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Charles the Seventh,(*) the father of King Louis the Eleventh,(+) havi… — The Prince

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SAPIR 861

The Prince — Niccolò Machiavelli

Charles the Seventh,(*) the father of King Louis the Eleventh,(+) having by good fortune and valour liberated France from the English, recognized the necessity of being armed with forces of his own, and he established in his kingdom ordinances concerning men-at-arms and infantry. Afterwards his son, King Louis, abolished the infantry and began to enlist the Switzers, which mistake, followed by others, is, as is now seen, a source of peril to that kingdom; because, having raised the reputation of the Switzers, he has entirely diminished the value of his own arms, for he has destroyed the infantry altogether; and his men-at-arms he has subordinated to others, for, being as they are so accustomed to fight along with Switzers, it does not appear that they can now conquer without them. Hence it arises that the French cannot stand against the Switzers, and without the Switzers they do not come

Place: CHAPTER XII -- HOW MANY KINDS OF SOLDIERY THERE ARE, AND CONCERNING MERCENARIES · ¶185
License: Public domain · Source
The text is given as in the edition, unedited.

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