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1、HISTORYOFFLORENCEANDOFTHEAFFAIRSOFITALYFROMTHEEARLIESTTIMESTOTHEDEATHOFLORENZOTHEMAGNIFICENTByNiccoloMachiavelliWithanIntroductionbyHUGOALBERTRENNERT,Ph.D.ProfessorofRomanicLanguagesandLiterature,UniversityofPennsylvania.INTRODUCTIONNiccoloMachiavelli,thefirstgreatItalianhistorian,a
2、ndoneofthemosteminentpoliticalwritersofanyageorcountry,wasbornatFlorence,May3,1469.HewasofanoldthoughnotwealthyTuscanfamily,hisfather,whowasajurist,dyingwhenNiccolowassixteenyearsold.WeknownothingofMachiavelli'syouthandlittleabouthisstudies.Hedoesnotseemtohavereceivedtheusualhumanis
3、ticeducationofhistime,asheknewnoGreek.[*]ThefirstnoticeofMachiavelliisin1498whenwefindhimholdingtheofficeofSecretaryinthesecondChanceryoftheSignoria,whichofficeheretainedtillthedownfalloftheFlorentineRepublicin1512.Hisunusualabilitywassoonrecognized,andin1500hewassentonamissiontoLou
4、isXII.ofFrance,andafterwardonanembassytoCæsarBorgia,thelordofRomagna,atUrbino.Machiavelli'sreportanddescriptionofthisandsubsequentembassiestothisprince,showshisundisguisedadmirationforthecourageandcunningofCæsar,whowasamasterintheapplicationoftheprinciplesafterwardsexposedinsuchaski
5、llfulanduncompromisingmannerbyMachiavelliinhisPrince.Thelimitsofthisintroductionwillnotpermitustofollowwithanydetailthemanyimportantdutieswithwhichhewaschargedbyhisnativestate,allofwhichhefulfilledwiththeutmostfidelityandwithconsummateskill.When,afterthebattleofRavennain1512theholyl
6、eaguedetermineduponthedownfallofPierSoderini,GonfaloniereoftheFlorentineRepublic,andtherestorationoftheMedici,theeffortsofMachiavelli,whowasanardentrepublican,wereinvain;thetroopshehadhelpedtoorganizefledbeforetheSpaniardsandtheMediciwerereturnedtopower.Machiavelliattemptedtoconcili
7、atehisnewmasters,buthewasdeprivedofhisoffice,andbeingaccusedinthefollowingyearofparticipationintheconspiracyofBoccoliandCapponi,hewasimprisonedandtortured,thoughafterwardsetatlibertybyPopeLeoX.HenowretiredtoasmallestatenearSanCasciano,sevenmilesfromFlorence.Herehedevotedhimselftopol
8、iticalandhistorical