the prince-第18章

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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　overcome　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　compelled　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　non…observance。　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。

＇*＇　〃Contesting；〃　i。e。　〃striving　for　mastery。〃　Mr　Burd　points　out　that　　　　　this　passage　is　imitated　directly　from　Cicero's　〃De　Officiis〃：　　　　　〃Nam　cum　sint　duo　genera　decertandi；　unum　per　disceptationem；　　　　　alterum　per　vim；　cumque　illud　proprium　sit　hominis；　hoc　beluarum；　　　　　confugiendum　est　ad　posterius；　si　uti　non　licet　superiore。〃

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　the　Sixth　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。

＇*＇　〃Nondimanco　sempre　gli　succederono　gli　inganni　（ad　votum）。〃　The　　　　　words　〃ad　votum〃　are　omitted　in　the　Testina　addition；　1550。

Alexander　never　did　what　he　said；　Cesare　never　said　what　he　did。

Italian　Proverb。


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　fidelity；＇*＇　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　compelled；　then　to　know　how　to　set　about　it。

＇*＇　〃Contrary　to　fidelity〃　or　〃faith；〃　〃contro　alla　fede；〃　and　〃tutto　　　　　fede；〃　〃altogether　faithful；〃　in　the　next　paragraph。　It　is　　　　　noteworthy　that　these　two　phrases；　〃contro　alla　fede〃　and　〃tutto　　　　　fede；〃　were　omitted　in　the　Testina　edition；　which　was　published　　　　　with　the　sanction　of　the　papal　authorities。　It　may　be　that　the　　　　　meaning　attached　to　the　word　〃fede〃　was　〃the　faith；〃　i。e。　the　　　　　Catholic　creed；　and　not　as　rendered　here　〃fidelity〃　and　　　　　〃faithful。〃　Observe　that　the　word　〃religione〃　was　suffered　to　　　　　stand　in　the　text　of　the　Testina；　being　used　to　signify　　　　　indifferently　every　shade　of　belief；　as　witness　〃the　religion；〃　a　　　　　phrase　inevitably　employed　to　designate　the　Huguenot　heresy。　South　　　　　in　his　Sermon　IX；　p。　69；　ed。　1843；　comments　on　this　passage　as　　　　　follows：　〃That　great　patron　and　Coryphaeus　of　this　tribe；　Nicolo　　　　　Machiavel；　laid　down　this　for　a　master　rule　in　his　political　　　　　scheme：　'That　the　show　of　religion　was　helpful　to　the　politician；　　　　　but　the　reality　of　it　hurtful　and　pernicious。'〃

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　come　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　comes　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＇*＇　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。

＇*＇　Ferdinand　of　Aragon。　〃When　Machiavelli　was　writing　'The　Prince'　it　　　　　would　have　been　clearly　impossible　to　mention　Ferdinand's　name　　　　　here　without　giving　offence。〃　Burd's　〃Il　Principe；〃　p。　308。



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　their　honor　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。