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bjects　will　be　naturally　well　disposed　towards　him；　and　in　the　antiquity　and　duration　of　his　rule　the　memories　and　motives　that　make　for　change　are　lost；　for　one　change　always　leaves　the　toothing　for　another。



CHAPTER　III

CONCERNING　MIXED　PRINCIPALITIES

But　the　difficulties　occur　in　a　new　principality。　And　firstly；　if　it　be　not　entirely　new；　but　is；　as　it　were；　a　member　of　a　state　which；　taken　collectively；　may　be　called　composite；　the　changes　arise　chiefly　from　an　inherent　difficulty　which　there　is　in　all　new　principalities；　for　men　change　their　rulers　willingly；　hoping　to　better　themselves；　and　this　hope　induces　them　to　take　up　arms　against　him　who　rules：　wherein　they　are　deceived；　because　they　afterwards　find　by　experience　they　have　gone　from　bad　to　worse。　This　follows　also　on　another　natural　and　common　necessity；　which　always　causes　a　new　prince　to　burden　those　who　have　submitted　to　him　with　his　soldiery　and　with　infinite　other　hardships　which　he　must　put　upon　his　new　acquisition。

In　this　way　you　have　enemies　in　all　those　whom　you　have　injured　in　seizing　that　principality；　and　you　are　not　able　to　keep　those　friends　who　put　you　there　because　of　your　not　being　able　to　satisfy　them　in　the　way　they　expected；　and　you　cannot　take　strong　measures　against　them；　feeling　bound　to　them。　For；　although　one　may　be　very　strong　in　armed　forces；　yet　in　entering　a　province　one　has　always　need　of　the　goodwill　of　the　natives。

For　these　reasons　Louis　the　Twelfth；　King　of　France；　quickly　occupied　Milan；　and　as　quickly　lost　it；　and　to　turn　him　out　the　first　time　it　only　needed　Lodovico's　own　forces；　because　those　who　had　opened　the　gates　to　him；　finding　themselves　deceived　in　their　hopes　of　future　benefit；　would　not　endure　the　ill…treatment　of　the　new　prince。　It　is　very　true　that；　after　acquiring　rebellious　provinces　a　second　time；　they　are　not　so　lightly　lost　afterwards；　because　the　prince；　with　little　reluctance；　takes　the　opportunity　of　the　rebellion　to　punish　the　delinquents；　to　clear　out　the　suspects；　and　to　strengthen　himself　in　the　weakest　places。　Thus　to　cause　France　to　lose　Milan　the　first　time　it　was　enough　for　the　Duke　Lodovico＇*＇　to　raise　insurrections　on　the　borders；　but　to　cause　him　to　lose　it　a　second　time　it　was　necessary　to　bring　the　whole　world　against　him；　and　that　his　armies　should　be　defeated　and　driven　out　of　Italy；　which　followed　from　the　causes　above　mentioned。

＇*＇　Duke　Lodovico　was　Lodovico　Moro；　a　son　of　Francesco　Sforza；　who　　　　　married　Beatrice　d'Este。　He　ruled　over　Milan　from　1494　to　1500；　　　　　and　died　in　1510。

Nevertheless　Milan　was　taken　from　France　both　the　first　and　the　second　time。　The　general　reasons　for　the　first　have　been　discussed；　it　remains　to　name　those　for　the　second；　and　to　see　what　resources　he　had；　and　what　any　one　in　his　situation　would　have　had　for　maintaining　himself　more　securely　in　his　acquisition　than　did　the　King　of　France。

Now　I　say　that　those　dominions　which；　when　acquired；　are　added　to　an　ancient　state　by　him　who　acquires　them；　are　either　of　the　same　country　and　language；　or　they　are　not。　When　they　are；　it　is　easier　to　hold　them；　especially　when　they　have　not　been　accustomed　to　self…　government；　and　to　hold　them　securely　it　is　enough　to　have　destroyed　the　family　of　the　prince　who　was　ruling　them；　because　the　two　peoples；　preserving　in　other　things　the　old　conditions；　and　not　being　unlike　in　customs；　will　live　quietly　together；　as　one　has　seen　in　Brittany；　Burgundy；　Gascony；　and　Normandy；　which　have　been　bound　to　France　for　so　long　a　time：　and；　although　there　may　be　some　difference　in　language；　nevertheless　the　customs　are　alike；　and　the　people　will　easily　be　able　to　get　on　amongst　themselves。　He　who　has　annexed　them；　if　he　wishes　to　hold　them；　has　only　to　bear　in　mind　two　considerations：　the　one；　that　the　family　of　their　former　lord　is　extinguished；　the　other；　that　neither　their　laws　nor　their　taxes　are　altered；　so　that　in　a　very　short　time　they　will　become　entirely　one　body　with　the　old　principality。

But　when　states　are　acquired　in　a　country　differing　in　language；　customs；　or　laws；　there　are　difficulties；　and　good　fortune　and　great　energy　are　needed　to　hold　them；　and　one　of　the　greatest　and　most　real　helps　would　be　that　he　who　has　acquired　them　should　go　and　reside　there。　This　would　make　his　position　more　secure　and　durable；　as　it　has　made　that　of　the　Turk　in　Greece；　who；　notwithstanding　all　the　other　measures　taken　by　him　for　holding　that　state；　if　he　had　not　settled　there；　would　not　have　been　able　to　keep　it。　Because；　if　one　is　on　the　spot；　disorders　are　seen　as　they　spring　up；　and　one　can　quickly　remedy　them；　but　if　one　is　not　at　hand；　they　are　heard　of　only　when　they　are　great；　and　then　one　can　no　longer　remedy　them。　Besides　this；　the　country　is　not　pillaged　by　your　officials；　the　subjects　are　satisfied　by　prompt　recourse　to　the　prince；　thus；　wishing　to　be　good；　they　have　more　cause　to　love　him；　and　wishing　to　be　otherwise；　to　fear　him。　He　who　would　attack　that　state　from　the　outside　must　have　the　utmost　caution；　as　long　as　the　prince　resides　there　it　can　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　th