the prince-第25章

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ssful。　Because　men　are　seen；　in　affairs　that　lead　to　the　end　which　every　man　has　before　him；　namely；　glory　and　riches；　to　get　there　by　various　methods；　one　with　caution；　another　with　haste；　one　by　force；　another　by　skill；　one　by　patience；　another　by　its　opposite；　and　each　one　succeeds　in　reaching　the　goal　by　a　different　method。　One　can　also　see　of　two　cautious　men　the　one　attain　his　end；　the　other　fail；　and　similarly；　two　men　by　different　observances　are　equally　successful；　the　one　being　cautious；　the　other　impetuous；　all　this　arises　from　nothing　else　than　whether　or　not　they　conform　in　their　methods　to　the　spirit　of　the　times。　This　follows　from　what　I　have　said；　that　two　men　working　differently　bring　about　the　same　effect；　and　of　two　working　similarly；　one　attains　his　object　and　the　other　does　not。

Changes　in　estate　also　issue　from　this；　for　if；　to　one　who　governs　himself　with　caution　and　patience；　times　and　affairs　converge　in　such　a　way　that　his　administration　is　successful；　his　fortune　is　made；　but　if　times　and　affairs　change；　he　is　ruined　if　he　does　not　change　his　course　of　action。　But　a　man　is　not　often　found　sufficiently　circumspect　to　know　how　to　accommodate　himself　to　the　change；　both　because　he　cannot　deviate　from　what　nature　inclines　him　to　do；　and　also　because；　having　always　prospered　by　acting　in　one　way；　he　cannot　be　persuaded　that　it　is　well　to　leave　it；　and；　therefore；　the　cautious　man；　when　it　is　time　to　turn　adventurous；　does　not　know　how　to　do　it；　hence　he　is　ruined；　but　had　he　changed　his　conduct　with　the　times　fortune　would　not　have　changed。

Pope　Julius　the　Second　went　to　work　impetuously　in　all　his　affairs；　and　found　the　times　and　circumstances　conform　so　well　to　that　line　of　action　that　he　always　met　with　success。　Consider　his　first　enterprise　against　Bologna；　Messer　Giovanni　Bentivogli　being　still　alive。　The　Venetians　were　not　agreeable　to　it；　nor　was　the　King　of　Spain；　and　he　had　the　enterprise　still　under　discussion　with　the　King　of　France；　nevertheless　he　personally　entered　upon　the　expedition　with　his　accustomed　boldness　and　energy；　a　move　which　made　Spain　and　the　Venetians　stand　irresolute　and　passive；　the　latter　from　fear；　the　former　from　desire　to　recover　the　kingdom　of　Naples；　on　the　other　hand；　he　drew　after　him　the　King　of　France；　because　that　king；　having　observed　the　movement；　and　desiring　to　make　the　Pope　his　friend　so　as　to　humble　the　Venetians；　found　it　impossible　to　refuse　him。　Therefore　Julius　with　his　impetuous　action　accomplished　what　no　other　pontiff　with　simple　human　wisdom　could　have　done；　for　if　he　had　waited　in　Rome　until　he　could　get　away；　with　his　plans　arranged　and　everything　fixed；　as　any　other　pontiff　would　have　done；　he　would　never　have　succeeded。　Because　the　King　of　France　would　have　made　a　thousand　excuses；　and　the　others　would　have　raised　a　thousand　fears。

I　will　leave　his　other　actions　alone；　as　they　were　all　alike；　and　they　all　succeeded；　for　the　shortness　of　his　life　did　not　let　him　experience　the　contrary；　but　if　circumstances　had　arisen　which　required　him　to　go　cautiously；　his　ruin　would　have　followed；　because　he　would　never　have　deviated　from　those　ways　to　which　nature　inclined　him。

I　conclude；　therefore　that；　fortune　being　changeful　and　mankind　steadfast　in　their　ways；　so　long　as　the　two　are　in　agreement　men　are　successful；　but　unsuccessful　when　they　fall　out。　For　my　part　I　consider　that　it　is　better　to　be　adventurous　than　cautious；　because　fortune　is　a　woman；　and　if　you　wish　to　keep　her　under　it　is　necessary　to　beat　and　ill…use　her；　and　it　is　seen　that　she　allows　herself　to　be　mastered　by　the　adventurous　rather　than　by　those　who　go　to　work　more　coldly。　She　is；　therefore；　always；　woman…like；　a　lover　of　young　men；　because　they　are　less　cautious；　more　violent；　and　with　more　audacity　command　her。



CHAPTER　XXVI

AN　EXHORTATION　TO　LIBERATE　ITALY　FROM　THE　BARBARIANS

Having　carefully　considered　the　subject　of　the　above　discourses；　and　wondering　within　myself　whether　the　present　times　were　propitious　to　a　new　prince；　and　whether　there　were　elements　that　would　give　an　opportunity　to　a　wise　and　virtuous　one　to　introduce　a　new　order　of　things　which　would　do　honour　to　him　and　good　to　the　people　of　this　country；　it　appears　to　me　that　so　many　things　concur　to　favour　a　new　prince　that　I　never　knew　a　time　more　fit　than　the　present。

