马基雅维里 君主论英文prince-第12章

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

everything　and　everybody。　And　well…ordered　states　and　wise　princes　have

taken　every　care　not　to　drive　the　nobles　to　desperation；　and　to　keep　the

people　satisfied　and　contented；　for　this　is　one　of　the　most　important

objects　a　prince　can　have。



Among　the　best　ordered　and　governed　kingdoms　of　our　times　is　France；　and

in　it　are　found　many　good　institutions　on　which　depend　the　liberty　and

security　of　the　king；　of　these　the　first　is　the　parliament　and　its

authority；　because　he　who　founded　the　kingdom；　knowing　the　ambition　of

the　nobility　and　their　boldness；　considered　that　a　bit　in　their　mouths

would　be　necessary　to　hold　them　in；　and；　on　the　other　side；　knowing　the

hatred　of　the　people；　founded　in　fear；　against　the　nobles；　he　wished　to

protect　them；　yet　he　was　not　anxious　for　this　to　be　the　particular　care

of　the　king；　therefore；　to　take　away　the　reproach　which　he　would　be

liable　to　from　the　nobles　for　favouring　the　people；　and　from　the　people

for　favouring　the　nobles；　he　set　up　an　arbiter；　who　should　be　one　who

could　beat　down　the　great　and　favour　the　lesser　without　reproach　to　the

king。　Neither　could　you　have　a　better　or　a　more　prudent　arrangement；　or

a　greater　source　of　security　to　the　king　and　kingdom。　From　this　one　can

draw　another　important　conclusion；　that　princes　ought　to　leave　affairs

of　reproach　to　the　management　of　others；　and　keep　those　of　grace　in

their　own　hands。　And　further；　I　consider　that　a　prince　ought　to　cherish

the　nobles；　but　not　so　as　to　make　himself　hated　by　the　people。



It　may　appear；　perhaps；　to　some　who　have　examined　the　lives　and　deaths

of　the　Roman　emperors　that　many　of　them　would　be　an　example　contrary　to

my　opinion；　seeing　that　some　of　them　lived　nobly　and　showed　great

qualities　of　soul；　nevertheless　they　have　lost　their　empire　or　have　been

killed　by　subjects　who　have　conspired　against　them。　Wishing；　therefore；

to　answer　these　objections；　I　will　recall　the　characters　of　some　of　the

emperors；　and　will　show　that　the　causes　of　their　ruin　were　not　different

to　those　alleged　by　me；　at　the　same　time　I　will　only　submit　for

consideration　those　things　that　are　noteworthy　to　him　who　studies　the

affairs　of　those　times。



It　seems　to　me　sufficient　to　take　all　those　emperors　who　succeeded　to

the　empire　from　Marcus　the　philosopher　down　to　Maximinus；　they　were

Marcus　and　his　son　modus；　Pertinax；　Julian；　Severus　and　his　son

Antoninus　Caracalla；　Macrinus；　Heliogabalus；　Alexander；　and　Maximinus。



There　is　first　to　note　that；　whereas　in　other　principalities　the

ambition　of　the　nobles　and　the　insolence　of　the　people　only　have　to　be

contended　with；　the　Roman　emperors　had　a　third　difficulty　in　having　to

put　up　with　the　cruelty　and　avarice　of　their　soldiers；　a　matter　so　beset

with　difficulties　that　it　was　the　ruin　of　many；　for　it　was　a　hard　thing

to　give　satisfaction　both　to　soldiers　and　people；　because　the　people

loved　peace；　and　for　this　reason　they　loved　the　unaspiring　prince；

whilst　the　soldiers　loved　the　warlike　prince　who　was　bold；　cruel；　and

rapacious；　which　qualities　they　were　quite　willing　he　should　exercise

upon　the　people；　so　that　they　could　get　double　pay　and　give　vent　to

their　greed　and　cruelty。　Hence　it　arose　that　those　emperors　were　always

overthrown　who；　either　by　birth　or　training；　had　no　great　authority；　and

most　of　them；　especially　those　who　came　new　to　the　principality；

recognizing　the　difficulty　of　these　two　opposing　humours；　were　inclined

to　give　satisfaction　to　the　soldiers；　caring　little　about　injuring　the

people。　Which　course　was　necessary；　because；　as　princes　cannot　help

