马基雅维里 君主论英文prince-第11章

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　　　Bid　me　defend　my　realms　with　all　my　pow'rs；

　　　And　guard　with　these　severities　my　shores。



CHAPTER　XVIII



CONCERNING　THE　WAY　IN　WHICH　PRINCES　SHOULD　KEEP　FAITH



EVERY　one　admits　how　praiseworthy　it　is　in　a　prince　to　keep　faith；　and

to　live　with　integrity　and　not　with　craft。　Nevertheless　our　experience

has　been　that　those　princes　who　have　done　great　things　have　held　good

faith　of　little　account；　and　have　known　how　to　circumvent　the　intellect

of　men　by　craft；　and　in　the　end　have　overe　those　who　have　relied　on

their　word。　You　must　know　there　are　two　ways　of　contesting；　the　one　by

the　law；　the　other　by　force；　the　first　method　is　proper　to　men；　the

second　to　beasts；　but　because　the　first　is　frequently　not　sufficient；　it

is　necessary　to　have　recourse　to　the　second。　Therefore　it　is　necessary

for　a　prince　to　understand　how　to　avail　himself　of　the　beast　and　the

man。　This　has　been　figuratively　taught　to　princes　by　ancient　writers；

who　describe　how　Achilles　and　many　other　princes　of　old　were　given　to

the　Centaur　Chiron　to　nurse；　who　brought　them　up　in　his　discipline；

which　means　solely　that；　as　they　had　for　a　teacher　one　who　was　half

beast　and　half　man；　so　it　is　necessary　for　a　prince　to　know　how　to　make

use　of　both　natures；　and　that　one　without　the　other　is　not　durable。　A

prince；　therefore；　being　pelled　knowingly　to　adopt　the　beast；　ought

to　choose　the　fox　and　the　lion；　because　the　lion　cannot　defend　himself

against　snares　and　the　fox　cannot　defend　himself　against　wolves。

Therefore；　it　is　necessary　to　be　a　fox　to　discover　the　snares　and　a　lion

to　terrify　the　wolves。　Those　who　rely　simply　on　the　lion　do　not

understand　what　they　are　about。　Therefore　a　wise　lord　cannot；　nor　ought

he　to；　keep　faith　when　such　observance　may　be　turned　against　him；　and

when　the　reasons　that　caused　him　to　pledge　it　exist　no　longer。　If　men

were　entirely　good　this　precept　would　not　hold；　but　because　they　are

bad；　and　will　not　keep　faith　with　you；　you　too　are　not　bound　to　observe

it　with　them。　Nor　will　there　ever　be　wanting　to　a　prince　legitimate

reasons　to　excuse　this　nonobservance。　Of　this　endless　modern　examples

could　be　given；　showing　how　many　treaties　and　engagements　have　been　made

void　and　of　no　effect　through　the　faithlessness　of　princes；　and　he　who

has　known　best　how　to　employ　the　fox　has　succeeded　best。



But　it　is　necessary　to　know　well　how　to　disguise　this　characteristic；

and　to　be　a　great　pretender　and　dissembler；　and　men　are　so　simple；　and

so　subject　to　present　necessities；　that　he　who　seeks　to　deceive　will

always　find　someone　who　will　allow　himself　to　be　deceived。　One　recent

example　I　cannot　pass　over　in　silence。　Alexander　VI　did　nothing　else　but

deceive　men；　nor　ever　thought　of　doing　otherwise；　and　he　always　found

victims；　for　there　never　was　a　man　who　had　greater　power　in　asserting；

or　who　with　greater　oaths　would　affirm　a　thing；　yet　would　observe　it

less；　nevertheless　his　deceits　always　succeeded　according　to　his　wishes；

because　he　well　understood　this　side　of　mankind。



Therefore　it　is　unnecessary　for　a　prince　to　have　all　the　good　qualities

I　have　enumerated；　but　it　is　very　necessary　to　appear　to　have　them。　And

I　shall　dare　to　say　this　also；　that　to　have　them　and　always　to　observe

them　is　injurious；　and　that　to　appear　to　have　them　is　useful；　to　appear

merciful；　faithful；　humane；　religious；　upright；　and　to　be　so；　but　with　a

mind　so　framed　that　should　you　require　not　to　be　so；　you　may　be　able　and

know　how　to　change　to　the　opposite。



And　you　have　to　understand　this；　that　a　prince；　especially　a　new　one；

