the prince-第12章

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h　reasons；　so　that　by　these　continual　discussions　there　could　never　arise；　in　time　of　war；　any　unexpected　circumstances　that　he　could　not　deal　with。

＇*＇　Philopoemen；　〃the　last　of　the　Greeks；〃　born　252　B。C。；　died　183　　　　　B。C。

But　to　exercise　the　intellect　the　prince　should　read　histories；　and　study　there　the　actions　of　illustrious　men；　to　see　how　they　have　borne　themselves　in　war；　to　examine　the　causes　of　their　victories　and　defeat；　so　as　to　avoid　the　latter　and　imitate　the　former；　and　above　all　do　as　an　illustrious　man　did；　who　took　as　an　exemplar　one　who　had　been　praised　and　famous　before　him；　and　whose　achievements　and　deeds　he　always　kept　in　his　mind；　as　it　is　said　Alexander　the　Great　imitated　Achilles；　Caesar　Alexander；　Scipio　Cyrus。　And　whoever　reads　the　life　of　Cyrus；　written　by　Xenophon；　will　recognize　afterwards　in　the　life　of　Scipio　how　that　imitation　was　his　glory；　and　how　in　chastity；　affability；　humanity；　and　liberality　Scipio　conformed　to　those　things　which　have　been　written　of　Cyrus　by　Xenophon。　A　wise　prince　ought　to　observe　some　such　rules；　and　never　in　peaceful　times　stand　idle；　but　increase　his　resources　with　industry　in　such　a　way　that　they　may　be　available　to　him　in　adversity；　so　that　if　fortune　chances　it　may　find　him　prepared　to　resist　her　blows。



CHAPTER　XV

CONCERNING　THINGS　FOR　WHICH　MEN；　AND　ESPECIALLY　PRINCES；　ARE　PRAISED　OR　BLAMED

It　remains　now　to　see　what　ought　to　be　the　rules　of　conduct　for　a　prince　towards　subject　and　friends。　And　as　I　know　that　many　have　written　on　this　point；　I　expect　I　shall　be　considered　presumptuous　in　mentioning　it　again；　especially　as　in　discussing　it　I　shall　depart　from　the　methods　of　other　people。　But；　it　being　my　intention　to　write　a　thing　which　shall　be　useful　to　him　who　apprehends　it；　it　appears　to　me　more　appropriate　to　follow　up　the　real　truth　of　the　matter　than　the　imagination　of　it；　for　many　have　pictured　republics　and　principalities　which　in　fact　have　never　been　known　or　seen；　because　how　one　lives　is　so　far　distant　from　how　one　ought　to　live；　that　he　who　neglects　what　is　done　for　what　ought　to　be　done；　sooner　effects　his　ruin　than　his　preservation；　for　a　man　who　wishes　to　act　entirely　up　to　his　professions　of　virtue　soon　meets　with　what　destroys　him　among　so　much　that　is　evil。

Hence　it　is　necessary　for　a　prince　wishing　to　hold　his　own　to　know　how　to　do　wrong；　and　to　make　use　of　it　or　not　according　to　necessity。　Therefore；　putting　on　one　side　imaginary　things　concerning　a　prince；　and　discussing　those　which　are　real；　I　say　that　all　men　when　they　are　spoken　of；　and　chiefly　princes　for　being　more　highly　placed；　are　remarkable　for　some　of　those　qualities　which　bring　them　either　blame　or　praise；　and　thus　it　is　that　one　is　reputed　liberal；　another　miserly；　using　a　Tuscan　term　（because　an　avaricious　person　in　our　language　is　still　he　who　desires　to　possess　by　robbery；　whilst　we　call　one　miserly　who　deprives　himself　too　much　of　the　use　of　his　own）；　one　is　reputed　generous；　one　rapacious；　one　cruel；　one　compassionate；　one　faithless；　another　faithful；　one　effeminate　and　cowardly；　another　bold　and　brave；　one　affable；　another　haughty；　one　lascivious；　another　chaste；　one　sincere；　another　cunning；　one　hard；　another　easy；　one　grave；　another　frivolous；　one　religious；　another　unbelieving；　and　the　like。　And　I　know　that　every　one　will　confess　that　it　would　be　most　praiseworthy　in　a　prince　to　exhibit　all　the　above　qualities　that　are　considered　good；　but　because　they　can　neither　be　entirely　possessed　nor　observed；　for　human　conditions　do　not　permit　it；　it　is　necessary　for　him　to　be　sufficiently　prudent　that　he　may　know　how　to　avoid　the　reproach　of　those　vices　which　would　lose　him　his　state；　and　also　to　keep　himself；　if　it　be　possible；　from　those　which　would　not　lose　him　it；　but　this　not　being　possible；　he　may　with　less　hesitation　abandon　himself　to　them。　And　again；　he　need　not　make　himself　uneasy　at　incurring　a　reproach　for　those　vices　without　which　the　state　can　only　be　saved　with　difficulty；　for　if　everything　is　considered　carefully；　it　will　be　found　that　something　which　looks　like　virtue；　if　followed；　would　be　his　ruin；　whilst　something　else；　which　looks　like　vice；　yet　followed　brings　him　security　and　prosperity。



