Incredibly embarrassing to see the myriad “well well, looks like Machiavelli was right AGAIN” bloviations about mercenaries. Are you sure tho? Are you sure you’re aware of the context in which The Prince was written? Because I don’t recall him calling for a professional standing army anywhere. I am going to become Il Burlone.
@urschrei (Tangentially, I’m hoping someone eventually publishes a proper medical characterization of the type of drastic, gag-inducing, Phineas Gage–style head injury sustained by every single person who chooses the clip art for Wikiquote pages.)