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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　followed；　would　be　his　ruin；　whilst　something　else；　which

looks　like　vice；　yet　followed　brings　him　security　and　prosperity。



CHAPTER　XVI



CONCERNING　LIBERALITY　AND　MEANNESS



MENCING　then　with　the　first　of　the　above…named　characteristics；　I　say

that　it　would　be　well　to　be　reputed　liberal。　Nevertheless；　liberality

exercised　in　a　way　that　does　not　bring　you　the　reputation　for　it；

injures　you；　for　if　one　exercises　it　honestly　and　as　it　should　be

exercised；　it　may　not　bee　known；　and　you　will　not　avoid　the　reproach

of　its　opposite。　Therefore；　any　one　wishing　to　maintain　among　men　the

name　of　liberal　is　obliged　to　avoid　no　attribute　of　magnificence；　so

that　a　prince　thus　inclined　will　consume　in　such　acts　all　his　property；

and　will　be　pelled　in　the　end；　if　he　wish　to　maintain　the　name　of

liberal；　to　unduly　weigh　down　his　people；　and　tax　them；　and　do

everything　he　can　to　get　money。　This　will　soon　make　him　odious　to　his

subjects；　and　being　poor　he　will　be　little　valued　by　any　one；　thus；

with　his　liberality；　having　offended　many　and　rewarded　few；　he　is

affected　by　the　very　first　trouble　and　imperilled　by　whatever　may　be　the

first　danger；　recognizing　this　himself；　and　wishing　to　draw　back　from

it；　he　runs　at　once　into　the　reproach　of　being　miserly。



Therefore；　a　prince；　not　being　able　to　exercise　this　virtue　of

liberality　in　such　a　way　that　it　is　recognized；　except　to　his　cost；　if

he　is　wise　he　ought　not　to　fear　the　reputation　of　being　mean；　for　in

time　he　will　e　to　be　more　considered　than　if　liberal；　seeing　that

with　his　economy　his　revenues　are　enough；　that　he　can　defend　himself

against　all　attacks；　and　is　able　to　engage　in　enterprises　without

burdening　his　people；　thus　it　es　to　pass　that　he　exercises　liberality

towards　all　from　whom　he　does　not　take；　who　are　numberless；　and　meanness

towards　those　to　whom　he　does　not　give；　who　are　few。



We　have　not　seen　great　things　done　in　our　time　except　by　those　who　have

been　considered　mean；　the　rest　have　failed。　Pope　Julius　the　Second　was

assisted　in　reaching　the　papacy　by　a　reputation　for　liberality；　yet　he

did　not　strive　afterwards　to　keep　it　up；　when　he　made　war　on　the　King　of

France；　and　he　made　many　wars　without　imposing　any　extraordinary　tax　on

his　subjects；　for　he　supplied　his　additional　expenses　out　of　his　long

thriftiness。　The　present　King　of　Spain　would　not　have　undertaken　or

conquered　in　so　many　enterprises　if　he　had　been　reputed　liberal。　A

prince；　therefore；　provided　that　he　has　not　to　rob　his　subjects；　that　he

can　defend　himself；　that　he　does　not　bee　poor　and　abject；　that　he　is

not　forced　to　bee　rapacious；　ought　to　hold　of　little　account　a

reputation　for　being　mean；　for　it　is　one　of　those　vices　which　will

enable　him　to　govern。



And　if　any　one　should　say：　Caesar　obtained　empire　by　liberality；　and

many　others　have　reached　the　highest　positions　by　having　been　liberal；

and　by　being　considered　so；　I　answer：　Either　you　are　a　prince　in　fact；

or　in　a　way　to　bee　one。　In　the　first　case　this　liberality　is

dangerous；　in　the　second　it　is　very　necessary　to　be　considered　liberal；

and　Caesar　was　one　of　those　who　wished　to　bee　pre…eminent　in　Rome；

but　if　he　had　survived　after　being　so；　and　had　not　moderated　his

expenses；　he　would　have　destroyed　his　government。　And　if　any　one　should

reply：　Many　have　been　princes；　and　have　done　great　things　with　armies；

who　have　been　considered　very　liberal；　I　reply：　Either　a　prince　spends

that　which　is　his　own　or　his　subjects'　or　else　that　of　others。　In　the

first　case　he　ought　to　be　sparing；　in　the　second　he　ought　not　to　neglect

any　opportunity　for　liberality。　And　to　the　price　who　goes　forth　with　his

army；　supporting　it　by　pillage；　sack；　and　extortion；　handling　that　which

belongs　to　others；　this　liberality　is　necessary；　otherwise　he　would　not

be　followed　by　soldiers。　And　of　that　which　is　neither　yours　nor　your

subjects'　you　can　be　a　ready　giver；　as　were　Cyrus；　Caesar；　and

Alexander；　because　it　does　not　take　away　your　reputation　if　you　squander

that　of　others；　but　adds　to　it；　it　is　only　squandering　your　own　that

injures　you。



And　there　is　nothing　wastes　so　rapidly　as　liberality；　for　even　whilst

you　exercise　it　you　lose　the　power　to　do　so；　and　so　bee　either　poor

or　despised；　or　else；　in　avoiding　poverty；　rapacious　and　hated。　And　a

prince　should　guard　himself；　above　all　things；　against　being　despised

