马基雅维里 君主论英文prince-第7章

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and　fortify　their　towns；　and　not　on　any　account　to　defend　the　country。

And　whoever　shall　fortify　his　town　well；　and　shall　have　managed　the

other　concerns　of　his　subjects　in　the　way　stated　above；　and　to　be　often

repeated；　will　never　be　attacked　without　great　caution；　for　men　are

always　adverse　to　enterprises　where　difficulties　can　be　seen；　and　it

will　be　seen　not　to　be　an　easy　thing　to　attack　one　who　has　his　town　well

fortified；　and　is　not　hated　by　his　people。



The　cities　of　Germany　are　absolutely　free；　they　own　but　little　country

around　them；　and　they　yield　obedience　to　the　emperor　when　it　suits　them；

nor　do　they　fear　this　or　any　other　power　they　may　have　near　them；

because　they　are　fortified　in　such　a　way　that　every　one　thinks　the

taking　of　them　by　assault　would　be　tedious　and　difficult；　seeing　they

have　proper　ditches　and　walls；　they　have　sufficient　artillery；　and　they

always　keep　in　public　depots　enough　for　one　year's　eating；　drinking；　and

firing。　And　beyond　this；　to　keep　the　people　quiet　and　without　loss　to

the　state；　they　always　have　the　means　of　giving　work　to　the　munity　in

those　labours　that　are　the　life　and　strength　of　the　city；　and　on　the

pursuit　of　which　the　people　are　supported；　they　also　hold　military

exercises　in　repute；　and　moreover　have　many　ordinances　to　uphold　them。



Therefore；　a　prince　who　has　a　strong　city；　and　had　not　made　himself

odious；　will　not　be　attacked；　or　if　any　one　should　attack　he　will　only

be　driven　off　with　disgrace；　again；　because　that　affairs　of　this　world

are　so　changeable；　it　is　almost　impossible　to　keep　an　army　a　whole　year

in　the　field　without　being　interfered　with。　And　whoever　should　reply：　If

the　people　have　property　outside　the　city；　and　see　it　burnt；　they　will

not　remain　patient；　and　the　long　siege　and　self…interest　will　make　them

forget　their　prince；　to　this　I　answer　that　a　powerful　and　courageous

prince　will　overe　all　such　difficulties　by　giving　at　one　time　hope　to

his　subjects　that　the　evil　will　not　be　for　long；　at　another　time　fear　of

the　cruelty　of　the　enemy；　then　preserving　himself　adroitly　from　those

subjects　who　seem　to　him　to　be　too　bold。



Further；　the　enemy　would　naturally　on　his　arrival　at　once　burn　and　ruin

the　country　at　the　time　when　the　spirits　of　the　people　are　still　hot　and

ready　for　the　defence；　and；　therefore；　so　much　the　less　ought　the　prince

to　hesitate；　because　after　a　time；　when　spirits　have　cooled；　the　damage

is　already　done；　the　ills　are　incurred；　and　there　is　no　longer　any

remedy；　and　therefore　they　are　so　much　the　more　ready　to　unite　with

their　prince；　he　appearing　to　be　under　obligations　to　them　now　that

their　houses　have　been　burnt　and　their　possessions　ruined　in　his

defence。　For　it　is　the　nature　of　men　to　be　bound　by　the　benefits　they

confer　as　much　as　by　those　they　receive。　Therefore；　if　everything　is

well　considered；　it　wilt　not　be　difficult　for　a　wise　prince　to　keep　the

minds　of　his　citizens　steadfast　from　first　to　last；　when　he　does　not

fail　to　support　and　defend　them。



CHAPTER　XI



CONCERNING　ECCLESIASTICAL　PRINCIPALITIES



IT　ONLY　remains　now　to　speak　of　ecclesiastical　principalities；　touching

which　all　difficulties　are　prior　to　getting　possession；　because　they　are

acquired　either　by　capacity　or　good　fortune；　and　they　can　be　held

without　either；　for　they　are　sustained　by　the　ordinances　of　religion；

which　are　so　all…powerful；　and　of　such　a　character　that　the

principalities　may　be　held　no　matter　how　their　princes　behave　and　live。

These　princes　alone　have　states　and　do　not　defend　them；　they　have

