the prince-第5章

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　only　be　wrested　from　him　with　the　greatest　difficulty。

The　other　and　better　course　is　to　send　colonies　to　one　or　two　places；　which　may　be　as　keys　to　that　state；　for　it　is　necessary　either　to　do　this　or　else　to　keep　there　a　great　number　of　cavalry　and　infantry。　A　prince　does　not　spend　much　on　colonies；　for　with　little　or　no　expense　he　can　send　them　out　and　keep　them　there；　and　he　offends　a　minority　only　of　the　citizens　from　whom　he　takes　lands　and　houses　to　give　them　to　the　new　inhabitants；　and　those　whom　he　offends；　remaining　poor　and　scattered；　are　never　able　to　injure　him；　whilst　the　rest　being　uninjured　are　easily　kept　quiet；　and　at　the　same　time　are　anxious　not　to　err　for　fear　it　should　happen　to　them　as　it　has　to　those　who　have　been　despoiled。　In　conclusion；　I　say　that　these　colonies　are　not　costly；　they　are　more　faithful；　they　injure　less；　and　the　injured；　as　has　been　said；　being　poor　and　scattered；　cannot　hurt。　Upon　this；　one　has　to　remark　that　men　ought　either　to　be　well　treated　or　crushed；　because　they　can　avenge　themselves　of　lighter　injuries；　of　more　serious　ones　they　cannot；　therefore　the　injury　that　is　to　be　done　to　a　man　ought　to　be　of　such　a　kind　that　one　does　not　stand　in　fear　of　revenge。

But　in　maintaining　armed　men　there　in　place　of　colonies　one　spends　much　more；　having　to　consume　on　the　garrison　all　the　income　from　the　state；　so　that　the　acquisition　turns　into　a　loss；　and　many　more　are　exasperated；　because　the　whole　state　is　injured；　through　the　shifting　of　the　garrison　up　and　down　all　become　acquainted　with　hardship；　and　all　become　hostile；　and　they　are　enemies　who；　whilst　beaten　on　their　own　ground；　are　yet　able　to　do　hurt。　For　every　reason；　therefore；　such　guards　are　as　useless　as　a　colony　is　useful。

Again；　the　prince　who　holds　a　country　differing　in　the　above　respects　ought　to　make　himself　the　head　and　defender　of　his　less　powerful　neighbours；　and　to　weaken　the　more　powerful　amongst　them；　taking　care　that　no　foreigner　as　powerful　as　himself　shall；　by　any　accident；　get　a　footing　there；　for　it　will　always　happen　that　such　a　one　will　be　introduced　by　those　who　are　discontented；　either　through　excess　of　ambition　or　through　fear；　as　one　has　seen　already。　The　Romans　were　brought　into　Greece　by　the　Aetolians；　and　in　every　other　country　where　they　obtained　a　footing　they　were　brought　in　by　the　inhabitants。　And　the　usual　course　of　affairs　is　that；　as　soon　as　a　powerful　foreigner　enters　a　country；　all　the　subject　states　are　drawn　to　him；　moved　by　the　hatred　which　they　feel　against　the　ruling　power。　So　that　in　respect　to　those　subject　states　he　has　not　to　take　any　trouble　to　gain　them　over　to　himself；　for　the　whole　of　them　quickly　rally　to　the　state　which　he　has　acquired　there。　He　has　only　to　take　care　that　they　do　not　get　hold　of　too　much　power　and　too　much　authority；　and　then　with　his　own　forces；　and　with　their　goodwill；　he　can　easily　keep　down　the　more　powerful　of　them；　so　as　to　remain　entirely　master　in　the　country。　And　he　who　does　not　properly　manage　this　business　will　soon　lose　what　he　has　acquired；　and　whilst　he　does　hold　it　he　will　have　endless　difficulties　and　troubles。