And　if；　as　I　said；　it　was　necessary　that　the　people　of　Israel　should　be　captive　so　as　to　make　manifest　the　ability　of　Moses；　that　the　Persians　should　be　oppressed　by　the　Medes　so　as　to　discover　the　greatness　of　the　soul　of　Cyrus；　and　that　the　Athenians　should　be　dispersed　to　illustrate　the　capabilities　of　Theseus：　then　at　the　present　time；　in　order　to　discover　the　virtue　of　an　Italian　spirit；　it　was　necessary　that　Italy　should　be　reduced　to　the　extremity　that　she　is　now　in；　that　she　should　be　more　enslaved　than　the　Hebrews；　more　oppressed　than　the　Persians；　more　scattered　than　the　Athenians；　without　head；　without　order；　beaten；　despoiled；　torn；　overrun；　and　to　have　endured　every　kind　of　desolation。

Although　lately　some　spark　may　have　been　shown　by　one；　which　made　us　think　he　was　ordained　by　God　for　our　redemption；　nevertheless　it　was　afterwards　seen；　in　the　height　of　his　career；　that　fortune　rejected　him；　so　that　Italy；　left　as　without　life；　waits　for　him　who　shall　yet　heal　her　wounds　and　put　an　end　to　the　ravaging　and　plundering　of　Lombardy；　to　the　swindling　and　taxing　of　the　kingdom　and　of　Tuscany；　and　cleanse　those　sores　that　for　long　have　festered。　It　is　seen　how　she　entreats　God　to　send　someone　who　shall　deliver　her　from　these　wrongs　and　barbarous　insolencies。　It　is　seen　also　that　she　is　ready　and　willing　to　follow　a　banner　if　only　someone　will　raise　it。

Nor　is　there　to　be　seen　at　present　one　in　whom　she　can　place　more　hope　than　in　your　illustrious　house；＇*＇　with　its　valour　and　fortune；　favoured　by　God　and　by　the　Church　of　which　it　is　now　the　chief；　and　which　could　be　made　the　head　of　this　redemption。　This　will　not　be　difficult　if　you　will　recall　to　yourself　the　actions　and　lives　of　the　men　I　have　named。　And　although　they　were　great　and　wonderful　men；　yet　they　were　men；　and　each　one　of　them　had　no　more　opportunity　than　the　present　offers；　for　their　enterprises　were　neither　more　just　nor　easier　than　this；　nor　was　God　more　their　friend　than　He　is　yours。

＇*＇　Giuliano　de　Medici。　He　had　just　been　created　a　cardinal　by　Leo　X。　　　　　In　1523　Giuliano　was　elected　Pope；　and　took　the　title　of　Clement　　　　　VII。

With　us　there　is　great　justice；　because　that　war　is　just　which　is　necessary；　and　arms　are　hallowed　when　there　is　no　other　hope　but　in　them。　Here　there　is　the　greatest　willingness；　and　where　the　willingness　is　great　the　difficulties　cannot　be　great　if　you　will　only　follow　those　men　to　whom　I　have　directed　your　attention。　Further　than　this；　how　extraordinarily　the　ways　of　God　have　been　manifested　beyond　example：　the　sea　is　divided；　a　cloud　has　led　the　way；　the　rock　has　poured　forth　water；　it　has　rained　manna；　everything　has　contributed　to　your　greatness；　you　ought　to　do　the　rest。　God　is　not　willing　to　do　everything；　and　thus　take　away　our　free　will　and　that　share　of　glory　which　belongs　to　us。

And　it　is　not　to　be　wondered　at　if　none　of　the　above…named　Italians　have　been　able　to　accomplish　all　that　is　expected　from　your　illustrious　house；　and　if　in　so　many　revolutions　in　Italy；　and　in　so　many　campaigns；　it　has　always　appeared　as　if　military　virtue　were　exhausted；　this　has　happened　because　the　old　order　of　things　was　not　good；　and　none　of　us　have　known　how　to　find　a　new　one。　And　nothing　honours　a　man　more　than　to　establish　new　laws　and　new　ordinances　when　he　himself　was　newly　risen。　Such　things　when　they　are　well　founded　and　dignified　will　make　him　revered　and　admired；　and　in　Italy　there　are　not　wanting　opportunities　to　bring　such　into　use　in　every　form。

Here　there　is　great　valour　in　the　limbs　whilst　it　fails　in　the　head。　Look　attentively　at　the　duels　and　the　hand…to…hand　combats；　how　superior　the　Italians　are　in　strength；　dexterity；　and　subtlety。　But　when　it　comes　to　armies　they　do　not　bear　comparison；　and　this　springs　entirely　from　the　insufficiency　of　the　leaders；　since　those　who　are　capable　are　not　obedient；　and　each　one