and　hated；　and　liberality　leads　you　to　both。　Therefore　it　is　wiser　to

have　a　reputation　for　meanness　which　brings　reproach　without　hatred；

than　to　be　pelled　through　seeking　a　reputation　for　liberality　to

incur　a　name　for　rapacity　which　begets　reproach　with　hatred。



CHAPTER　XVII



CONCERNING　CRUELTY　AND　CLEMENCY；　AND　WHETHER　IT　IS　BETTER　TO　BE　LOVED

THAN　FEARED



ING　now　to　the　other　qualities　mentioned　above；　I　say　that　every

prince　ought　to　desire　to　be　considered　clement　and　not　cruel。

Nevertheless　he　ought　to　take　care　not　to　misuse　this　clemency。　Cesare

Borgia　was　considered　cruel；　notwithstanding；　his　cruelty　reconciled　the

Romagna；　unified　it；　and　restored　it　to　peace　and　loyalty。　And　if　this

be　rightly　considered；　he　will　be　seen　to　have　been　much　more　merciful

than　the　Florentine　people；　who；　to　avoid　a　reputation　for　cruelty；

permitted　Pistoia　to　be　destroyed。　Therefore　a　prince；　so　long　as　he

keeps　his　subjects　united　and　loyal；　ought　not　to　mind　the　reproach　of

cruelty；　because　with　a　few　examples　he　will　be　more　merciful　than　those

who；　through　too　much　mercy；　allow　disorders　to　arise；　from　which　follow

murders　or　robberies；　for　these　are　wont　to　injure　the　whole　people；

whilst　those　executions　which　originate　with　a　prince　offend　the

individual　only。



And　of　all　princes；　it　is　impossible　for　the　new　prince　to　avoid　the

imputation　of　cruelty；　owing　to　new　states　being　full　of　dangers。　Hence

Virgil；　through　the　mouth　of　Dido；　excuses　the　inhumanity　of　her　reign

owing　to　its　being　new；　saying：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Res　dura；　et　regni　novitas　me　talia　cogunt

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Moliri；　et　late　fines　custode　tueri。　＇1＇



Nevertheless　he　ought　to　be　slow　to　believe　and　to　act；　nor　should　he

himself　show　fear；　but　proceed　in　a　temperate　manner　with　prudence　and

humanity；　so　that　too　much　confidence　may　not　make　him　incautious　and

too　much　distrust　render　him　intolerable。



Upon　this　a　question　arises：　whether　it　be　better　to　be　loved　than

feared　or　feared　than　loved？　It　may　be　answered　that　one　should　wish　to

be　both；　but；　because　it　is　difficult　to　unite　them　in　one　person；　is

much　safer　to　be　feared　than　loved；　when；　of　the　two；　either　must　be

dispensed　with。　Because　this　is　to　be　asserted　in　general　of　men；　that

they　are　ungrateful；　fickle；　false；　cowardly；　covetous；　and　as　long　as

you　succeed　they　are　yours　entirely；　they　will　offer　you　their　blood；

property；　life　and　children；　as　is　said　above；　when　the　need　is　far

distant；　but　when　it　approaches　they　turn　against　you。　And　that　prince

who；　relying　entirely　on　their　promises；　has　neglected　other

precautions；　is　ruined；　because　friendships　that　are　obtained　by

payments；　and　not　by　greatness　or　nobility　of　mind；　may　indeed　be

earned；　but　they　are　not　secured；　and　in　time　of　need　cannot　be　relied

upon；　and　men　have　less　scruple　in　offending　one　who　is　beloved　than　one

who　is　feared；　for　love　is　preserved　by　the　link　of　obligation　which；

owing　to　the　baseness　of　men；　is　broken　at　every　opportunity　for　their

advantage；　but　fear　preserves　you　by　a　dread　of　punishment　which　never

fails。



Nevertheless　a　prince　ought　to　inspire　fear　in　such　a　way　that；　if　he

does　not　win　love；　he　avoids　hatred；　because　he　can　endure　very　well

being　feared　whilst　he　is　not　hated；　which　will　always　be　as　long　as　he

abstains　from　the　property　of　his　citizens　and　subjects　and　from　their

women。　But　when　it　is　necessary　for　him　to　proceed　against　the　life　of

someone；　he　must　do　it　on　proper　justification　and　for　manifest　cause；

but　above　all　things　he　must　keep　his　hands　off　the　property　of　others；

because　men　more　quickly　forget　the　death　of　their　father　than　the　loss

of　their　patrimony。　Besides；　pretexts　for　taking　away　the　property　are

never　wanting；　for　he　who　has　once　begun　to　live　by　robbery　will　always

find　pretexts　for　seizing　what　belongs　to　others；　but　reasons　for　taking

life；　on　the　contrary；　are　more　difficult　to　find　and　sooner　lapse。　But

when　a　prince　is　with　his　army；　and　has　under　control　a　multitude　of

soldiers；　then　it　is　quite　necessary　for　him　to　disregard　the　reputation

of　cruelty；　for　without　it　he　would　never　hold　his　army　united　or

disposed　to　its　duties。



Among　the　wonderful　deeds　of　Hannibal　this　one　is　enumerated：　that

having　led　an　enormous　army；　posed　of　many　various　races　of　men；　to

fight　in　foreign　lands；　no　dissensions　arose　either　among　them　or