马基雅维里 君主论英文prince-第15节

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for　his　old　age；　he　was　overthrown　at　the　very　beginning　of　his

administration。　And　here　it　should　be　noted　that　hatred　is　acquired　as

much　by　good　works　as　by　bad　ones；　therefore；　as　I　said　before；　a　prince

wishing　to　keep　his　state　is　very　often　forced　to　do　evil；　for　when　that

body　is　corrupt　whom　you　think　you　have　need　of　to　maintain　yourself　

it　may　be　either　the　people　or　the　soldiers　or　the　nobles　　you　have　to

submit　to　its　humours　and　to　gratify　them；　and　then　good　works　will　do

you　harm。



But　let　us　e　to　Alexander；　who　was　a　man　of　such　great　goodness；　that

among　the　other　praises　which　are　accorded　him　is　this；　that　in　the

fourteen　years　he　held　the　empire　no　one　was　ever　put　to　death　by　him

unjudged；　nevertheless；　being　considered　effeminate　and　a　man　who

allowed　himself　to　be　governed　by　his　mother；　he　became　despised；　the

army　conspired　against　him；　and　murdered　him。



Turning　now　to　the　opposite　characters　of　modus；　Severus；　Antoninus

Caracalla；　and　Maximinus；　you　will　find　them　all　cruel　and　rapacious　

men　who；　to　satisfy　their　soldiers；　did　not　hesitate　to　mit　every

kind　of　iniquity　against　the　people；　and　all；　except　Severus；　came　to　a

bad　end；　but　in　Severus　there　was　so　much　valour　that；　keeping　the

soldiers　friendly；　although　the　people　were　oppressed　by　him；　he　reigned

successfully；　for　his　valour　made　him　so　much　admired　in　the　sight　of

the　soldiers　and　people　that　the　latter　were　kept　in　a　way　astonished

and　awed　and　the　former　respectful　and　satisfied。　And　because　the

actions　of　this　man；　as　a　new　prince；　were　great；　I　wish　to　show　briefly

that　he　knew　well　how　to　counterfeit　the　fox　and　the　lion；　which

natures；　as　I　said　above；　it　is　necessary　for　a　prince　to　imitate。



Knowing　the　sloth　of　the　Emperor　Julian；　he　persuaded　the　army　in

Sclavonia；　of　which　he　was　captain；　that　it　would　be　right　to　go　to　Rome

and　avenge　the　death　of　Pertinax；　who　had　been　killed　by　the　praetorian

soldiers；　and　under　this　pretext；　without　appearing　to　aspire　to　the

throne；　he　moved　the　army　on　Rome；　and　reached　Italy　before　it　was　known

that　he　had　started。　On　his　arrival　at　Rome；　the　Senate；　through　fear；

elected　him　emperor　and　killed　Julian。　After　this　there　remained　for

Severus；　who　wished　to　make　himself　master　of　the　whole　empire；　two

difficulties；　one　in　Asia；　where　Niger；　head　of　the　Asiatic　army；　had

caused　himself　to　be　proclaimed　emperor；　the　other　in　the　west　where

Albinus　was；　who　also　aspired　to　the　throne。　And　as　he　considered　it

dangerous　to　declare　himself　hostile　to　both；　he　decided　to　attack　Niger

and　to　deceive　Albinus。　To　the　latter　he　wrote　that；　being　elected

emperor　by　the　Senate；　he　was　willing　to　share　that　dignity　with　him　and

sent　him　the　title　of　Caesar；　and；　moreover；　that　the　Senate　had　made

Albinus　his　colleague；　which　things　were　accepted　by　Albinus　as　true。

But　after　Severus　had　conquered　and　killed　Niger；　and　settled　oriental

affairs；　he　returned　to　Rome　and　plained　to　the　Senate　that　Albinus；

little　recognizing　the　benefits　that　he　had　received　from　him；　had　by

treachery　sought　to　murder　him；　and　for　this　ingratitude　he　was

pelled　to　punish　him。　Afterwards　he　sought　him　out　in　France；　and

took　from　him　his　government　and　life。　He　who　will；　therefore；　carefully

examine　the　actions　of　this　man　will　find　him　a　most　valiant　lion　and　a

most　cunning　fox；　he　will　find　him　feared　and　respected　by　every　one；

and　not　hated　by　the　army；　and　it　need　not　be　wondered　at　that　he；　the

new　man；　well；　because　his　supreme　renown　always　protected　him　from　that

hatred　which　the　people　might　have　conceived　against　him　for　his

violence。



But　his　son　Antoninus　was　a　most　eminent　man；　and　had　very　excellent

qualities；　which　made　him　admirable　in　the　sight　of　the　people　and

acceptable　to　the　soldiers；　for　he　was　a　warlike　man；　most　enduring　of

fatigue；　a　despiser　of　all　delicate　food　and　other　luxuries；　which

caused　him　to　be　beloved　by　the　armies。　Nevertheless；　his　ferocity　and

cruelties　were　so　great　and　so　unheard　of　that；　after　endless　single

murders；　he　killed　a　large　number　of　the　people　of　Rome　and　all　those　of

Alexandria。　He　became　hated　by　the　whole　world；　and　also　feared　by　those

he　had　around　him；　to　such　an　extent　that　he　was　murdered　in　the　midst

of　his　army　by　a　centurion。　And　here　it　must　be　noted　that　such…like

deaths；　which　are　deliberately　inflicted　with　a　resolved　and　desperate

