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

happened　that；　a　number　of　them　acting　in　one　way　and　a　number　in

another；　only　one　in　each　way　came　to　a　happy　end　and　the　rest　to

unhappy　ones。　Because　it　would　have　been　useless　and　dangerous　for

Pertinax　and　Alexander；　being　new　princes；　to　imitate　Marcus；　who　was

heir　to　the　principality；　and　likewise　it　would　have　been　utterly

destructive　to　Caracalla；　modus；　and　Maximinus　to　have　imitated

Severus；　they　not　having　sufficient　valour　to　enable　them　to　tread　in

his　footsteps。　Therefore　a　prince；　new　to　the　principality；　cannot

imitate　the　actions　of　Marcus；　nor；　again；　is　it　necessary　to　follow

those　of　Severus；　but　he　ought　to　take　from　Severus　those　parts　which

are　necessary　to　found　his　state；　and　from　Marcus　those　which　are　proper

and　glorious　to　keep　a　state　that　may　already　be　stable　and　firm。



CHAPTER　XX



ARE　FORTRESSES；　AND　MANY　OTHER　THINGS　TO　WHICH　PRINCES　OFTEN　RESORT；

ADVANTAGEOUS　OR　HURTFUL？



1。　SOME　princes；　so　as　to　hold　securely　the　state；　have　disarmed　their

subjects；　others　have　kept　their　subject　towns　by　factions；　others　have

fostered　enmities　against　themselves；　others　have　laid　themselves　out　to

gain　over　those　whom　they　distrusted　in　the　beginning　of　their

governments；　some　have　built　fortresses；　some　have　overthrown　and

destroyed　them。　And　although　one　cannot　give　a　final　judgment　on　all　one

of　these　things　unless　one　possesses　the　particulars　of　those　states　in

which　a　decision　has　to　be　made；　nevertheless　I　will　speak　as

prehensively　as　the　matter　of　itself　will　admit。



2。　There　never　was　a　new　prince　who　has　disarmed　his　subjects；　rather

when　he　has　found　them　disarmed　he　has　always　armed　them；　because；　by

arming　them；　those　arms　bee　yours；　those　men　who　were　distrusted

bee　faithful；　and　those　who　were　faithful　are　kept　so；　and　your

subjects　bee　your　adherents。　And　whereas　all　subjects　cannot　be

armed；　yet　when　those　whom　you　do　arm　are　benefited；　the　others　can　be

handled　more　freely；　and　this　difference　in　their　treatment；　which　they

quite　understand；　makes　the　former　your　dependants；　and　the　latter；

considering　it　to　be　necessary　that　those　who　have　the　most　danger　and

service　should　have　the　most　reward；　excuse　you。　But　when　you　disarm

them；　you　at　once　offend　them　by　showing　that　you　distrust　them；　either

for　cowardice　or　for　want　of　loyalty；　and　either　of　these　opinions

breeds　hatred　against　you。　And　because　you　cannot　remain　unarmed；　it

follows　that　you　turn　to　mercenaries；　which　are　of　the　character　already

shown；　even　if　they　should　be　good　they　would　not　be　sufficient　to

defend　you　against　powerful　enemies　and　distrusted　subjects。　Therefore；

as　I　have　said；　a　new　prince　in　a　new　principality　has　always

distributed　arms。　Histories　are　full　of　examples。　But　when　a　prince

acquires　a　new　state；　which　he　adds　as　a　province　to　his　old　one；　then

it　is　necessary　to　disarm　the　men　of　that　state；　except　those　who　have

been　his　adherents　in　acquiring　it；　and　these　again；　with　time　and

opportunity；　should　be　rendered　soft　and　effeminate；　and　matters　should

be　managed　in　such　a　way　that　all　the　armed　men　in　the　state　shall　be

your　own　soldiers　who　in　your　old　state　were　living　near　you。



3。　Our　forefathers；　and　those　who　were　reckoned　wise；　were　accustomed　to

say　that　it　was　necessary　to　hold　Pistoia　by　factions　and　Pisa　by

fortresses；　and　with　this　idea　they　fostered　quarrels　in　some　of　their

tributary　towns　so　as　to　keep　possession　of　them　the　more　easily。　This

may　have　been　well　enough　in　those　times　when　Italy　was　in　a　way

balanced；　but　I　do　not　believe　that　it　can　be　accepted　as　a　precept　for

to…day；　because　I　do　not　believe　that　factions　can　ever　be　of　use；

rather　it　is　certain　that　when　the　enemy　es　upon　you　in　divided

cities　you　are　quickly　lost；　because　the　weakest　party　will　always

assist　the　outside　forces　and　the　other　will　not　be　able　to　resist。　The

Venetians；　moved；　as　I　believe；　by　the　above　reasons；　fostered　the

Guelph　and　Ghibelline　factions　in　their　tributary　cities；　and　although

they　never　allowed　them　to　e　to　bloodshed；　yet　they　nursed　these

disputes　amongst　them；　so　that　the　citizens；　distracted　by　their

differences；　should　not　unite　against　them。　Which；　as　we　saw；　did　not

afterwards　turn　out　as　expected；　because；　after　the　rout　at　Vaila；　one

party　at　once　took　courage　and　seized　the　state。　Such　methods　argue；

therefore；　weakness　in　the　prince；　because　these　factions　will　never　be