being　hated　by　someone；　they　ought；　in　the　first　place；　to　avoid　being

hated　by　every　one；　and　when　they　cannot　pass　this；　they　ought　to

endeavour　with　the　utmost　diligence　to　avoid　the　hatred　of　the　most

powerful。　Therefore；　those　emperors　who　through　inexperience　had　need　of

special　favour　adhered　more　readily　to　the　soldiers　than　to　the　people；

a　course　which　turned　out　advantageous　to　them　or　not；　accordingly　as

the　prince　knew　how　to　maintain　authority　over　them。



From　these　causes　it　arose　that　Marcus　＇Aurelius＇；　Pertinax；　and

Alexander；　being　all　men　of　modest　life；　lovers　of　justice；　enemies　to

cruelty；　humane；　and　benignant；　came　to　a　sad　end　except　Marcus；　he

alone　lived　and　died　honoured；　because　he　had　succeeded　to　the　throne　by

hereditary　title；　and　owed　nothing　either　to　the　soldiers　or　the　people；

and　afterwards；　being　possessed　of　many　virtues　which　made　him

respected；　he　always　kept　both　orders　in　their　places　whilst　he　lived；

and　was　neither　hated　nor　despised。



But　Pertinax　was　created　emperor　against　the　wishes　of　the　soldiers；

who；　being　accustomed　to　live　licentiously　under　modus；　could　not

endure　the　honest　life　to　which　Pertinax　wished　to　reduce　them；　thus；

having　given　cause　for　hatred；　to　which　hatred　there　was　added　contempt

for　his　old　age；　he　was　overthrown　at　the　very　beginning　of　his

administration。　And　here　it　should　be　noted　that　hatred　is　acquired　as

much　by　good　works　as　by　bad　ones；　therefore；　as　I　said　before；　a　prince

wishing　to　keep　his　state　is　very　often　forced　to　do　evil；　for　when　that

body　is　corrupt　whom　you　think　you　have　need　of　to　maintain　yourself　

it　may　be　either　the　people　or　the　soldiers　or　the　nobles　　you　have　to

submit　to　its　humours　and　to　gratify　them；　and　then　good　works　will　do

you　harm。



But　let　us　e　to　Alexander；　who　was　a　man　of　such　great　goodness；　that

among　the　other　praises　which　are　accorded　him　is　this；　that　in　the

fourteen　years　he　held　the　empire　no　one　was　ever　put　to　death　by　him

unjudged；　nevertheless；　being　considered　effeminate　and　a　man　who

allowed　himself　to　be　governed　by　his　mother；　he　became　despised；　the

army　conspired　against　him；　and　murdered　him。



Turning　now　to　the　opposite　characters　of　modus；　Severus；　Antoninus

Caracalla；　and　Maximinus；　you　will　find　them　all　cruel　and　rapacious　

men　who；　to　satisfy　their　soldiers；　did　not　hesitate　to　mit　every

kind　of　iniquity　against　the　people；　and　all；　except　Severus；　came　to　a

bad　end；　but　in　Severus　there　was　so　much　valour　that；　keeping　the

soldiers　friendly；　although　the　people　were　oppressed　by　him；　he　reigned

successfully；　for　his　valour　made　him　so　much　admired　in　the　sight　of

the　soldiers　and　people　that　the　latter　were　kept　in　a　way　astonished

and　awed　and　the　former　respectful　and　satisfied。　And　because　the

actions　of　this　man；　as　a　new　prince；　were　great；　I　wish　to　show　briefly

that　he　knew　well　how　to　counterfeit　the　fox　and　the　lion；　which

natures；　as　I　said　above；　it　is　necessary　for　a　prince　to　imitate。



Knowing　the　sloth　of　the　Emperor　Julian；　he　persuaded　the　army　in

Sclavonia；　of　which　he　was　captain；　that　it　would　be　right　to　go　to　Rome

and　avenge　the　death　of　Pertinax；　who　had　been　killed　by　the　praetorian

soldiers；　and　under　this　pretext；　without　appearing　to　aspire　to　the

throne；　he　moved　the　army　on　Rome；　and　reached　Italy　before　it　was　known

that　he　had　started。　On　his　arrival　at　Rome；　the　Senate；　through　fear；

elected　him　emperor　and　killed　Julian。　After　this　there　remained　for

Severus；　who　wished　to　make　himself　master　of　the　whole　empire；　two

difficulties；　one　in　Asia；　where　Niger；　head　of　the　Asiatic　army；　had

