Key Arguments

• Unlike successful conquerors, he did not reside in the province, plant colonies, manage balance of power, or prevent powerful outsiders from gaining influence.
• Such a loss is natural and expected when these retention methods are neglected.

Source Quotes

And if others should allege the King’s promise to the Pope to undertake that enterprise on his behalf, in return for the dissolution of his marriage, and for the Cardinal’s hat conferred on d’Amboise, I answer by referring to what I say further on concerning the faith of Princes and how it is to be kept. King Louis, therefore, lost Lombardy from not following any one of the methods pursued by others who have taken Provinces with the resolve to keep them. Nor is this anything strange, but only what might reasonably and naturally be looked for.

King Louis, therefore, lost Lombardy from not following any one of the methods pursued by others who have taken Provinces with the resolve to keep them. Nor is this anything strange, but only what might reasonably and naturally be looked for. And on this very subject I spoke to d’Amboise at Nantes, at the time when Duke Valentino, as Cesare Borgia, son to Pope Alexander, was vulgarly called, was occupying Romagna.

Key Concepts

• King Louis, therefore, lost Lombardy from not following any one of the methods pursued by others who have taken Provinces with the resolve to keep them.
• Nor is this anything strange, but only what might reasonably and naturally be looked for.

Context

Synthesis of earlier prescriptions into a causal judgment on the loss of Lombardy.