the prince-第7节

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　great　a　preceptor。　And　in　examining　their　actions　and　lives　one　cannot　see　that　they　owed　anything　to　fortune　beyond　opportunity；　which　brought　them　the　material　to　mould　into　the　form　which　seemed　best　to　them。　Without　that　opportunity　their　powers　of　mind　would　have　been　extinguished；　and　without　those　powers　the　opportunity　would　have　come　in　vain。

It　was　necessary；　therefore；　to　Moses　that　he　should　find　the　people　of　Israel　in　Egypt　enslaved　and　oppressed　by　the　Egyptians；　in　order　that　they　should　be　disposed　to　follow　him　so　as　to　be　delivered　out　of　bondage。　It　was　necessary　that　Romulus　should　not　remain　in　Alba；　and　that　he　should　be　abandoned　at　his　birth；　in　order　that　he　should　become　King　of　Rome　and　founder　of　the　fatherland。　It　was　necessary　that　Cyrus　should　find　the　Persians　discontented　with　the　government　of　the　Medes；　and　the　Medes　soft　and　effeminate　through　their　long　peace。　Theseus　could　not　have　shown　his　ability　had　he　not　found　the　Athenians　dispersed。　These　opportunities；　therefore；　made　those　men　fortunate；　and　their　high　ability　enabled　them　to　recognize　the　opportunity　whereby　their　country　was　ennobled　and　made　famous。

Those　who　by　valorous　ways　become　princes；　like　these　men；　acquire　a　principality　with　difficulty；　but　they　keep　it　with　ease。　The　difficulties　they　have　in　acquiring　it　rise　in　part　from　the　new　rules　and　methods　which　they　are　forced　to　introduce　to　establish　their　government　and　its　security。　And　it　ought　to　be　remembered　that　there　is　nothing　more　difficult　to　take　in　hand；　more　perilous　to　conduct；　or　more　uncertain　in　its　success；　then　to　take　the　lead　in　the　introduction　of　a　new　order　of　things。　Because　the　innovator　has　for　enemies　all　those　who　have　done　well　under　the　old　conditions；　and　lukewarm　defenders　in　those　who　may　do　well　under　the　new。　This　coolness　arises　partly　from　fear　of　the　opponents；　who　have　the　laws　on　their　side；　and　partly　from　the　incredulity　of　men；　who　do　not　readily　believe　in　new　things　until　they　have　had　a　long　experience　of　them。　Thus　it　happens　that　whenever　those　who　are　hostile　have　the　opportunity　to　attack　they　do　it　like　partisans；　whilst　the　others　defend　lukewarmly；　in　such　wise　that　the　prince　is　endangered　along　with　them。

It　is　necessary；　therefore；　if　we　desire　to　discuss　this　matter　thoroughly；　to　inquire　whether　these　innovators　can　rely　on　themselves　or　have　to　depend　on　others：　that　is　to　say；　whether；　to　consummate　their　enterprise；　have　they　to　use　prayers　or　can　they　use　force？　In　the　first　instance　they　always　succeed　badly；　and　never　compass　anything；　but　when　they　can　rely　on　themselves　and　use　force；　then　they　are　rarely　endangered。　Hence　it　is　that　all　armed　prophets　have　conquered；　and　the　unarmed　ones　have　been　destroyed。　Besides　the　reasons　mentioned；　the　nature　of　the　people　is　variable；　and　whilst　it　is　easy　to　persuade　them；　it　is　difficult　to　fix　them　in　that　persuasion。　And　thus　it　is　necessary　to　take　such　measures　that；　when　they　believe　no　longer；　it　may　be　possible　to　make　them　believe　by　force。

If　Moses；　Cyrus；　Theseus；　and　Romulus　had　been　unarmed　they　could　not　have　enforced　their　constitutions　for　longas　happened　in　our　time　to　Fra　Girolamo　Savonarola；　who　was　ruined　with　his　new　order　of　things　immediately　the　multitude　believed　in　him　no　longer；　and　he　had　no　means　of　keeping　steadfast　those　who　believed　or　of　making　the　unbelievers　to　believe。　Therefore　such　as　these　have　great　difficulties　in　consummating　their　enterprise；　for　all　their　dangers　are　in　the　ascent；　yet　with　ability　they　will　overcome　them；　but　when　these　are　overcome；　and　those　who　envied　them　their　success　are　exterminated；　they　will　begin　to　be　respected；　and　they　will　continue　afterwards　powerful；　secure；　honoured；　and　happy。

To　these　great　examples　I　wish　to　add　a　lesser　one；　still　it　bears　some　resemblance　to　them；　and　I　wish　it　to　suffice　me　for　all　of　a　like　kind：　it　is　Hiero　the　Syracusan。＇*＇　This　man　rose　from　a　private　station　to　be　Prince　of　Syracuse；　nor　did　he；　either；　owe　anything　to　fortune　but　opportunity；　for　the　Syracusans；　being　oppressed；　chose　him　for　their　captain；　afterwards　he　was　rewarded　by　being　made　their　prince。　He　was　of　so　great　ability；　even　as　a　private　citizen；　that　one　who　writes　of　him　says　he　wanted　nothing　but　a　kingdom　to　be　a　king。　This　man　abolished　the　old　soldiery；　organized　the　new；　gave　up　old　alliances；　made　new　ones；　and　as　he　had　his　own　soldiers　and　allies；　on　such　foundations　he　was　able　to　build　any　edifice：　thus；　whilst　he　had　endured　much　trouble　in　acquiring；　he　had　but　little　in　keeping。