CHAPTER　XVI

CONCERNING　LIBERALITY　AND　MEANNESS

Commencing　then　with　the　first　of　the　above…named　characteristics；　I　say　that　it　would　be　well　to　be　reputed　liberal。　Nevertheless；　liberality　exercised　in　a　way　that　does　not　bring　you　the　reputation　for　it；　injures　you；　for　if　one　exercises　it　honestly　and　as　it　should　be　exercised；　it　may　not　become　known；　and　you　will　not　avoid　the　reproach　of　its　opposite。　Therefore；　any　one　wishing　to　maintain　among　men　the　name　of　liberal　is　obliged　to　avoid　no　attribute　of　magnificence；　so　that　a　prince　thus　inclined　will　consume　in　such　acts　all　his　property；　and　will　be　compelled　in　the　end；　if　he　wish　to　maintain　the　name　of　liberal；　to　unduly　weigh　down　his　people；　and　tax　them；　and　do　everything　he　can　to　get　money。　This　will　soon　make　him　odious　to　his　subjects；　and　becoming　poor　he　will　be　little　valued　by　any　one；　thus；　with　his　liberality；　having　offended　many　and　rewarded　few；　he　is　affected　by　the　very　first　trouble　and　imperilled　by　whatever　may　be　the　first　danger；　recognizing　this　himself；　and　wishing　to　draw　back　from　it；　he　runs　at　once　into　the　reproach　of　being　miserly。

Therefore；　a　prince；　not　being　able　to　exercise　this　virtue　of　liberality　in　such　a　way　that　it　is　recognized；　except　to　his　cost；　if　he　is　wise　he　ought　not　to　fear　the　reputation　of　being　mean；　for　in　time　he　will　come　to　be　more　considered　than　if　liberal；　seeing　that　with　his　economy　his　revenues　are　enough；　that　he　can　defend　himself　against　all　attacks；　and　is　able　to　engage　in　enterprises　without　burdening　his　people；　thus　it　comes　to　pass　that　he　exercises　liberality　towards　all　from　whom　he　does　not　take；　who　are　numberless；　and　meanness　towards　those　to　whom　he　does　not　give；　who　are　few。

We　have　not　seen　great　things　done　in　our　time　except　by　those　who　have　been　considered　mean；　the　rest　have　failed。　Pope　Julius　the　Second　was　assisted　in　reaching　the　papacy　by　a　reputation　for　liberality；　yet　he　did　not　strive　afterwards　to　keep　it　up；　when　he　made　war　on　the　King　of　France；　and　he　made　many　wars　without　imposing　any　extraordinary　tax　on　his　subjects；　for　he　supplied　his　additional　expenses　out　of　his　long　thriftiness。　The　present　King　of　Spain　would　not　have　undertaken　or　conquered　in　so　many　enterprises　if　he　had　been　reputed　liberal。　A　prince；　therefore；　provided　that　he　has　not　to　rob　his　subjects；　that　he　can　defend　himself；　that　he　does　not　become　poor　and　abject；　that　he　is　not　forced　to　become　rapacious；　ought　to　hold　of　little　account　a　reputation　for　being　mean；　for　it　is　one　of　those　vices　which　will　enable　him　to　govern。

And　if　any　one　should　say：　Caesar　obtained　empire　by　liberality；　and　many　others　have　reached　the　highest　positions　by　having　been　liberal；　and　by　being　considered　so；　I　answer：　Either　you　are　a　prince　in　fact；　or　in　a　way　to　become　one。　In　the　first　case　this　liberality　is　dangerous；　in　the　second　it　is　very　necessary　to　be　considered　liberal；　and　Caesar　was　one　of　those　who　wished　to　become　pre…eminent　in　Rome；　but　if　he　had　survived　after　becoming　so；　and　had　not　moderated　his　expenses；　he　would　have　destroyed　his　government。　And　if　any　one　should　reply：　Many　have　been　princes；　and　have　done　great　things　with　armies；　who　have　been　considered　very　liberal；　I　reply：　Either　a　prince　spends　that　which　is　his　own　or　his　subjects'　or　else　that　of　others。　In　the　first　case　he　ought　to　be　sparing；　in　the　second　he　ought　not　to　neglect　any　opportunity　for　liberality。　And　to　the　prince　who　goes　forth　with　his　army；　supporting　it　by　pillage；　sack；　and　extortion；　handling　that　which　belongs　to　others；　this　liberality　is　necessary；　otherwise　he　would　not　be　followed　by　soldiers。　And　of　that　which　is　neither　yours　nor　your　subjects'　you　can　be　a　ready　giver；　as　were　Cyrus；　Caesar；　and　Alexander；　because　it　does　not　take　away　your　reputation　if　you　squander　that　of　others；　but　adds　to　it；　it　is　only　squandering　your　own　that　injures　you。

