinare i Viniziani; ancorachè ciò noto sia, non mi pare superfluo ridurlo in qualche parte alla memoria.
Avanti che Carlo Re di Francia passasse in Italia, era questa provincia sotto l’imperio del Papa, Viniziani, Re di Napoli, Duca di Milano, e Fiorentini. Questi Potentati avevano ad avere due cure principali: l’una, che un forestiero non entrasse in Italia con l’armi; l’altra, che nessuno di loro occupasse più stato. Quelli, a chi s’aveva più cura, erano il Papa e Viniziani. Ed a tenere addietro i Viniziani, bisognava l’unione di tutti gli altri, come fu nella difesa di Ferrara; e a tenere basso il Papa si servivano de’ Baroni di Roma, li quali essendo divisi in due fazioni, Orsini e Colonnesi, sempre v’era cagione di scandoli tra loro, e stando con l’armi in mano in su gli occhi del Pontefice, tenevano il Pontificato debole ed infermo. E benchè surgesse qualche volta un Papa animoso, come fu Sisto; pure la fortuna o il sapere non lo potè mai disobbligare da queste incomodità. E la brevità della vita loro ne era cagione, perchè in dieci anni che ragguagliato viveva un Papa, a fatica che potesse abbassare l’una delle fazioni; e, se per modo di parlare, l’uno aveva quasi spenti i Colonnesi, surgeva un altro nimico agli Orsini, che gli faceva risurgere, e non era a tempo a spegnerli. Questo faceva che le forze temporali del Papa erano poco stimate in Italia. Surse dipoi Alessandro VI, il quale di tutti li Pontefici che sono stati mai, mostrò quanto un Papa e con il danaio, e con le forze si poteva prevalere; e fece con l’istrumento del Duca Valentino, e con la occasione della passata de’ Francesi tutte quelle cose, che io ho discorso di sopra nelle azioni del Duca. E benchè l’intento suo non fusse di far grande la Chiesa, ma il Duca; nondimeno ciò che fece, tornò a grandezza della Chiesa, la quale dopo la sua morte, spento il Duca, fu erede delle fatiche sue.
Venne dipoi Papa Iulio, e trovò la Chiesa grande, avendo tutta la Romagna, ed essendo spenti tutti li Baroni di Roma, e per le battiture d’Alessandro annullate quelle fazioni; e trovò ancora la via aperta al modo dell’accumulare danari, non mai più usitato da Alessandro indietro. Le quali cose Iulio non solamente seguitò, ma accrebbe, e pensò guadagnarsi Bologna, e spegnere i Viniziani, e cacciare i Francesi d’Italia; e tutte queste imprese gli riuscirono, e con tanta più sua laude, quanto fece ogni cosa per accrescere la Chiesa, e non alcun privato. Mantenne ancora le parti Orsine e Colonnesi in quelli termini che le trovò; e benchè tra loro fusse qualche capo da fare alterazione, nientedimeno due cose gli ha tenuti fermi: l’una, la grandezza della Chiesa che gli sbigottisce; l’altra, il non avere loro Cardinali, quali sono origine di tumulti tra loro; nè mai staranno quiete queste parti qualunque volta abbino Cardinali, perchè questi nutriscono in Roma e fuori le parti, e quelli Baroni sono forzati a difenderle; e così dall’ambizione de’ Prelati nascono le discordie e tumulti tra’ Baroni. Ha trovato adunque la Santità di Papa Leone questo Pontificato potentissimo, del quale si spera che se quelli lo fecero grande con l’armi, esso con la bontà ed infinite altre sue virtù lo farà grandissimo e venerando.
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Italian text of all 26 chapters and the dedication for fidelity, Machiavelli’s force and cadence, and modern clarity.
Of Ecclesiastical Principalities
It remains now only to discuss ecclesiastical principalities. All the difficulties concerning them arise before they are possessed: they are acquired either by ability or by fortune, and maintained without either. For they are sustained by institutions long established in religion, so powerful and so constituted that they keep their Princes in power however they act or live. These alone have states and do not defend them, have subjects and do not govern them; yet their states, though undefended, are not taken from them, and their subjects, though ungoverned, do not care about it, nor think of separating from them, nor can they do so. These principalities alone, then, are secure and fortunate. But since they are ruled by higher causes, beyond the reach of the human mind, I shall leave them aside: as God exalts and preserves them, it would be the work of a presumptuous and reckless man to discuss them. Nevertheless, if anyone asks me how the Church has attained such greatness in temporal affairs, when before Pope Alexander the powers of Italy—not only those called powers, but every baron and lord, however small—thought little of her temporal strength, whereas now a king of France trembles before her, and she has been able to drive him out of Italy and ruin the Venetians, I do not think it superfluous, familiar though this is, to recall some of it.
