Of How Much Importance Should Be Given Religion; and How Italy, Because the Medium of the Roman Church was Lacking, Was Ruined
Those Princes or those Republics that want to maintain themselves uncorrupted, have above everything else to maintain uncorrupted the servances of Religion, and hold them always in veneration1. For no one can have a better indication of the ruin of a province than to see the divine institutions held in contempt. This is easy to understand, when it is known upon what the Religion of the fatherland is founded; for every Religion has the foundation of its existence on some one of its principal institutions. The life of the Gentile Religion was founded upon the responses of the Oracles2 and upon the tenets of the Augurs4 and Aruspices; all their other ceremonies, sacrifices, rites5, depended on these. For they readily believed that that God who could predict your future good or evil, should also be able to concede it to you. From this arose their temples, their sacrifices, their supplication6, and all the other ceremonies venerating7 him; for the Oracle3 of Delphi, the Temple of Jupiter Ammon, and other celebrated8 Oracles kept the world in admiration9 and devotion. As soon as these began to speak in the manner of the Potentates10, and this falsity was discovered by the people, men became incredulous and disposed to disturb every good institution. The Princes of a Republic or a Kingdom ought therefore to maintain their Republic’s religions, and in consequence well and united. And therefore they ought in all things which arise to foster it [even if they should judge them false] to favor and encourage it: and the more prudent11 they are, and the more they understand natural things, so much more ought they to do this. And because this practice has been observed by wise men, there has arisen the beliefs in the miracles that are celebrated in Religion, however false; for the prudent ones have increased [their importance] from whatever origin they may have derived12 and their authority gives them credence13 with the people. There were many of these miracles in Rome, and among others was that [which occurred] when the Roman soldiers were sacking the City of Veienti, some of whom entered the Temple of Juno, and, standing14 in front of her statue, and saying “WILL YOU COME TO ROME?”, it appeared to some that she had made a sign [of assent], and to others that she had said yes. For these men, being full of Religion, [which T. Livius demonstrated] when they entered the Temple went in without tumult15 and completely devoted16 and full of reverence17, seemed to hear that response to their question which perhaps they had presupposed: which opinion and belief was favored and magnified by Camillus and by the other Princes of the City.
If the Princes of the Republic had maintained this Christian18 religion according as it had been established by the founder19, the Christian States and Republics would have been more united and much more happy than they are. Nor can any greater conjecture20 be made of its decline, than to see that those people who are nearer to the Church of Rome, the head of our Religion, have less Religion. And whoever should give consideration to its foundations, and observe how much different present usage is from them, should judge that without doubt her ruin or flagellation [chastisement] is near. And because some are of the opinion that the well-being21 of Italian affairs depend on the Church of Rome, I want to discuss those reasons against them that occur to me, and I will present two most powerful ones, which according to me are not controvertible22. The first is, that by the evil example of that court, this province has lost all devotion and all Religion: so that it brings [with it] infinite troubles and infinite disorders23; for where there is Religion every good is presupposed, so too where it is lacking the contrary is presupposed. We Italians therefore have this obligation with the Church and with the Priests of having become bad and without Religion; but we also have a greater one, which is the cause of our ruin. This is that the Church has kept and still keeps this province [country] of ours divided: and Truly any country never was united or happy, except when it gave its obedience24 entirely25 to one Republic or one Prince, as has happened to France and Spain. And the reason that Italy is not in the same condition, and is not also governed by one Republic or one Prince, is solely26 the Church, for having acquired and held temporal Empire, she has not been so powerful or of such virtu that she was able to occupy the rest of Italy and make herself its Prince. And on the other hand, she has not been so weak that the fear of losing her dominion27 of temporal things has made her unable to call in a power that could defend her against those who had become too powerful in Italy, as was seen anciently by many experiences, when through the medium of Charles the Great she drove out the Lombards who already were the kings of almost all Italy, and when in our times she took away the power of Venetians with the aid of France; afterwards she drove out the French with the aid of the Swiss. The church therefore not being powerful [enough] to occupy Italy, and not having permitted that another should occupy her, has been the cause why she [Italy] has not been able to be united under one head, but has been under so many Princes and Lords, from which there has resulted so much disunion and so much weakness, that she became prey28 not only to the powerful Barbarians29, but to anyone who should assault her. This we other Italians owe to the Church of Rome, and to none others. And anyone who should want to observe the truth of this more readily through experience, should need to be of such great power that he should be sent to live at the Roman Court, with all the power it has in Italy, over the towns of the Swiss, who today are the only People who live accordingly to ancient customs both as far as Religion and military institutions [are concerned] and he would see that in a little time the evil customs of that Court would cause more disorders in that province [country] than could spring up from any other incident in any other time.
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veneration
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| n.尊敬，崇拜 | |
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oracles
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| 神示所( oracle的名词复数 )； 神谕； 圣贤； 哲人 | |
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oracle
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| n.神谕，神谕处，预言 | |
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augurs
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| n.（古罗马的）占兆官( augur的名词复数 )；占卜师，预言者v.预示，预兆，预言( augur的第三人称单数 )；成为预兆；占卜 | |
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rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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supplication
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| n.恳求，祈愿，哀求 | |
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venerating
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| 敬重（某人或某事物），崇敬( venerate的现在分词 ) | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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potentates
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| n.君主，统治者( potentate的名词复数 )；有权势的人 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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credence
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| n.信用，祭器台，供桌，凭证 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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Founder
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| n.创始者，缔造者 | |
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conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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well-being
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| n.安康，安乐，幸福 | |
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controvertible
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| adj.可争论的，有辩论余地的，可辩论的 | |
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disorders
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| n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调 | |
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obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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dominion
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| n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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barbarians
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| n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 )；外国人；粗野的人；无教养的人 | |
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