Caterina Sforza

A mere recapitulation of a few of his transactions with the statesmen and soldiers of his time gives fair indication of his activities and supplies the sources from which he drew the experience and characters which illustrate The Prince.

His first mission was in 1499 to Catherine Sforza, my lady of Forli, of The Prince, from whose conduct and fate he drew the moral that it is far better to earn the confidence of the people than to rely on fortresses.

This is a very noticeable principle in Machiavelli, and it is urged by him in many ways as a matter of vital importance to princes.

In 1500 he was sent to France to obtain terms from Louis XII for continuing the war against Pisa.

He does not present himself, nor is he depicted by his contemporaries, as a type of that rare combination, the successful statesman and author, for he appears to have been only moderately prosperous in his several embassies and political employments.

He was misled by Caterina Sforza, ignored by Louis XII, overawed by Cesare Borgia.

Several of his embassies were quite barren of results, his attempts to fortify Florence failed, and the soldiery that he raised astonished everybody by their cowardice.

In the conduct of his own affairs he was timid and time-serving.

He does not present himself, nor is he depicted by his contemporaries, as a type of that rare combination, the successful statesman and author, for he appears to have been only moderately prosperous in his several embassies and political employments.

He was misled by Caterina Sforza, ignored by Louis XII, overawed by Cesare Borgia.

Several of his embassies were quite barren of results, his attempts to fortify Florence failed, and the soldiery that he raised astonished everybody by their cowardice.

In the conduct of his own affairs he was timid and time-serving.

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So Caterina Sforza is born in Milan in 1463.

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He does not present himself, nor is he depicted by his contemporaries, as a type of that rare combination, the successful statesman and author, for he appears to have been only moderately prosperous in his several embassies and political employments.

He was misled by Caterina Sforza, ignored by Louis XII, overawed by Cesare Borgia.

Several of his embassies were quite barren of results.

His attempts to fortify Florence failed, and the soldiery that he raised astonished everybody by their cowardice.