Niccolo Machiavelli (Machiavelli, Niccolo)

Francesco Bandini (Bandini, Francesco)
22 May, 1527
Civita Vecchia

LETTER XXI.

Signor Lieutenant: —

The Captain Messer AndreaAndrea Doria.^* has replied to the demand which we have made upon him at your Lordship’s request, that one of his galleys and a brigantine were at Livorno, and that the rest of his fleet was here; but that he could not dispose of any of his vessels owing to what was going on around us; that at any moment it might happen that the Pope had need of him, and if on such an occasion he were otherwise engaged he might be blamed for it; but that the galley and the brigantine would have to return from Livorno, and then he would place the brigantine at our disposal. He also informed us that the Marchioness of Mantua was to be here to-morrow, and would proceed with three galleys to Livorno, and that we might have passage on board of these. But we finally arranged to go either in the brigantine or galley, whichever should first return from Livorno. We had a conversation with the Captain about your letter of this morning, and he expressed himself pleased with everything, provided you would make your second encampment either at Monte Mari or in the Pope’s vineyard. And above all he deemed it important that you should venture upon a battle only when you had an advantage, fearing lest with equal

forces you would be beaten.All this has reference to the march of the army of the League to liberate the Pope from the Castel San Angelo, where he was besieged, together with the whole court, after the taking of Rome on the 6th of May, 1527, by the Constable Bourbon. The artful delays by the Duke of Urbino, commander-in-chief of the forces of the League, have been made familiar by the historians of the time. He first permitted the Imperial army to march upon Rome and make themselves masters of it, and then refused to succor the Castel San Angelo, although he had always troops enough to oppose the Imperial army, and even to beat them.^* The news from Florence and from France seemed to give him the greatest pleasure; and as to Florence he said that, if the Pope had taken a similar course a year ago, matters would now be in a very different condition.

Niccolo Machiavelli.
Francesco Bandini.
Civita Vecchia, 22 May, 1527.