cannot　observe　all　those　things　for　which　men　are　esteemed；　being　often

forced；　in　order　to　maintain　the　state；　to　act　contrary　to　faith；

friendship；　humanity；　and　religion。　Therefore　it　is　necessary　for　him　to

have　a　mind　ready　to　turn　itself　accordingly　as　the　winds　and　variations

of　fortune　force　it；　yet；　as　I　have　said　above；　not　to　diverge　from　the

good　if　he　can　avoid　doing　so；　but；　if　pelled；　then　to　know　how　to

set　about　it。



For　this　reason　a　prince　ought　to　take　care　that　he　never　lets　anything

slip　from　his　lips　that　is　not　replete　with　the　above…named　five

qualities；　that　he　may　appear　to　him　who　sees　and　hears　him　altogether

merciful；　faithful；　humane；　upright；　and　religious。　There　is　nothing

more　necessary　to　appear　to　have　than　this　last　quality；　inasmuch　as　men

judge　generally　more　by　the　eye　than　by　the　hand；　because　it　belongs　to

everybody　to　see　you；　to　few　to　e　in　touch　with　you。　Every　one　sees

what　you　appear　to　be；　few　really　know　what　you　are；　and　those　few　dare

not　oppose　themselves　to　the　opinion　of　the　many；　who　have　the　majesty

of　the　state　to　defend　them；　and　in　the　actions　of　all　men；　and

especially　of　princes；　which　it　is　not　prudent　to　challenge；　one　judges

by　the　result。



For　that　reason；　let　a　prince　have　the　credit　of　conquering　and　holding

his　state；　the　means　will　always　be　considered　honest；　and　he　will　be

praised　by　everybody　because　the　vulgar　are　always　taken　by　what　a　thing

seems　to　be　and　by　what　es　of　it；　and　in　the　world　there　are　only　the

vulgar；　for　the　few　find　a　place　there　only　when　the　many　have　no　ground

to　rest　on。



One　prince　＇1＇　of　the　present　time；　whom　it　is　not　well　to　name；　never

preaches　anything　else　but　peace　and　good　faith；　and　to　both　he　is　most

hostile；　and　either；　if　he　had　kept　it；　would　have　deprived　him　of

reputation　and　kingdom　many　a　time。



1。　Maximilian　I；　Holy　Roman　Emperor。



CHAPTER　XIX



THAT　ONE　SHOULD　AVOID　BEING　DESPISED　AND　HATED



Now；　concerning　the　characteristics　of　which　mention　is　made　above；　I

have　spoken　of　the　more　important　ones；　the　others　I　wish　to　discuss

briefly　under　this　generality；　that　the　prince　must　consider；　as　has

been　in　part　said　before；　how　to　avoid　those　things　which　will　make　him

hated　or　contemptible；　and　as　often　as　he　shall　have　succeeded　he　will

have　fulfilled　his　part；　and　he　need　not　fear　any　danger　in　other

reproaches。



It　makes　him　hated　above　all　things；　as　I　have　said；　to　be　rapacious；

and　to　be　a　violator　of　the　property　and　women　of　his　subjects；　from

both　of　which　he　must　abstain。　And　when　neither　their　property　nor

honour　is　touched；　the　majority　of　men　live　content；　and　he　has　only　to

contend　with　the　ambition　of　a　few；　whom　he　can　curb　with　ease　in　many

ways。



It　makes　him　contemptible　to　be　considered　fickle；　frivolous；

effeminate；　mean…spirited；　irresolute；　from　all　of　which　a　prince　should

guard　himself　as　from　a　rock；　and　he　should　endeavour　to　show　in　his

actions　greatness；　courage；　gravity；　and　fortitude；　and　in　his　private

dealings　with　his　subjects　let　him　show　that　his　judgments　are

irrevocable；　and　maintain　himself　in　such　reputation　that　no　one　can

hope　either　to　deceive　him　or　to　get　round　him。



That　prince　is　highly　esteemed　who　conveys　this　impression　of　himself；

and　he　who　is　highly　esteemed　is　not　easily　conspired　against；　for；

provided　it　is　well　known　that　he　is　an　excellent　man　and　revered　by　his

people；　he　can　only　be　attacked　with　difficulty。　For　this　reason　a

prince　ought　to　have　two　fears；　one　from　within；　on　account　of　his

subjects；　the　other　from　without；　on　account　of　external　powers。　From