permitted　in　a　vigorous　principality；　such　methods　for　enabling　one　the

more　easily　to　manage　subjects　are　only　useful　in　times　of　peace；　but　if

war　es　this　policy　proves　fallacious。



4。　Without　doubt　princes　bee　great　when　they　overe　the

difficulties　and　obstacles　by　which　they　are　confronted；　and　therefore

fortune；　especially　when　she　desires　to　make　a　new　prince　great；　who　has

a　greater　necessity　to　earn　renown　than　an　hereditary　one；　causes

enemies　to　arise　and　form　designs　against　him；　in　order　that　he　may　have

the　opportunity　of　overing　them；　and　by　them　to　mount　higher；　as　by　a

ladder　which　his　enemies　have　raised。　For　this　reason　many　consider　that

a　wise　prince；　when　he　has　the　opportunity；　ought　with　craft　to　foster

some　animosity　against　himself；　so　that；　having　crushed　it；　his　renown

may　rise　higher。



5。　Princes；　especially　new　ones；　have　found　more　fidelity　and　assistance

in　those　men　who　in　the　beginning　of　their　rule　were　distrusted　than

among　those　who　in　the　beginning　were　trusted。　Pandolfo　Petrucci；　Prince

of　Siena；　ruled　his　state　more　by　those　who　had　been　distrusted　than　by

others。　But　on　this　question　one　cannot　speak　generally；　for　it　varies

so　much　with　the　individual；　I　will　only　say　this；　that　those　men　who　at

the　mencement　of　a　princedom　have　been　hostile；　if　they　are　of　a

description　to　need　assistance　to　support　themselves；　can　always　be

gained　over　with　the　greatest　ease；　and　they　will　be　tightly　held　to

serve　the　prince　with　fidelity；　inasmuch　as　they　know　it　to　be　very

necessary　for　them　to　cancel　by　deeds　the　bad　impression　which　he　had

formed　of　them；　and　thus　the　prince　always　extracts　more　profit　from

them　than　from　those　who；　serving　him　in　too　much　security；　may　neglect

his　affairs。　And　since　the　matter　demands　it；　I　must　not　fail　to　warn　a

prince；　who　by　means　of　secret　favours　has　acquired　a　new　state；　that　he

must　well　consider　the　reasons　which　induced　those　to　favour　him　who　did

so；　and　if　it　be　not　a　natural　affection　towards　him；　but　only

discontent　with　their　government；　then　he　will　only　keep　them　friendly

with　great　trouble　and　difficulty；　for　it　will　be　impossible　to　satisfy

them。　And　weighing　well　the　reasons　for　this　in　those　examples　which　can

be　taken　from　ancient　and　modern　affairs；　we　shall　find　that　it　is

easier　for　the　prince　to　make　friends　of　those　men　who　were　contented

under　the　former　government；　and　are　therefore　his　enemies；　than　of

those　who；　being　discontented　with　it；　were　favourable　to　him　and

encouraged　him　to　seize　it。



6。　It　has　been　a　custom　with　princes；　in　order　to　hold　their　states　more

securely；　to　build　fortresses　that　may　serve　as　a　bridle　and　bit　to

those　who　might　design　to　work　against　them；　and　as　a　place　of　refuge

from　a　first　attack。　I　praise　this　system　because　it　has　been　made　use

of　formerly。　Notwithstanding　that；　Messer　Nicolo　Vitelli　in　our　times

has　been　seen　to　demolish　two　fortresses　in　Citta　di　Castello　so　that　he

might　keep　that　state；　Guidubaldo；　Duke　of　Urbino；　on　returning　to　his

dominion；　whence　he　had　been　driven　by　Cesare　Borgia；　razed　to　the

foundations　all　the　fortresses　in　that　province；　and　considered　that

without　them　it　would　be　more　difficult　to　lose　it；　the　Bentivoglio

returning　to　Bologna　came　to　a　similar　decision。　Fortresses；　therefore；

are　useful　or　not　according　to　circumstances；　if　they　do　you　good　in　one

way　they　injure　you　in　another。　And　this　question　can　be　reasoned　thus：

the　prince　who　has　more　to　fear　from　the　people　than　from　foreigners

ought　to　build　fortresses；　but　he　who　has　more　to　fear　from　foreigners

than　from　the　people　ought　to　leave　them　alone。　The　castle　of　Milan；

built　by　Francesco　Sforza；　has　made；　and　will　make；　more　trouble　for　the

house　of　Sforza　than　any　other　disorder　in　the　state。　For　this　reason

the　best　possible　fortress　is　　not　to　be　hated　by　the　people；　because；

although　you　may　hold　the　fortresses；　yet　they　will　not　save　you　if　the

people　hate　you；　for　there　will　never　be　wanting　foreigners　to　assist　a

people　who　have　taken　arms　against　you。　It　has　not　been　seen　in　our

times　that　such　fortresses　have　been　of　use　to　any　prince；　unless　to　the

Countess　of　Forli；　when　the　Count　Girolamo；　her　consort；　was　killed；　for

by　that　means　she　was　able　to　withstand　the　popular　attack　and　wait　for

assistance　from　Milan；　and　thus　recover　her　state；　and　the　posture　of

affairs　was　such　at　that　time　that　the　f