The　Romans；　in　the　countries　which　they　annexed；　observed　closely　these　measures；　they　sent　colonies　and　maintained　friendly　relations　with＇*＇　the　minor　powers；　without　increasing　their　strength；　they　kept　down　the　greater；　and　did　not　allow　any　strong　foreign　powers　to　gain　authority。　Greece　appears　to　me　sufficient　for　an　example。　The　Achaeans　and　Aetolians　were　kept　friendly　by　them；　the　kingdom　of　Macedonia　was　humbled；　Antiochus　was　driven　out；　yet　the　merits　of　the　Achaeans　and　Aetolians　never　secured　for　them　permission　to　increase　their　power；　nor　did　the　persuasions　of　Philip　ever　induce　the　Romans　to　be　his　friends　without　first　humbling　him；　nor　did　the　influence　of　Antiochus　make　them　agree　that　he　should　retain　any　lordship　over　the　country。　Because　the　Romans　did　in　these　instances　what　all　prudent　princes　ought　to　do；　who　have　to　regard　not　only　present　troubles；　but　also　future　ones；　for　which　they　must　prepare　with　every　energy；　because；　when　foreseen；　it　is　easy　to　remedy　them；　but　if　you　wait　until　they　approach；　the　medicine　is　no　longer　in　time　because　the　malady　has　become　incurable；　for　it　happens　in　this；　as　the　physicians　say　it　happens　in　hectic　fever；　that　in　the　beginning　of　the　malady　it　is　easy　to　cure　but　difficult　to　detect；　but　in　the　course　of　time；　not　having　been　either　detected　or　treated　in　the　beginning；　it　becomes　easy　to　detect　but　difficult　to　cure。　This　it　happens　in　affairs　of　state；　for　when　the　evils　that　arise　have　been　foreseen　（which　it　is　only　given　to　a　wise　man　to　see）；　they　can　be　quickly　redressed；　but　when；　through　not　having　been　foreseen；　they　have　been　permitted　to　grow　in　a　way　that　every　one　can　see　them；　there　is　no　longer　a　remedy。　Therefore；　the　Romans；　foreseeing　troubles；　dealt　with　them　at　once；　and；　even　to　avoid　a　war；　would　not　let　them　come　to　a　head；　for　they　knew　that　war　is　not　to　be　avoided；　but　is　only　to　be　put　off　to　the　advantage　of　others；　moreover　they　wished　to　fight　with　Philip　and　Antiochus　in　Greece　so　as　not　to　have　to　do　it　in　Italy；　they　could　have　avoided　both；　but　this　they　did　not　wish；　nor　did　that　ever　please　them　which　is　for　ever　in　the　mouths　of　the　wise　ones　of　our　time：Let　us　enjoy　the　benefits　of　the　timebut　rather　the　benefits　of　their　own　valour　and　prudence；　for　time　drives　everything　before　it；　and　is　able　to　bring　with　it　good　as　well　as　evil；　and　evil　as　well　as　good。

＇*＇　See　remark　in　the　introduction　on　the　word　〃intrattenere。〃

But　let　us　turn　to　France　and　inquire　whether　she　has　done　any　of　the　things　mentioned。　I　will　speak　of　Louis＇*＇　（and　not　of　Charles＇＋＇）　as　the　one　whose　conduct　is　the　better　to　be　observed；　he　having　held　possession　of　Italy　for　the　longest　period；　and　you　will　see　that　he　has　done　the　opposite　to　those　things　which　ought　to　be　done　to　retain　a　state　composed　of　divers　elements。

＇*＇　Louis　XII；　King　of　France；　〃The　Father　of　the　People；〃　born　1462；　　　　　died　1515。

＇＋＇　Charles　VIII；　King　of　France；　born　1470；　died　1498。

King　Louis　was　brought　into　Italy　by　the　ambition　of　the　Venetians；　who　desired　to　obtain　half　the　state　of　Lombardy　by　his　intervention。　I　will　not　blame　the　course　taken　by　the　king；　because；　wishing　to　get　a　foothold　in　Italy；　and　having　no　friends　thereseeing　rather　that　every　door　was　shut　to　him　owing　to　the　conduct　of　Charleshe　was　forced　to　accept　those　friendships　which　he　could　get；　and　he　would　have　succeeded　very　quickly　in　his　design　if　in　other　matters　he　had　not　made　some　mistakes。　The　king；　however；　having　acquired　Lombardy；　regained　at　once　the　authority　which　Charles　had　lost：　Genoa　yielded；　the　Florentines　became　his　friends；　the　Marquess　of　Mantua；　the　Duke　of　Ferrara；　the　Bentivogli；　my　lady　of　Forli；　the　Lords　of　Faenza；　of　Pesaro；　of　Rimini；　of　Camerino；　of　Piombino；　the　Lucchese；　the　Pisans；　the　Sieneseeverybody　made　advances　to　him　to　become　his　friend。　Then　could　the　Venetians　realize　the　rashness　of　the　course　taken　by　them；　which；　in　order　that　they　might　secure　two　towns　in　Lombardy；　had　made　the　king　master　of　two…thirds　of　Italy。

Let　any　one　now　consider　with　that　little　difficulty　the　king　could　have　maintained　his　position　in　Italy　had　he　observed　the　rules　above　laid　down；　and　kept　all　his　friends　secure　and　protected；　for　although　they　were　numerous　they　were　both　weak　and　timid；　some　afraid　of　the　Church；　some　of　the　Venetians；　and　thus　they　would　always　have　been　forced　to　stand　in　with　him；　and　by　their　means　he　could　easily　have　made　himself　secure　against　those　who　remained　powerful。　But　he　was　no　sooner　in　Milan　than　he　did　the　contrary　by　assisting　Pope　Alexander　to　occupy　the　Romagna。　It　never　occurred　to　him　that　by　this　action　he　was　weakening　himself；　depriving　himself　of　friends　and　of　those　who　had　thrown　themselves　into　his　lap；　whilst　he　aggrandized　the　Church　by　adding　much　temporal　power　to　the　spiritual；　thus　giving　it　greater　authority。　And　having　committed　this　prime　error；　he　was　obliged　to　follow　it　up；　so　much　so　that；　to　put　an　end　to　the　ambition　of　Alexander；　and　to　prevent　his　becoming　the　master　of　Tuscany；　he　was