Notes to "Most people know little about it, aside from the fact that a great deal of dancing took place."

*My brother had to leave midway through the game, just after he’d taken over the entire eastern hemisphere. As my forces had been decimated through a pincer attack by my brother-in-law and my nephew, he put me in charge of his army . . . and within three turns I’d lost it all. He was not impressed. Clearly, I’m no Napoleon.

Notes to Oh, the weather outside is--good god--frightful!

* Which three categories, I think we can agree, are ultimately the same, no? Perhaps in their Platonic forms, at least?

Notes to Machiavelli, as he will, offers advice

* Machivalli's preemptive dismissal of Vettori's claim that the Italians, if pressed, will band together to defeat the Swiss will amuse anyone who finds stories of Italian politics and government ridiculous to the point of disbelief--yet at the same time impossible to turn away from:

As to union of the Italians, you make me laugh, first, because there never will be union here to do anything good.