Niccolò Machiavelli：The Prince, Excerpt 41

Auxiliaries, which are the other useless arm, are employed when a prince is called in with his forces to aid and defend, as was done by Pope Julius in the most recent times; for he, having, in the enterprise against Ferrara, had poor proof of his mercenaries, turned to auxiliaries, and stipulated with Ferdinand, King of Spain,[1] for his assistance with men and arms. These arms may be useful and good in themselves, but for him who calls them in they are always disadvantageous; for losing, one is undone, and winning, one is their captive.

Source： https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1232
Locator：Excerpt 41 · Verified：2026-10-19 · Verification：Short excerpt

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