太子爷小说网 > 传记电子书 > 马基雅维里 君主论英文prince >

第11节

马基雅维里 君主论英文prince-第11节

小说: 马基雅维里 君主论英文prince 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




cannot recognize evils until they are upon him; he is not truly wise;

and this insight is given to few。 And if the first disaster to the Roman

Empire should be examined; it will be found to have menced only with

the enlisting of the Goths; because from that time the vigour of the

Roman Empire began to decline; and all that valour which had raised it

passed away to others。



I conclude; therefore; that no principality is secure without having its

own forces; on the contrary; it is entirely dependent on good fortune;

not having the valour which in adversity would defend it。 And it has

always been the opinion and judgment of wise men that nothing can be so

uncertain or unstable as fame or power not founded on its own strength。

And one's own forces are those which are posed either of subjects;

citizens; or dependants; all others are mercenaries or auxiliaries。 And

the way to take ready one's own forces will be easily found if the rules

suggested by me shall be reflected upon; and if one will consider how

Philip; the father of Alexander the Great; and many republics and

princes have armed and organized themselves; to which rules I entirely

mit myself。



CHAPTER XIV



THAT WHICH CONCERNS A PRINCE ON THE SUBJECT OF THE ART OF WAR



A PRINCE ought to have no other aim or thought; nor select anything else

for his study; than war and its rules and discipline; for this is the

sole art that belongs to him who rules; and it is of such force that it

not only upholds those who are born princes; but it often enables men to

rise from a private station to that rank。 And; on the contrary; it is

seen that when princes have thought more of ease than of arms they have

lost their states。 And the first cause of your losing it is to neglect

this art; and what enables you to acquire a state is to be master of the

art。 Francesco Sforza; through being martial; from a private person

became Duke of Milan; and the sons; through avoiding the hardships and

troubles of arms; from dukes became private persons。 For among other

evils which being unarmed brings you; it causes you to be despised; and

this is one of those ignominies against which a prince ought to guard

himself; as is shown later on。 Because there is nothing proportionate

between the armed and the unarmed; and it is not reasonable that he who

is armed should yield obedience willingly to him who is unarmed; or that

the unarmed man should be secure among armed servants。 Because; there

being in the one disdain and in the other suspicion; it is not possible

for them to work well together。 And therefore a prince who does not

understand the art of war; over and above the other misfortunes already

mentioned; cannot be respected by his soldiers; nor can he rely on them。

He ought never; therefore; to have out of his thoughts this subject of

war; and in peace he should addict himself more to its exercise than in

war; this he can do in two ways; the one by action; the other by study。



As regards action; he ought above all things to keep his men well

organized and drilled; to follow incessantly the chase; by which he

accustoms his body to hardships; and learns something of the nature of

localities; and gets to find out how the mountains rise; how the valleys

open out; how the plains lie; and to understand the nature of rivers and

marshes; and in all this to take the greatest care。 Which knowledge is

useful in two ways。 Firstly; he learns to know his country; and is

better able to undertake its defence; afterwards; by means of the

knowledge and observation of that locality; he understands with ease any

other which it may be necessary for him to study hereafter; because the

hills; valleys; and plains; and rivers and marshes that are; for

instance; in Tuscany; have a certain resemblance to those of other

countries; so that with a knowledge of the aspect of one country one can

easily arrive at a knowledge of others。 And the prince that lacks this

skill lacks the essential which it is desirable that a captain should

possess; for it teaches him to surprise his enemy; to select quarters;

to lead armies; to array the battle; to besiege towns to advantage。



Philopoemen; Prince of the Achaeans; among other praises which writers

have bestowed on him; is mended because in time of peace he never had

anything in his mind but the rules of war; and when he was in the

country with friends; he often stopped and reasoned with them: 〃If the

enemy should be upon that hill; and we should find ourselves here with

our army; with whom would be the advantage? How should one best advance

to meet him; keeping the ranks? If we should wish to retreat; how ought

we to set about it? If they should retreat; how ought we to pursue?〃 And

he would set forth to them; as he went; all the chances that could

befall an army; he would listen to their opinion and state his;

confirming it with reasons; so that by these continual discussions there

could never arise; in time of war; any unexpected circumstances that he

could deal with。



But to exercise the intellect the prince should read histories; and

study there the actions of illustrious men; to see how they have borne

themselves in war; to examine the causes of their victories and defeat;

so as to avoid the latter and imitate the former; and above all do as an

illustrious man did; who took as an exemplar one who had been praised

and famous before him; and whose achievements and deeds he always kept

in his mind; as it is said Alexander the Great imitated Achilles; Caesar

Alexander; Scipio Cyrus。 And whoever reads the life of Cyrus; written by

Xenophon; will recognize afterwards in the life of Scipio how that

imitation was his glory; and how in chastity; affability; humanity; and

liberality Scipio conformed to those things which have been written of

Cyrus by Xenophon。 A wise prince ought to observe some such rules; and

never in peaceful times stand idle; but increase his resources with

industry in such a way that they may be available to him in adversity;

so that if fortune changes it may find him prepared to resist her blows。



CHAPTER XV



CONCERNING THINGS FOR WHICH MEN; AND ESPECIALLY PRINCES; ARE PRAISED OR

BLAMED



IT REMAINS now to see what ought to be the rules of conduct for a prince

towards subject and friends。 And as I know that many have written on

this point; I expect I shall be considered presumptuous in mentioning it

again; especially as in discussing it I shall depart from the methods of

other people。 But; it being my intention to write a thing which shall be

useful to him who apprehends it; it appears to me more appropriate to

follow up the real truth of a matter than the imagination of it; for

many have pictured republics and principalities which in fact have never

been known or seen; because how one lives is so far distant from how one

ought to live; that he who neglects what is done for what ought to be

done; sooner effects his ruin than his preservation; for a man who

wishes to act entirely up to his professions of virtue soon meets with

what destroys him among so much that is evil。



Hence it is necessary for a prince wishing to hold his own to know how

to do wrong; and to make use of it or not according to necessity。

Therefore; putting on one side imaginary things concerning a prince; and

discussing those which are real; I say that all men when they are spoken

of; and chiefly princes for being more highly placed; are remarkable for

some of those qualities which bring them either blame or praise; and

thus it is that one is reputed liberal; another miserly; using a Tuscan

term (because an avaricious person in our language is still he who

desires to possess by robbery; whilst we call one miserly who deprives

himself too much of the use of his own); one is reputed generous; one

rapacious; one cruel; one passionate; one faithless; another

faithful; one effeminate and cowardly; another bold and brave; one

affable; another haughty; one lascivious; another chaste; one sincere;

another cunning; one hard; another easy; one grave; another frivolous;

one religious; another unbelieving; and the like。 And I know that every

one will confess that it would be most praiseworthy in a prince to

exhibit all the above qualities that are considered good; but because

they can neither be entirely possessed nor observed; for human

conditions do not permit it; it is necessary for him to be sufficiently

prudent that he may know how to avoid the reproach of those vices which

would lose him his state; and also to keep himself; if it be possible;

from those which would not lose him it; but this not being possible; he

may with less hesitation abandon himself to them。 And again; he need not

make himself uneasy at incurring a reproach for those vices without

which the state can only be saved with difficulty; for if everything is

considered carefully; it will be found that something which looks like

virtue; if foll

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 1 2

你可能喜欢的