＇*＇　Hiero　II；　born　about　307　B。C。；　died　216　B。C。



CHAPTER　VII

CONCERNING　NEW　PRINCIPALITIES　WHICH　ARE　ACQUIRED　EITHER　BY　THE　ARMS　OF　OTHERS　OR　BY　GOOD　FORTUNE

Those　who　solely　by　good　fortune　become　princes　from　being　private　citizens　have　little　trouble　in　rising；　but　much　in　keeping　atop；　they　have　not　any　difficulties　on　the　way　up；　because　they　fly；　but　they　have　many　when　they　reach　the　summit。　Such　are　those　to　whom　some　state　is　given　either　for　money　or　by　the　favour　of　him　who　bestows　it；　as　happened　to　many　in　Greece；　in　the　cities　of　Ionia　and　of　the　Hellespont；　where　princes　were　made　by　Darius；　in　order　that　they　might　hold　the　cities　both　for　his　security　and　his　glory；　as　also　were　those　emperors　who；　by　the　corruption　of　the　soldiers；　from　being　citizens　came　to　empire。　Such　stand　simply　elevated　upon　the　goodwill　and　the　fortune　of　him　who　has　elevated　themtwo　most　inconstant　and　unstable　things。　Neither　have　they　the　knowledge　requisite　for　the　position；　because；　unless　they　are　men　of　great　worth　and　ability；　it　is　not　reasonable　to　expect　that　they　should　know　how　to　command；　having　always　lived　in　a　private　condition；　besides；　they　cannot　hold　it　because　they　have　not　forces　which　they　can　keep　friendly　and　faithful。

States　that　rise　unexpectedly；　then；　like　all　other　things　in　nature　which　are　born　and　grow　rapidly；　cannot　leave　their　foundations　and　correspondencies＇*＇　fixed　in　such　a　way　that　the　first　storm　will　not　overthrow　them；　unless；　as　is　said；　those　who　unexpectedly　become　princes　are　men　of　so　much　ability　that　they　know　they　have　to　be　prepared　at　once　to　hold　that　which　fortune　has　thrown　into　their　laps；　and　that　those　foundations；　which　others　have　laid　BEFORE　they　became　princes；　they　must　lay　AFTERWARDS。

＇*＇　〃Le　radici　e　corrispondenze；〃　their　roots　（i。e。　foundations）　and　　　　　correspondencies　or　relations　with　other　statesa　common　meaning　　　　　of　〃correspondence〃　and　〃correspondency〃　in　the　sixteenth　and　　　　　seventeenth　centuries。

Concerning　these　two　methods　of　rising　to　be　a　prince　by　ability　or　fortune；　I　wish　to　adduce　two　examples　within　our　own　recollection；　and　these　are　Francesco　Sforza＇*＇　and　Cesare　Borgia。　Francesco；　by　proper　means　and　with　great　ability；　from　being　a　private　person　rose　to　be　Duke　of　Milan；　and　that　which　he　had　acquired　with　a　thousand　anxieties　he　kept　with　little　trouble。　On　the　other　hand；　Cesare　Borgia；　called　by　the　people　Duke　Valentino；　acquired　his　state　during　the　ascendancy　of　his　father；　and　on　its　decline　he　lost　it；　notwithstanding　that　he　had　taken　every　measure　and　done　all　that　ought　to　be　done　by　a　wise　and　able　man　to　fix　firmly　his　roots　in　the　states　which　the　arms　and　fortunes　of　others　had　bestowed　on　him。

＇*＇　Francesco　Sforza；　born　1401；　died　1466。　He　married　Bianca　Maria　　　　　Visconti；　a　natural　daughter　of　Filippo　Visconti；　the　Duke　of　　　　　Milan；　on　whose　death　he　procured　his　own　elevation　to　the　duchy。　　　　　Machiavelli　was　the　accredited　agent　of　the　Florentine　Republic　to　　　　　Cesare　Borgia　（1478…1507）　during　the　transactions　which　led　up　to　　　　　the　assassinations　of　the　Orsini　and　Vitelli　at　Sinigalia；　and　　　　　along　with　his　letters　to　his　chiefs　in　Florence　he　has　left　an　　　　　account；　written　ten　years　before　〃The　Prince；〃　of　the　proceedings　　　　　of　the　duke　in　his　〃Descritione　del　modo　tenuto　dal　duca　Valentino　　　　　nello　ammazzare　Vitellozzo　Vitelli；〃　etc。；　a　translation　of　which　　　　　is　appended　to　the　present　work。

Because；　as　is　stated　above；　he　who　has　not　first　laid　his　foundations　may　be　able　with　great　ability　to　lay　them　afterwards；　but　they　will　be　laid　with　trouble　to　the　architect　and　danger　to　the　building。　If；　therefore；　all　the　steps　taken　by　the　duke　be　considered；　it　will　be　seen　that　he　laid　solid　foundations　for　his　future　power；　and　I　do　not　consider　it　superfluous　to　discuss　them；　because　I　do　not　know　what　better　precepts　to　give　a　new　prince　than　the　example　of　his　actions；　and　if　his　dispositions　were　of　no　avail；　that　was　not　his　fault；　but　the　extraordinary　and　extreme　malignity　of　fortune。

Alexander　the　Sixth；　in　wishing　to　aggrandize　the　duke；　his　son；　had　many　immediate　and　prospective　difficulties。　Firstly；　he　did　not　see　his　way　to　make　him　master　of　any　state　that　was　not　a　state　of　the　Church；　and　if　he　was　willing　to　rob　the　Church　he　knew　that　the　Duke　of　Milan　and　the　Venetians　would　not　consent；　because　Faenza　and　Rimini　were　already　under　the　protection　of　the　Venetians。　Besides　this；　he　saw　the　arms　of　Italy；　especially　those　by　which　he　might　have　been　assisted；　in　hands　that　would　fear　the　aggrandizement　of　the　Pope；　namely；　th