Many, Lorenzo, have held and still hold the opinion, that there
is nothing which has less in common with another, and that is so
dissimilar, as civilian life is from the military. Whence it is
often observed, if anyone designs to avail himself of an enlistment
in the army, that he soon changes, not only his clothes, but also
his customs, his habits, his voice, and in the presence of any
civilian custom, he goes to pieces; for I do not believe that any
man can dress in civilian clothes who wants to be quick and ready
for any violence; nor can that man have civilian customs and
habits, who judges those customs to be effeminate and those habits
not conducive to his actions; nor does it seem right to him to
maintain his ordinary appearance and voice who, with his beard and
cursing, wants to make other men afraid: which makes such an
opinion in these times to be very true. But if they should consider
the ancient institutions, they would not find matter more united,
more in conformity, and which, of necessity, should be like to each
other as much as these (civilian and military); for in all the arts
that are established in a society for the sake of the common good
of men, all those institutions created to (make people) live in
fear of the laws and of God would be in vain, if their defense had
not been provided for and which, if well arranged, will maintain
not only these, but also those that are not well established. And
so (on the contrary), good institutions without the help of the
military are not much differently disordered than the habitation of
a superb and regal palace, which, even though adorned with jewels
and gold, if it is not roofed over will not have anything to
protect it from the rain. And, if in any other institutions of a
City and of a Republic every diligence is employed in keeping men
loyal, peaceful, and full of the fear of God, it is doubled in the
military; for in what man ought the country look for greater
loyalty than in that man who has to promise to die for her? In whom
ought there to be a greater love of peace, than in him who can only
be injured by war? In whom ought there to be a greater fear of God
than in him who, undergoing infinite dangers every day, has more
need for His aid? If these necessities in forming the life of the
soldier are well considered, they are found to be praised by those
who gave the laws to the Commanders and by those who were put in
charge of military training, and followed and imitated with all
diligence by others.
But because military institutions have become completely corrupt
and far removed from the ancient ways, these sinister opinions have
arisen which make the military hated and intercourse with those who
train them avoided. And I, judging, by what I have seen and read,
that it is not impossible to restore its ancient ways and return
some form of past virtue to it, have decided not to let this
leisure time of mine pass without doing something, to write what I
know of the art of war, to the satisfaction of those who are lovers
of the ancient deeds. And although it requires courage to treat of
those matters of which others have made a profession, none the
less, I do not believe that it is a mistake to occupy a position
with words, which may, with greater presumption, have been occupied
with deeds; for the errors which I should make in writing can be
corrected without injury to anyone, but those which are made with
deeds cannot be found out except by the ruin of the Commanders.
You, Lorenzo, will therefore consider the quality of these
efforts of mine, and will give in your judgement of them that
censure or praise which will appear to you to be merited. I send
you these, as much as to show myself grateful for all the benefits
I have received from you, although I will not include in them the
(review) of this work of mine, as well as also, because being
accustomed to honor similar works of those who shine because of
their nobility, wealth, genius, and liberality, I know you do not
have many equals in wealth and nobility, few in ingenuity, and no
one in liberality.