subjects　and　do　not　rule　them；　and　the　states；　although　unguarded；　are

not　taken　from　them；　and　the　subjects；　although　not　ruled；　do　not　care；

and　they　have　neither　the　desire　nor　the　ability　to　alienate　themselves。

Such　principalities　only　are　secure　and　happy。　But　being　upheld　by

powers；　to　which　the　human　mind　cannot　reach；　I　shall　speak　no　more　of

them；　because；　being　exalted　and　maintained　by　God；　it　would　be　the　act

of　a　presumptuous　and　rash　man　to　discuss　them。



Nevertheless；　if　any　one　should　ask　of　me　how　es　it　that　the　Church

has　attained　such　greatness　in　temporal　power；　seeing　that　from

Alexander　backwards　the　Italian　potentates　（not　only　those　who　have　been

called　potentates；　but　every　baron　and　lord；　though　the　smallest）　have

valued　the　temporal　power　very　slightly　　yet　now　a　king　of　France

trembles　before　it；　and　it　has　been　able　to　drive　him　from　Italy；　and　to

ruin　the　Venetians　　although　this　may　be　very　manifest；　it　does　not

appear　to　me　superfluous　to　recall　it　in　some　measure　to　memory。



Before　Charles；　King　of　France；　passed　into　Italy；　this　country　was

under　the　dominion　of　the　Pope；　the　Venetians；　the　King　of　Naples；　the

Duke　of　Milan；　and　the　Florentines。　These　potentates　had　two　principal

anxieties：　the　one；　that　no　foreigner　should　enter　Italy　under　arms；　the

other；　that　none　of　themselves　should　seize　more　territory。　Those　about

whom　there　was　the　most　anxiety　were　the　Pope　and　the　Venetians。　To

restrain　the　Venetians　the　union　of　all　the　others　was　necessary；　as　it

was　for　the　defence　of　Ferrara；　and　to　keep　down　the　Pope　they　made　use

of　the　barons　of　Rome；　who；　being　divided　into　two　factions；　Orsini　and

Colonna；　had　always　a　pretext　for　disorder；　and；　standing　with　arms　in

their　hands　under　the　eyes　of　the　Pontiff；　kept　the　pontificate　weak　and

powerless。　And　although　there　might　arise　sometimes　a　courageous　pope；

such　as　Sixtus　＇IV＇；　yet　neither　fortune　nor　wisdom　could　rid　him　of

these　annoyances。　And　the　short　life　of　a　pope　is　also　a　cause　of

weakness；　for　in　the　ten　years；　which　is　the　average　life　of　a　pope；　he

can　with　difficulty　lower　one　of　the　factions；　and　if；　so　to　speak；　one

pope　should　almost　destroy　the　Colonna；　another　would　arise　hostile　to

the　Orsini；　who　would　support　their　opponents；　and　yet　would　not　have

time　to　ruin　the　Orsini。　This　was　the　reason　why　the　temporal　powers　of

the　pope　were　little　esteemed　in　Italy。



Alexander　VI　arose　afterwards；　who　of　all　the　pontiffs　that　have　ever

been　showed　how　a　pope　with　both　money　and　arms　was　able　to　prevail；　and

through　the　instrumentality　of　the　Duke　Valentino；　and　by　reason　of　the

entry　of　the　French；　he　brought　about　all　those　things　which　I　have

discussed　above　in　the　actions　of　the　duke。　And　although　his　intention

was　not　to　aggrandize　the　Church；　but　the　duke；　nevertheless；　what　he

did　contributed　to　the　greatness　of　the　Church；　which；　after　his　death

and　the　ruin　of　the　duke；　became　the　heir　to　all　his　labours。



Pope　Julius　came　afterwards　and　found　the　Church　strong；　possessing　all

the　Romagna；　the　barons　of　Rome　reduced　to　impotence；　and；　through　the

chastisements　Alexander；　the　factions　wiped　out；　he　also　found　the　way

open　to　accumulate　money　in　a　manner　such　as　had　never　been　practised

before　Alexander's　time。　Such　things　Julius　not　only　followed；　but

improved　upon；　and　he　intended　to　gain　Bologna；　to　ruin　the　Venetians；

and　to　drive　the　French　out　of　Italy。　All　of　these　enterprises　prospered

with　him；　and　so　much　the　more　to　his　credit；　inasmuch　as　he　did

everything　to　strengthen　the　Church　and　not　any　private　person。　He　kept

also　the　Orsini　and　Colonna　factions　within　the　bounds　in　which　he　found