Before Charles, king of France, crossed into Italy, that land was under the dominion of the Pope, the Venetians, the king of Naples, the duke of Milan, and the Florentines. These powers had two principal concerns: first, to prevent any foreigner from entering Italy in arms; second, to prevent any one of them from gaining more territory. Those who caused the greatest concern were the Pope and the Venetians. To hold back the Venetians required a union of all the others, as in the defense of Ferrara; to keep the Pope weak they made use of the barons of Rome. These barons were divided into two factions, the Orsini and the Colonna, and always had grounds for conflict. With weapons in hand before the Pope's very eyes, they kept the papacy weak and infirm. And although an energetic Pope sometimes arose, such as Sixtus, neither fortune nor his own skill could ever free him of these troubles. The shortness of their lives was the cause: in the ten years that a Pope lived on average, he could scarcely bring down one faction. If one had all but extinguished the Colonna, another arose hostile to the Orsini and revived the Colonna; then there was not time to extinguish them. This is why the Pope's temporal forces were held in little esteem in Italy. Then arose Pope Alexander VI, who showed, more than any Pope there had ever been, what a Pope could accomplish with money and armed force. Using Duke Valentino as his instrument, and the French invasion as his opportunity, he did everything I have described above in my account of the Duke's actions. Although his purpose was to make the Duke great, not the Church, all that he did contributed to the greatness of the Church, which inherited the fruits of his labors after his death, when the Duke had been brought down.
Then came Pope Julius. He found the Church powerful, with all Romagna in its possession, the barons of Rome crushed, and their factions destroyed by Alexander's blows. He also found the way open to accumulate money on a scale never practiced before Alexander. Julius not only continued these measures but extended them. He resolved to win Bologna, destroy the Venetians, and drive the French from Italy. All these enterprises succeeded, and earned him all the greater praise because he did everything to increase the power of the Church, not of any private individual. He also kept the Orsini and Colonna factions within the limits in which he found them. Although there were leaders among them capable of stirring up trouble, two things held them in check: the greatness of the Church, which daunted them, and their lack of cardinals, who are a source of turmoil within their factions. These factions will never be at peace whenever they have cardinals, for cardinals foster their parties in Rome and elsewhere, and the barons are compelled to defend them. Thus the ambition of prelates gives rise to discord and disorder among the barons. His Holiness Pope Leo has therefore inherited a most powerful papacy; and it is hoped that, while those Popes made it great by force of arms, he will make it greater still and worthy of reverence by his goodness and his countless other virtues.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the Italian text of all 26 chapters and the dedication.
Church Principalities
The only kind of principality left to discuss is the church principality. All the difficulties come before a ruler takes possession. Such principalities are gained through ability or fortune, but can be kept without either. They are supported by long-established religious institutions. These are so powerful that they keep their rulers in power no matter how those rulers act or live. These rulers alone have states that they do not defend, and subjects that they do not govern. Yet no one takes their states away because they are undefended. Their subjects do not mind being left ungoverned, and neither think of leaving nor can leave them. So these are the only secure and fortunate principalities. But they are governed by causes beyond human understanding. I will say no more about those causes. Since God raises up and preserves these principalities, it would be presumptuous and reckless for a person to discuss them. Still, someone might ask how the Church has grown so powerful in worldly affairs. Before Pope Alexander, the Italian powers paid little attention to its worldly power. So did every baron and lord, however minor. Now a king of France trembles before it. The Church has been able to drive him out of Italy and to ruin the Venetians. Though everyone knows this, I think it is worth recalling some of it.
Before Charles, king of France, entered Italy, the country was under the rule of the pope, the Venetians, the king of Naples, the duke of Milan, and the Florentines. These powers had two main concerns: to keep a foreign army out of Italy, and to prevent any one of them from taking more territory. The two they watched most closely were the pope and the Venetians. To hold back the Venetians, all the others had to unite, as they did in the defense of Ferrara. To keep the pope weak, they made use of the barons of Rome. Those barons were divided into two factions, the Orsini and the Colonna. There was always some cause for trouble between them. With arms in hand right under the pope's nose, they kept the papacy weak and ailing. A forceful pope sometimes came to power, as Sixtus did. But neither fortune nor skill could ever free him from these problems. The short length of a pope's reign was the reason. A pope lived ten years on average, barely enough time to bring down one of the factions. Suppose one pope had almost wiped out the Colonna. The next might rise to power as an enemy of the Orsini and restore the Colonna. He would not have time to wipe out the Orsini either. That is why the pope's worldly forces had little standing in Italy. Then Pope Alexander VI came to power. More than any pope before him, he showed how much a pope could achieve with money and armed force. Using Duke Valentino and the opportunity created by the French invasion, he did all the things I described earlier in discussing the duke's actions. His aim was to make the duke powerful, not the Church. Even so, everything he did increased the Church's power. After Alexander died and the duke was removed, the Church inherited the results of his efforts.
Then Pope Julius came to power. He found the Church strong and in control of all Romagna. The barons of Rome had been crushed, and Alexander's blows had destroyed their factions. Julius also found a way open to raise money on a scale no pope before Alexander had used. Julius not only continued these policies but took them further. He planned to win Bologna, destroy the Venetians, and drive the French out of Italy. He succeeded in all these efforts. He deserves even more credit because he did everything to strengthen the Church, not any private person. He kept the Orsini and Colonna factions in the condition in which he found them. Some leaders among them could have caused trouble, but two things kept them in check. One was the Church's power, which frightened them. The other was their lack of cardinals, who are the source of trouble between the factions. These factions will never stay quiet if they have cardinals. Cardinals build up their factions inside and outside Rome, and the barons are forced to defend those factions. So the ambitions of church leaders produce disputes and unrest among the barons. His Holiness Pope Leo has therefore inherited a very powerful papacy. We may hope that, if his predecessors made it great through arms, he will make it greater still and worthy of respect through his goodness and his many other virtues.