📝 您未登录，登录后完成练习可保存成绩、查看最佳记录。
总字符
0
正确字符
0
错误字符
0
错误率
0.00%
耗时(秒)
0
速度 WPM
0
0 / 62
1The duke afterwards ordered all his horsemen and infantry, of which there were more than two thousand cavalry and ten
2thousand footmen, to assemble by daybreak at the Metauro, a river five miles distant from Fano, and await him there. He
3found himself, therefore, on the last day of December at the Metauro with his men, and having sent a cavalcade of about
4two hundred horsemen before him, he then moved forward the infantry, whom he accompanied with the rest of the
5men-at-arms. Fano and Sinigalia are two cities of La Marca situated on the shore of the Adriatic Sea, fifteen miles
6distant from each other, so that he who goes towards Sinigalia has the mountains on his right hand, the bases of which
7are touched by the sea in some places. The city of Sinigalia is distant from the foot of the mountains a little more
8than a bow-shot and from the shore about a mile. On the side opposite to the city runs a little river which bathes that
9part of the walls looking towards Fano, facing the high road. Thus he who draws near to Sinigalia comes for a good space
10by road along the mountains, and reaches the river which passes by Sinigalia. If he turns to his left hand along the
11bank of it, and goes for the distance of a bow-shot, he arrives at a bridge which crosses the river; he is then almost
12abreast of the gate that leads into Sinigalia, not by a straight line, but transversely. Before this gate there stands a
13collection of houses with a square to which the bank of the river forms one side. The Vitelli and Orsini having received
14orders to wait for the duke, and to honour him in person, sent away their men to several castles distant from Sinigalia
15about six miles, so that room could be made for the men of the duke; and they left in Sinigalia only Oliverotto and his
16band, which consisted of one thousand infantry and one hundred and fifty horsemen, who were quartered in the suburb
17mentioned above. Matters having been thus arranged, the Duke Valentino left for Sinigalia, and when the leaders of the
18cavalry reached the bridge they did not pass over, but having opened it, one portion wheeled towards the river and the
19other towards the country, and a way was left in the middle through which the infantry passed, without stopping, into
20the town. Vitellozzo, Pagolo, and the Duke di Gravina on mules, accompanied by a few horsemen, went towards the duke;
21Vitellozo, unarmed and wearing a cape lined with green, appeared very dejected, as if conscious of his approaching
22death--a circumstance which, in view of the ability of the man and his former fortune, caused some amazement. And it is
23said that when he parted from his men before setting out for Sinigalia to meet the duke he acted as if it were his last
24parting from them. He recommended his house and its fortunes to his captains, and advised his nephews that it was not
25the fortune of their house, but the virtues of their fathers that should be kept in mind. These three, therefore, came
26before the duke and saluted him respectfully, and were received by him with goodwill; they were at once placed between
27those who were commissioned to look after them. But the duke noticing that Oliverotto, who had remained with his band in
28Sinigalia, was missing--for Oliverotto was waiting in the square before his quarters near the river, keeping his men in
29order and drilling them--signalled with his eye to Don Michelle, to whom the care of Oliverotto had been committed, that
30he should take measures that Oliverotto should not escape. Therefore Don Michele rode off and joined Oliverotto, telling
31him that it was not right to keep his men out of their quarters, because these might be taken up by the men of the duke;
32and he advised him to send them at once to their quarters and to come himself to meet the duke. And Oliverotto, having
33taken this advice, came before the duke, who, when he saw him, called to him; and Oliverotto, having made his obeisance,
34joined the others. So the whole party entered Sinigalia, dismounted at the duke's quarters, and went with him into a
35secret chamber, where the duke made them prisoners; he then mounted on horseback, and issued orders that the men of
36Oliverotto and the Orsini should be stripped of their arms. Those of Oliverotto, being at hand, were quickly settled,
37but those of the Orsini and Vitelli, being at a distance, and having a presentiment of the destruction of their masters,
38had time to prepare themselves, and bearing in mind the valour and discipline of the Orsinian and Vitellian houses, they
39stood together against the hostile forces of the country and saved themselves. But the duke's soldiers, not being
40content with having pillaged the men of Oliverotto, began to sack Sinigalia, and if the duke had not repressed this
41outrage by killing some of them they would have completely sacked it. Night having come and the tumult being silenced,
42the duke prepared to kill Vitellozzo and Oliverotto; he led them into a room and caused them to be strangled. Neither of
43them used words in keeping with their past lives: Vitellozzo prayed that he might ask of the pope full pardon for his
44sins; Oliverotto cringed and laid the blame for all injuries against the duke on Vitellozzo. Pagolo and the Duke di
45Gravina Orsini were kept alive until the duke heard from Rome that the pope had taken the Cardinal Orsino, the
46Archbishop of Florence, and Messer Jacopo da Santa Croce. After which news, on 18th January 1502, in the castle of
47Pieve, they also were strangled in the same way. THE LIFE OF CASTRUCCIO CASTRACANI OF LUCCA WRITTEN BY NICOLO
48MACHIAVELLI And sent to his friends ZANOBI BUONDELMONTI And LUIGI ALAMANNI CASTRUCCIO CASTRACANI 1284-1328 It appears,
49dearest Zanobi and Luigi, a wonderful thing to those who have considered the matter, that all men, or the larger number
50of them, who have performed great deeds in the world, and excelled all others in their day, have had their birth and
51beginning in baseness and obscurity; or have been aggrieved by Fortune in some outrageous way. They have either been
52exposed to the mercy of wild beasts, or they have had so mean a parentage that in shame they have given themselves out
53to be sons of Jove or of some other deity. It would be wearisome to relate who these persons may have been because they
54are well known to everybody, and, as such tales would not be particularly edifying to those who read them, they are
55omitted. I believe that these lowly beginnings of great men occur because Fortune is desirous of showing to the world
56that such men owe much to her and little to wisdom, because she begins to show her hand when wisdom can really take no
57part in their career: thus all success must be attributed to her. Castruccio Castracani of Lucca was one of those men
58who did great deeds, if he is measured by the times in which he lived and the city in which he was born; but, like many
59others, he was neither fortunate nor distinguished in his birth, as the course of this history will show. It appeared to
60be desirable to recall his memory, because I have discerned in him such indications of valour and fortune as should make
61him a great exemplar to men. I think also that I ought to call your attention to his actions, because you of all men I
62know delight most in noble deeds.
🎉 全部完成！共 62 行