And　there　is　nothing　wastes　so　rapidly　as　liberality；　for　even　whilst　you　exercise　it　you　lose　the　power　to　do　so；　and　so　become　either　poor　or　despised；　or　else；　in　avoiding　poverty；　rapacious　and　hated。　And　a　prince　should　guard　himself；　above　all　things；　against　being　despised　and　hated；　and　liberality　leads　you　to　both。　Therefore　it　is　wiser　to　have　a　reputation　for　meanness　which　brings　reproach　without　hatred；　than　to　be　compelled　through　seeking　a　reputation　for　liberality　to　incur　a　name　for　rapacity　which　begets　reproach　with　hatred。



CHAPTER　XVII

CONCERNING　CRUELTY　AND　CLEMENCY；　AND　WHETHER　IT　IS　BETTER　TO　BE　LOVED　THAN　FEARED

Coming　now　to　the　other　qualities　mentioned　above；　I　say　that　every　prince　ought　to　desire　to　be　considered　clement　and　not　cruel。　Nevertheless　he　ought　to　take　care　not　to　misuse　this　clemency。　Cesare　Borgia　was　considered　cruel；　notwithstanding；　his　cruelty　reconciled　the　Romagna；　unified　it；　and　restored　it　to　peace　and　loyalty。　And　if　this　be　rightly　considered；　he　will　be　seen　to　have　been　much　more　merciful　than　the　Florentine　people；　who；　to　avoid　a　reputation　for　cruelty；　permitted　Pistoia　to　be　destroyed。＇*＇　Therefore　a　prince；　so　long　as　he　keeps　his　subjects　united　and　loyal；　ought　not　to　mind　the　reproach　of　cruelty；　because　with　a　few　examples　he　will　be　more　merciful　than　those　who；　through　too　much　mercy；　allow　disorders　to　arise；　from　which　follow　murders　or　robberies；　for　these　are　wont　to　injure　the　whole　people；　whilst　those　executions　which　originate　with　a　prince　offend　the　individual　only。

＇*＇　During　the　rioting　between　the　Cancellieri　and　Panciatichi　　　　　factions　in　1502　and　1503。

And　of　all　princes；　it　is　impossible　for　the　new　prince　to　avoid　the　imputation　of　cruelty；　owing　to　new　states　being　full　of　dangers。　Hence　Virgil；　through　the　mouth　of　Dido；　excuses　the　inhumanity　of　her　reign　owing　to　its　being　new；　saying：

　　〃Res　dura；　et　regni　novitas　me　talia　cogunt　　　Moliri；　et　late　fines　custode　tueri。〃＇*＇

Nevertheless　he　ought　to　be　slow　to　believe　and　to　act；　nor　should　he　himself　show　fear；　but　proceed　in　a　temperate　manner　with　prudence　and　humanity；　so　that　too　much　confidence　may　not　make　him　incautious　and　too　much　distrust　render　him　intolerable。

＇*＇　。　。　。　against　my　will；　my　fate　A　throne　unsettled；　and　an　infant　state；　Bid　me　defend　my　realms　with　all　my　pow'rs；　And　guard　with　these　severities　my　shores。

Christopher　Pitt。


Upon　this　a　question　arises：　whether　it　be　better　to　be　loved　than　feared　or　feared　than　loved？　It　may　be　answered　that　one　should　wish　to　be　both；　but；　because　it　is　difficult　to　unite　them　in　one　person；　it　is　much　safer　to　be　feared　than　loved；　when；　of　the　two；　either　must　be　dispensed　with。　Because　this　is　to　be　asserted　in　general　of　men；　that　they　are　ungrateful；　fickle；　false；　cowardly；　covetous；　and　as　long　as　you　succeed　they　are　yours　entirely；　they　will　offer　you　their　blood；　property；　life；　and　children；　as　is　said　above；　when　the　need　is　far　distant；　but　when　it　approaches　they　turn　against　you。　And　that　prince　who；　relying　entirel