courage；　cannot　be　avoided　by　princes；　because　any　one　who　does　not　fear

to　die　can　inflict　them；　but　a　prince　may　fear　them　the　less　because

they　are　very　rare；　he　has　only　to　be　careful　not　to　do　any　grave　injury

to　those　whom　he　employs　or　has　around　him　in　the　service　of　the　state。

Antoninus　had　not　taken　this　care；　but　had　contumeliously　killed　a

brother　of　that　centurion；　whom　also　he　daily　threatened；　yet　retained

in　his　bodyguard；　which；　as　it　turned　out；　was　a　rash　thing　to　do；　and

proved　the　emperor's　ruin。



But　let　us　e　to　modus；　to　whom　it　should　have　been　very　easy　to

hold　the　empire；　for；　being　the　son　of　Marcus；　he　had　inherited　it；　and

he　had　only　to　follow　in　the　footsteps　of　his　father　to　please　his

people　and　soldiers；　but；　being　by　nature　cruel　and　brutal；　he　gave

himself　up　to　amusing　the　soldiers　and　corrupting　them；　so　that　he　might

indulge　his　rapacity　upon　the　people；　on　the　other　hand；　not　maintaining

his　dignity；　often　descending　to　the　theatre　to　pete　with　gladiators；

and　doing　other　vile　things；　little　worthy　of　the　imperial　majesty；　he

fell　into　contempt　with　the　soldiers；　and　being　hated　by　one　party　and

despised　by　the　other；　he　was　conspired　against　and　killed。



It　remains　to　discuss　the　character　of　Maximinus。　He　was　a　very　warlike

man；　and　the　armies；　being　disgusted　with　the　effeminacy　of　Alexander；

of　whom　I　have　already　spoken；　killed　him　and　elected　Maximinus　to　the

throne。　This　he　did　not　possess　for　long；　for　two　things　made　him　hated

and　despised；　the　one；　his　having　kept　sheep　in　Thrace；　which　brought

him　into　contempt　（it　being　well　known　to　all；　and　considered　a　great

indignity　by　every　one）；　and　the　other；　his　having　at　the　accession　to

his　dominions　deferred　going　to　Rome　and　taking　possession　of　the

imperial　seat；　he　had　also　gained　a　reputation　for　the　utmost　ferocity

by　having；　through　his　prefects　in　Rome　and　elsewhere　in　the　empire；

practised　many　cruelties；　so　that　the　whole　world　was　moved　to　anger　at

the　meanness　of　his　birth　and　to　fear　at　his　barbarity。　First　Africa

rebelled；　then　the　Senate　with　all　the　people　of　Rome；　and　all　Italy

conspired　against　him；　to　which　may　be　added　his　own　army：　this　latter；

besieging　Aquileia　and　meeting　with　difficulties　in　taking　it；　were

disgusted　with　his　cruelties；　and　fearing　him　less　when　they　found　so

many　against　him；　murdered　him。



I　do　not　wish　to　discuss　Heliogabalus；　Macrinus；　or　Julian；　who；　being

thoroughly　contemptible；　were　quickly　wiped　out；　but　I　will　bring　this

discourse　to　a　conclusion　by　saying　that　princes　in　our　times　have　this

difficulty　of　giving　inordinate　satisfaction　to　their　soldiers　in　a　far

less　degree；　because；　notwithstanding　one　has　to　give　them　some

indulgence；　that　is　soon　done；　none　of　these　princes　have　armies　that

are　veterans　in　the　governance　and　administration　of　provinces；　as　were

the　armies　of　the　Roman　Empire；　and　whereas　it　was　then　more　necessary

to　give　satisfaction　to　the　soldiers　than　to　the　people；　it　is　now　more

necessary　to　all　princes；　except　the　Turk　and　the　Soldan；　to　satisfy　the

people　rather　than　the　soldiers；　because　the　people　are　the　more

powerful。



From　the　above　I　have　excepted　the　Turk；　who　always　keeps　round　him

twelve　infantry　and　fifteen　thousand　cavalry　on　which　depend　the

security　and　strength　of　the　kingdom；　and　it　is　necessary　that；　putting

aside　every　consideration　for　the　people；　he　should　keep　them　his

friends。　The　kingdom　of　the　Soldan　is　similar；　being　entirely　in　the

hands　of　soldiers；　follows　again　that；　without　regard　to　the　people；　he

must　keep　them　his　friends。　But　you　must　note　that　the　state　of　the

Soldan　is　unlike　all　other　principalities；　for　the　reason　that　it　is

like　the　Christian　pontificate；　which　cannot　be　called　either　an

hereditary　or　a　newly　formed　principality；　because　the　sons　of　the　old

prince　not　the　heirs；　but　he　who　is　elected　to　that　position　by　those

who　have　authority；　and　the　sons　remain　only　noblemen。　And　this　being　an

ancient　custom；　it　cannot　be　called　a　new　principality；　because　there

are　none　of　those　difficulties　in　it　that　are　met　with　in　new　ones；　for

although　the　prince　is　new；　the　constitution　of　the　state　is　old；　and　it

is　framed　so　as　to　receive　him　as　if　he　were　its　hereditary　lord。



But　returning　to　the　subject　of　our　discourse；　I　say　that　whoever　will

consider　it　will　acknowledge　that　either　hatred　or　contempt　has　been

fatal　to　the　above…named　emperors；　and　it　will　be　recognized　also　how　it

happened　that；　a　number　of