art which he had taken great pains to study, while his interest in the
demonstration of principles rendered him in a measure indifferent to
their application.[4] In fact, to use the pithy words of Macaulay, 'the
Prince traces the progress of an ambitious man, the Discourses the
progress of an ambitious people. The same principles on which, in the
former work, the elevation of an individual is explained, are applied in
the latter to the longer duration and more complex interest of a
society.'

[1] The political letters addressed to Francesco Vettori, at
Rome, and intended probably for the eye of Leo X., were written
in 1514. The discourse addressed to Leo, _sulla riforma dello
stato di Firenze_, may be referred perhaps to 1519.

[2] Of these meetings Filippo de' Nerli writes in the Seventh
Book of his Commentaries, p. 138: 'Avendo convenuto assai tempo
nell' orto de' Rucellai una certa scuola di giovani letterati e
d' elevato ingegno, infra quali praticava continuamente Niccolò
Machiavelli (ed io ero di Niccolò e di tutti loro amicissimo, e
molto spesso con loro convirsavo), s' esercitavano costoro
assai, mediante le lettere, nelle lezioni dell' istorie, e
sopra di esse, ed a loro istanza compose il Machiavello quel
suo libro de' discorsi sopra Tito Livio, e anco il libro di
que' trattati e ragionamenti sopra la milizia.'

[3] See Pitti, 'Apologia de' Cappucci,' _Arch. Stor._ vol. iv.
pt. ii. p. 294.

[4] The dedication of the _Discorsi_ contains a phrase which
recalls Machiavelli's words about the _Principe_: 'Perche in