the prince-第11章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


as　strangled；　together　with　Vitellozzo；　whom　he　had　made　his　leader　in　valour　and　wickedness。

Some　may　wonder　how　it　can　happen　that　Agathocles；　and　his　like；　after　infinite　treacheries　and　cruelties；　should　live　for　long　secure　in　his　country；　and　defend　himself　from　external　enemies；　and　never　be　conspired　against　by　his　own　citizens；　seeing　that　many　others；　by　means　of　cruelty；　have　never　been　able　even　in　peaceful　times　to　hold　the　state；　still　less　in　the　doubtful　times　of　war。　I　believe　that　this　follows　from　severities＇*＇　being　badly　or　properly　used。　Those　may　be　called　properly　used；　if　of　evil　it　is　possible　to　speak　well；　that　are　applied　at　one　blow　and　are　necessary　to　one's　security；　and　that　are　not　persisted　in　afterwards　unless　they　can　be　turned　to　the　advantage　of　the　subjects。　The　badly　employed　are　those　which；　notwithstanding　they　may　be　few　in　the　commencement；　multiply　with　time　rather　than　decrease。　Those　who　practise　the　first　system　are　able；　by　aid　of　God　or　man；　to　mitigate　in　some　degree　their　rule；　as　Agathocles　did。　It　is　impossible　for　those　who　follow　the　other　to　maintain　themselves。

＇*＇　Mr　Burd　suggests　that　this　word　probably　comes　near　the　modern　　　　　equivalent　of　Machiavelli's　thought　when　he　speaks　of　〃crudelta〃　　　　　than　the　more　obvious　〃cruelties。〃

Hence　it　is　to　be　remarked　that；　in　seizing　a　state；　the　usurper　ought　to　examine　closely　into　all　those　injuries　which　it　is　necessary　for　him　to　inflict；　and　to　do　them　all　at　one　stroke　so　as　not　to　have　to　repeat　them　daily；　and　thus　by　not　unsettling　men　he　will　be　able　to　reassure　them；　and　win　them　to　himself　by　benefits。　He　who　does　otherwise；　either　from　timidity　or　evil　advice；　is　always　compelled　to　keep　the　knife　in　his　hand；　neither　can　he　rely　on　his　subjects；　nor　can　they　attach　themselves　to　him；　owing　to　their　continued　and　repeated　wrongs。　For　injuries　ought　to　be　done　all　at　one　time；　so　that；　being　tasted　less；　they　offend　less；　benefits　ought　to　be　given　little　by　little；　so　that　the　flavour　of　them　may　last　longer。

And　above　all　things；　a　prince　ought　to　live　amongst　his　people　in　such　a　way　that　no　unexpected　circumstances；　whether　of　good　or　evil；　shall　make　him　change；　because　if　the　necessity　for　this　comes　in　troubled　times；　you　are　too　late　for　harsh　measures；　and　mild　ones　will　not　help　you；　for　they　will　be　considered　as　forced　from　you；　and　no　one　will　be　under　any　obligation　to　you　for　them。



CHAPTER　IX

CONCERNING　A　CIVIL　PRINCIPALITY

But　coming　to　the　other　pointwhere　a　leading　citizen　becomes　the　prince　of　his　country；　not　by　wickedness　or　any　intolerable　violence；　but　by　the　favour　of　his　fellow　citizensthis　may　be　called　a　civil　principality：　nor　is　genius　or　fortune　altogether　necessary　to　attain　to　it；　but　rather　a　happy　shrewdness。　I　say　then　that　such　a　principality　is　obtained　either　by　the　favour　of　the　people　or　by　the　favour　of　the　nobles。　Because　in　all　cities　these　two　distinct　parties　are　found；　and　from　this　it　arises　that　the　people　do　not　wish　to　be　ruled　nor　oppressed　by　the　nobles；　and　the　nobles　wish　to　rule　and　oppress　the　people；　and　from　these　two　opposite　desires　there　arises　in　cities　one　of　three　results；　either　a　principality；　self…　government；　or　anarchy。

A　principality　is　created　either　by　the　people　or　by　the　nobles；　accordingly　as　one　or　other　of　them　has　the　opportunity；　for　the　nobles；　seeing　they　cannot　withstand　the　people；　begin　to　cry　up　the　reputation　of　one　of　themselves；　and　they　make　him　a　prince；　so　that　under　his　shadow　they　can　give　vent　to　their　ambitions。　The　people；　finding　they　cannot　resist　the　nobles；　also　cry　up　the　reputation　of　one　of　themselves；　and　make　him　a　prince　so　as　to　be　defended　by　his　authority。　He　who　obtains　sovereignty　by　the　assistance　of　the　nobles　maintains　himself　with　more　difficulty　than　he　who　comes　to　it　by　the　aid　of　the　people；　because　the　former　finds　himself　with　many　around　him　who　consider　themselves　his　equals；　and　because　of　this　he　can　neither　rule　nor　manage　them　to　his　liking。　But　he　who　reaches　sovereignty　by　popular　favour　finds　himself　alone；　and　has　none　around　him；　or　few；　who　are　not　prepared　to　obey　him。