caused　himself　to　be　proclaimed　emperor；　the　other　in　the　west　where

Albinus　was；　who　also　aspired　to　the　throne。　And　as　he　considered　it

dangerous　to　declare　himself　hostile　to　both；　he　decided　to　attack　Niger

and　to　deceive　Albinus。　To　the　latter　he　wrote　that；　being　elected

emperor　by　the　Senate；　he　was　willing　to　share　that　dignity　with　him　and

sent　him　the　title　of　Caesar；　and；　moreover；　that　the　Senate　had　made

Albinus　his　colleague；　which　things　were　accepted　by　Albinus　as　true。

But　after　Severus　had　conquered　and　killed　Niger；　and　settled　oriental

affairs；　he　returned　to　Rome　and　plained　to　the　Senate　that　Albinus；

little　recognizing　the　benefits　that　he　had　received　from　him；　had　by

treachery　sought　to　murder　him；　and　for　this　ingratitude　he　was

pelled　to　punish　him。　Afterwards　he　sought　him　out　in　France；　and

took　from　him　his　government　and　life。　He　who　will；　therefore；　carefully

examine　the　actions　of　this　man　will　find　him　a　most　valiant　lion　and　a

most　cunning　fox；　he　will　find　him　feared　and　respected　by　every　one；

and　not　hated　by　the　army；　and　it　need　not　be　wondered　at　that　he；　the

new　man；　well；　because　his　supreme　renown　always　protected　him　from　that

hatred　which　the　people　might　have　conceived　against　him　for　his

violence。



But　his　son　Antoninus　was　a　most　eminent　man；　and　had　very　excellent

qualities；　which　made　him　admirable　in　the　sight　of　the　people　and

acceptable　to　the　soldiers；　for　he　was　a　warlike　man；　most　enduring　of

fatigue；　a　despiser　of　all　delicate　food　and　other　luxuries；　which

caused　him　to　be　beloved　by　the　armies。　Nevertheless；　his　ferocity　and

cruelties　were　so　great　and　so　unheard　of　that；　after　endless　single

murders；　he　killed　a　large　number　of　the　people　of　Rome　and　all　those　of

Alexandria。　He　became　hated　by　the　whole　world；　and　also　feared　by　those

he　had　around　him；　to　such　an　extent　that　he　was　murdered　in　the　midst

of　his　army　by　a　centurion。　And　here　it　must　be　noted　that　such…like

deaths；　which　are　deliberately　inflicted　with　a　resolved　and　desperate

courage；　cannot　be　avoided　by　princes；　because　any　one　who　does　not　fear

to　die　can　inflict　them；　but　a　prince　may　fear　them　the　less　because

they　are　very　rare；　he　has　only　to　be　careful　not　to　do　any　grave　injury

to　those　whom　he　employs　or　has　around　him　in　the　service　of　the　state。

Antoninus　had　not　taken　this　care；　but　had　contumeliously　killed　a

brother　of　that　centurion；　whom　also　he　daily　threatened；　yet　retained

in　his　bodyguard；　which；　as　it　turned　out；　was　a　rash　thing　to　do；　and

proved　the　emperor's　ruin。



But　let　us　e　to　modus；　to　whom　it　should　have　been　very　easy　to

hold　the　empire；　for；　being　the　son　of　Marcus；　he　had　inherited　it；　and

he　had　only　to　follow　in　the　footsteps　of　his　father　to　please　his

people　and　soldiers；　but；　being　by　nature　cruel　and　brutal；　he　gave

himself　up　to　amusing　the　soldiers　and　corrupting　them；　so　that　he　might

indulge　his　rapacity　upon　the　people；　on　the　other　hand；　not　maintaining

his　dignity；　often　descending　to　the　theatre　to　pete　with　gladiators；

and　doing　other　vile　things；　little　worthy　of　the　imperial　majesty；　he

fell　into　contempt　with　the　soldiers；　and　being　hated　by　one　party　and

despised　by　the　other；　he　was　conspired　against　and　killed。



It　remains　to　discuss　the　character　of　Maximinus。　He　was　a　very　warlike

man；　and　the　armies；　being　disgusted　with　the　effeminacy　of　Alexander；

of　whom　I　have　already　spoken；　killed　him　and　elected　Maximinus　to　the

throne。　This　he　did　not　possess　for　long；　for　two　things　made　him　hated

and　despised；　the　one；　his　having　kept　sheep　in　Thrace；　which