them；　and　although　there　was　among　them　some　mind　to　make　disturbance；

nevertheless　he　held　two　things　firm：　the　one；　the　greatness　of　the

church；　with　which　he　terrified　them；　and　the　other；　not　allowing　them

to　have　their　own　cardinals；　who　caused　the　disorders　among　them。　For

whenever　these　factions　have　their　cardinals　they　do　not　remain　quiet

for　long；　because　cardinals　foster　the　factions　in　Rome　and　out　of　it；

and　the　barons　are　pelled　to　support　them；　and　thus　from　the

ambitions　of　prelates　arise　disorders　and　tumults　among　the　barons。　For

these　reasons　his　Holiness　Pope　Leo　found　the　pontificate　most　powerful；

and　it　is　to　be　hoped　that；　if　others　made　it　great　in　arms；　he　will

make　it　still　greater　and　more　venerated　by　his　goodness　and　infinite

other　virtues。



CHAPTER　XII



HOW　MANY　KINDS　OF　SOLDIERY　THERE　ARE；　AND　CONCERNING　MERCENARIES



HAVING　discoursed　particularly　on　the　characteristics　of　such

principalities　as　in　the　beginning　I　proposed　to　discuss；　and　having

considered　in　some　degree　the　causes　of　their　being　good　or　bad；　and

having　shown　the　methods　by　which　many　have　sought　to　acquire　them　and

to　hold　them；　it　now　remains　for　me　to　discuss　generally　the　means　of

offence　and　defence　which　belong　to　each　of　them。



We　have　seen　above　how　necessary　it　is　for　a　prince　to　have　his

foundations　well　laid；　otherwise　it　follows　of　necessity　he　will　go　to

ruin。　The　chief　foundations　of　all　states；　new　as　well　as　old　or

posite；　are　good　laws　and　good　arms；　and　as　there　cannot　be　good　laws

where　the　state　is　not　well　armed；　it　follows　that　where　they　are　well

armed　they　have　good　laws。　I　shall　leave　the　laws　out　of　the　discussion

and　shall　speak　of　the　arms。



I　say；　therefore；　that　the　arms　with　which　a　prince　defends　his　state

are　either　his　own；　or　they　are　mercenaries；　auxiliaries；　or　mixed。

Mercenaries　and　auxiliaries　are　useless　and　dangerous；　and　if　one　holds

his　state　based　on　these　arms；　he　will　stand　neither　firm　nor　safe；　for

they　are　disunited；　ambitious　and　without　discipline；　unfaithful；

valiant　before　friends；　cowardly　before　enemies；　they　have　neither　the

fear　of　God　nor　fidelity　to　men；　and　destruction　is　deferred　only　so

long　as　the　attack　is；　for　in　peace　one　is　robbed　by　them；　and　in　war　by

the　enemy。　The　fact　is；　they　have　no　other　attraction　or　reason　for

keeping　the　field　than　a　trifle　of　stipend；　which　is　not　sufficient　to

make　them　willing　to　die　for　you。　They　are　ready　enough　to　be　your

soldiers　whilst　you　do　not　make　war；　but　if　war　es　they　take

themselves　off　or　run　from　the　foe；　which　I　should　have　little　trouble

to　prove；　for　the　ruin　of　Italy　has　been　caused　by　nothing　else　than　by

resting　all　her　hopes　for　many　years　on　mercenaries；　and　although　they

formerly　made　some　display　and　appeared　valiant　amongst　themselves；　yet

when　the　foreigners　came　they　showed　what　they　were。　Thus　it　was　that

Charles；　King　of　France；　was　allowed　to　seize　Italy　with　chalk　in　hand；

＇1＇　and　he　who　told　us　that　our　sins　were　the　cause　of　it　told　the

truth；　but　they　were　not　the　sins　he　imagined；　but　those　which　I　have

related。　And　as　they　were　the　sins　of　princes；　it　is　the　princes　who

have　also　suffered　the　penalty。



I　wish　to　demonstrate　further　the　infelicity　of　these　arms。　The

mercenary　captains　are　either　capable　men　or　they　are　not；　if　they　are；

you　cannot　trust　them；　because　they　always　aspire　to　their　own

greatness；　either　by　oppressing　you；　who　are　their　master；　or　others

contrary　to　your　intentions；　but　if　the　captain　is　not　skilful；　you　are

ruined　in　the　usual　way。



And　if　it　be　urged　that　whoever　is　armed　will　act　in　the　same　way