the　latter　he　is　defended　by　being　well　armed　and　having　good　allies；

and　if　he　is　well　armed　he　will　have　good　friends；　and　affairs　will

always　remain　quiet　within　when　they　are　quiet　without；　unless　they

should　have　been　already　disturbed　by　conspiracy；　and　even　should

affairs　outside　be　disturbed；　if　he　has　carried　out　his　preparations　and

has　lived　as　I　have　said；　as　long　as　he　does　not　despair；　he　will　resist

every　attack；　as　I　said　Nabis　the　Spartan　did。



But　concerning　his　subjects；　when　affairs　outside　are　disturbed　he　has

only　to　fear　that　they　will　conspire　secretly；　from　which　a　prince　can

easily　secure　himself　by　avoiding　being　hated　and　despised；　and　by

keeping　the　people　satisfied　with　him；　which　it　is　most　necessary　for

him　to　acplish；　as　I　said　above　at　length。　And　one　of　the　most

efficacious　remedies　that　a　prince　can　have　against　conspiracies　is　not

to　be　hated　and　despised　by　the　people；　for　he　who　conspires　against　a

prince　always　expects　to　please　them　by　his　removal；　but　when　the

conspirator　can　only　look　forward　to　offending　them；　he　will　not　have

the　courage　to　take　such　a　course；　for　the　difficulties　that　confront　a

conspirator　are　infinite。　And　as　experience　shows；　many　have　been　the

conspiracies；　but　few　have　been　successful；　because　he　who　conspires

cannot　act　alone；　nor　can　he　take　a　panion　except　from　those　whom　he

believes　to　be　malcontents；　and　as　soon　as　you　have　opened　your　mind　to

a　malcontent　you　have　given　him　the　material　with　which　to　content

himself；　for　by　denouncing　you　he　can　look　for　every　advantage；　so　that；

seeing　the　gain　from　this　course　to　be　assured；　and　seeing　the　other　to

be　doubtful　and　full　of　dangers；　he　must　be　a　very　rare　friend；　or　a

thoroughly　obstinate　enemy　of　the　prince；　to　keep　faith　with　you。



And；　to　reduce　the　matter　into　a　small　pass；　I　say　that；　on　the　side

of　the　conspirator；　there　is　nothing　but　fear；　jealousy；　prospect　of

punishment　to　terrify　him；　but　on　the　side　of　the　prince　there　is　the

majesty　of　the　principality；　the　laws；　the　protection　of　friends　and　the

state　to　defend　him；　so　that；　adding　to　all　these　things　the　popular

goodwill；　it　is　impossible　that　any　one　should　be　so　rash　as　to

conspire。　For　whereas　in　general　the　conspirator　has　to　fear　before　the

execution　of　his　plot；　in　this　case　he　has　also　to　fear　the　sequel　to

the　crime；　because　on　account　of　it　he　has　the　people　for　an　enemy；　and

thus　cannot　hope　for　any　escape。



Endless　examples　could　be　given　on　this　subject；　but　I　will　be　content

with　one；　brought　to　pass　within　the　memory　of　our　fathers。　Messer

Annibale　Bentivoglio；　who　was　prince　in　Bologna　（grandfather　of　the

present　Annibale）；　having　been　murdered　by　the　Canneschi；　who　had

conspired　against　him；　not　one　of　his　family　survived　but　Messer

Giovanni；　who　was　in　childhood：　immediately　after　his　assassination　the

people　rose　and　murdered　all　the　Canneschi。　This　sprung　from　the　popular

goodwill　which　the　house　of　Bentivoglio　enjoyed　in　those　days　in

Bologna；　which　was　so　great　that；　although　none　remained　there　after　the

death　of　Annibale　who　were　able　to　rule　the　state；　the　Bolognese；　having

information　that　there　was　one　of　the　Bentivoglio　family　in　Florence；

who　up　to　that　time　had　been　considered　the　son　of　a　blacksmith；　sent　to

Florence　for　him　and　gave　him　the　government　of　their　city；　and　it　was

ruled　by　him　until　Messer　Giovanni　came　in　due　course　to　the　government。



For　this　reason　I　consider　that　a　prince　ought　to　reckon　conspiracies　of

little　account　when　his　people　hold　him　in　esteem；　but　when　it　is

hostile　to　him；　and　bears　hatred　towards　him；　he　ought　to　fear

everything　and　everybody。　And　well