history, and had Greek and Latin authors translated for his use.
Francesco, his still more famous son, set his mind from the first on
founding a powerful State, and through brilliant generalship and a
faithlessness which hesitated at nothing, got possession of the great
city of Milan (1450).

His example was contagious. Aeneas Sylvius wrote about this time: 'In
our change-loving Italy, where nothing stands firm, and where no
ancient dynasty exists, a servant can easily become a king.' One man in
particular, who styles himself 'the man of fortune,' filled the
imagination of the whole country: Giacomo Piccinino, the son of
Niccolo;. It was a burning question of the day if he, too, would
succeed in founding a princely house. The greater States had an obvious
interest in hindering it, and even Francesco Sforza thought it would be
all the better if the list of self-made sovereigns were not enlarged.
But the troops and captains sent against him, at the time, for
instance, when he was aiming at the lordship of Siena, recognized their
interest in supporting him: 'If it were all over with him, we should
have to go back and plough our fields.' Even while besieging him at
Orbetello, they supplied him with provisions: and he got out of his
straits with honour. But at last fate overtook him. All Italy was
betting on the result, when (1465) after a visit to Sforza at Milan, he
went to King Ferrante at Naples. In spite of the pledges given, and of
his high connections, he was murdered in the Castel Nuovo. Even the
Condottieri who had obtained their dominions by inheritance, never felt
themselves safe. When Roberto Malatesta and Federigo of Urbino died on
the same day (1482), the one at Rome, the other at Bologna, it was
found that each had recommended his State to the care of the other.
Against a class of men who themselves stuck at nothing, everything was
held to be permissible. Francesco Sforza, when quite young, had married