Besides　this；　one　cannot　by　fair　dealing；　and　without　injury　to　others；　satisfy　the　nobles；　but　you　can　satisfy　the　people；　for　their　object　is　more　righteous　than　that　of　the　nobles；　the　latter　wishing　to　oppress；　while　the　former　only　desire　not　to　be　oppressed。　It　is　to　be　added　also　that　a　prince　can　never　secure　himself　against　a　hostile　people；　because　of　their　being　too　many；　whilst　from　the　nobles　he　can　secure　himself；　as　they　are　few　in　number。　The　worst　that　a　prince　may　expect　from　a　hostile　people　is　to　be　abandoned　by　them；　but　from　hostile　nobles　he　has　not　only　to　fear　abandonment；　but　also　that　they　will　rise　against　him；　for　they；　being　in　these　affairs　more　far…　seeing　and　astute；　always　come　forward　in　time　to　save　themselves；　and　to　obtain　favours　from　him　whom　they　expect　to　prevail。　Further；　the　prince　is　compelled　to　live　always　with　the　same　people；　but　he　can　do　well　without　the　same　nobles；　being　able　to　make　and　unmake　them　daily；　and　to　give　or　wake　away　authority　when　it　pleases　him。

Therefore；　to　make　this　point　clearer；　I　say　that　the　nobles　ought　to　be　looked　at　mainly　in　two　ways：　that　is　to　say；　they　either　shape　their　course　in　such　a　way　as　binds　them　entirely　to　your　fortune；　or　they　do　not。　Those　who　so　bind　themselves；　and　are　not　rapacious；　ought　to　be　honoured　and　loved；　those　who　do　not　bind　themselves　may　be　dealt　with　in　two　ways；　they　may　fail　to　do　this　through　pusillanimity　and　a　natural　want　of　courage；　in　which　case　you　ought　to　make　use　of　them；　especially　of　those　who　are　of　good　counsel；　and　thus；　whilst　in　prosperity　you　honour　them；　in　adversity　you　do　not　have　to　fear　them。　But　when　for　their　own　ambitious　ends　they　shun　binding　themselves；　it　is　a　token　that　they　are　giving　more　thought　to　themselves　than　to　you；　and　a　prince　out　to　guard　against　such；　and　to　fear　them　as　if　they　were　open　enemies；　because　in　adversity　they　always　help　to　ruin　him。

Therefore；　one　who　becomes　a　prince　through　the　favour　of　the　people　ought　to　keep　them　friendly；　and　this　he　can　easily　do　seeing　they　only　ask　not　to　be　oppressed　by　him。　But　one　who；　in　opposition　to　the　people；　becomes　a　prince　by　the　favour　of　the　nobles；　ought；　above　everything；　to　seek　to　win　the　people　over　to　himself；　and　this　he　may　easily　do　if　he　takes　them　under　his　protection。　Because　men；　when　they　receive　good　from　him　of　whom　they　were　expecting　evil；　are　bound　more　closely　to　their　benefactor；　thus　the　people　quickly　become　more　devoted　to　him　than　if　he　had　been　raised　to　the　principality　by　their　favours；　and　the　prince　can　win　their　affections　in　many　ways；　but　as　these　vary　according　to　the　circumstances　one　cannot　give　fixed　rules；　so　I　omit　them；　but；　I　repeat；　it　is　necessary　for　a　prince　to　have　the　people　friendly；　otherwise　he　has　no　security　in　adversity。

Nabis；＇*＇　Prince　of　the　Spartans；　sustained　the　attack　of　all　Greece；　and　of　a　victorious　Roman　army；　and　against　them　he　defended　his　country　and　his　government；　and　for　the　overcoming　of　this　peril　it　was　only　necessary　for　him　to　make　himself　secure　against　a　few；　but　this　would　not　have　been　sufficient　had　the　people　been　hostile。　And　do　not　let　any　one　impugn　this　statement　with　the　trite　proverb　that　〃He　who　builds　on　the　people；　builds　on　the　mud；〃　for　this　is　true　when　a　private　citizen　makes　a　foundation　there；　and　persuades　himself　that　the　people　will　free　him　when　he　is　oppressed　by　his　enemies　or　by　the　magistrates；　wherein　he　would　find　himself　very　often　deceived；　as　happened　to　the　Gracchi　in　Rome　and　to　Messer　Giorgio　Scali＇＋＇　in　Florence。　But　granted　a　prince　who　has　established　himself　as　above；　who　can　command；　and　is　a　man　of　courage；　undismayed　in　adversity；　who　does　not　fail　in　other　qualifications；　and　who；　by　his　resolution　and　energy；　keeps　the　whole　people　encouragedsuch　a　one　will　never　find　himself　deceived　in　them；　and　it　will　be　shown　that　he　has　laid　his　foundations　well。

＇*＇　Nabis；　tyrant　of　Sparta；　conquered　by　the　Romans　under　Flamininus　　　　　in　195　B。C。；　killed　192　B。C。