马基雅维里 君主论英文prince-第17节

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！



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

affairs　was　such　at　that　time　that　the　foreigners　could　not　assist　the

people。　But　fortresses　were　of　little　value　to　her　afterwards　when

Cesare　Borgia　attacked　her；　and　when　the　people；　her　enemy；　were　allied

with　foreigners。　Therefore　it　would　have　been　safer　for　her；　both　then

and　before；　not　to　have　been　hated　by　the　people　than　to　have　had　the

fortresses。　All　these　things　considered　then；　I　shall　praise　him　who

builds　fortresses　as　well　as　him　who　does　not；　and　I　shall　blame

whoever；　trusting　in　them；　cares　little　about　being　hated　by　the　people。



CHAPTER　XXI



HOW　A　PRINCE　SHOULD　CONDUCT　HIMSELF　SO　AS　TO　GAIN　RENOWN



NOTHING　makes　a　prince　so　much　esteemed　as　great　enterprises　and　setting

a　fine　example。　We　have　in　our　time　Ferdinand　of　Aragon；　the　present

King　of　Spain。　He　can　almost　be　called　a　new　prince；　because　he　has

risen；　by　fame　and　glory；　from　being　an　insignificant　king　to　be　the

foremost　king　in　Christendom；　and　if　you　will　consider　his　deeds　you

will　find　them　all　great　and　some　of　them　extraordinary。　In　the

beginning　of　his　reign　he　attacked　Granada；　and　this　enterprise　was　the

foundation　of　his　dominions。　He　did　this　quietly　at　first　and　without

any　fear　of　hindrance；　for　he　held　the　minds　of　the　barons　of　Castile

occupied　in　thinking　of　the　war　and　not　anticipating　any　innovations；

thus　they　did　not　perceive　that　by　these　means　he　was　acquiring　power

and　authority　over　them。　He　was　able　with　the　money　of　the　Church　and　of

the　people　to　sustain　his　armies；　and　by　that　long　war　to　lay　the

foundation　for　the　military　skill　which　has　since　distinguished　him。

Further；　always　using　religion　as　a　plea；　so　as　to　undertake　greater

schemes；　he　devoted　himself　with　a　pious　cruelty　to　driving　out　and

clearing　his　kingdom　of　the　Moors；　nor　could　there　be　a　more　admirable

example；　nor　one　more　rare。　Under　this　same　cloak　he　assailed　Africa；　he

came　down　on　Italy；　he　has　finally　attacked　France；　and　thus　his

achievements　and　designs　have　always　been　great；　and　have　kept　the　minds

of　his　people　in　suspense　and　admiration　and　occupied　with　the　issue　of

them。　And　his　actions　have　arisen　in　such　a　way；　one　out　of　the　other；

that　men　have　never　been　given　time　to　work　steadily　against　him。



Again；　it　much　assists　a　prince　to　set　unusual　examples　in　internal

affairs；　similar　to　those　which　are　related　of　Messer　Bernabo　da　Milano；

who；　when　he　had　the　opportunity；　by　any　one　in　civil　life　doing　some

extraordinary　thing；　either　good　or　bad；　would　take　some　method　of

rewarding　or　punishing　him；　which　would　be　much　spoken　about。　And　a

prince　ought；　above　all　things；　always　to　endeavour　in　every　action　to

gain　for　himself　the　reputation　of　being　a　great　and　remarkable　man。



A　prince　is　also　respected　when　he　is　either　a　true　friend　or　a

downright　enemy；　that　to　say；　when；　without　any　reservation；　he　declares

himself　in　favour　of　one　party　against　the　other；　which　course　will

always　be　more　advantageous　than　standing　neutral；　because　if　two　of

your　powerful　neighbours　e　to　blows；　they　are　of　such　a　character

that；　if　one　of　them　conquers；　you　have　either　to　fear　him　or　not。　In

either　case　it　will　always　be　more　advantageous　for　you　to　declare

yourself　and　to　make　war　strenuously；　because；　in　the　first　case；　if　you

do　not　declare　yourself；　you　will　invariably　fall　a　prey　to　the

conqueror；　to　the　pleasure　and　satisfaction　of　him　who　has　been

conquered；　and　you　will　have　no　reasons　to　offer；　nor　anything　to

protect　or　to　shelter　you。　Because　he　who　conquers　does　not　want

doubtful　friends　who　will　not　aid　him　in　the　time　of　trial；　and　he　who

loses　will　not　harbour　you　because　you　did　not　willingly；　sword　in　hand；

court　his　fate。



Antiochus　went　into　Greece；　being　sent　for　by　the　Aetolians　to　drive　out

the　Romans。　He　sent　envoys　to　the　Achaeans；　who　were　friends　of　the

Romans；　exhorting　them　to　remain　neutral；　and　on　the　other　hand　the

Romans　urged　them　to　take　up　arms。　This　question　came　to　be　discussed　in

the　council　of　the　Achaeans；　where　the　legate　of　Antiochus　urged　them　to

stand　neutral。　To　this　the　Roman　legate　answered：　〃As　for　that　which　has

been　said；　that　it　is　better　and　more　advantageous　for　your　state　not　to

interfere　in　our　war；　nothing　can　be　more　erroneous；　because　by　not

interfering　you　will　be　left；　without　favour　or　consideration；　the

guerdon　of　the　conqueror。〃　Thus　it　will　always　happen　that　he　who　is　not

your　friend　will　demand　your　neutrality；　whilst　he　who　is　your　friend

will　entreat　you　to　declare　yourself　with　arms。　And　irresolute　princes；

to　avoid　present　dangers；　generally　follow　the　neutral　path；　and　are

generally　ruined。　But　when　a　prince　declares　himself　gallantly　in　favour

of　one　side；　if　the　party　with　whom　he　allies　himself　conquers；　although

the　victor　may　be　powerful　and　may　have　him　at　his　mercy；　yet　he　is

indebted　to　him；　and　there　is　established　a　bond　of　amity；　and　men　are

never　so　shameless　as　to　bee　a　monument　of　ingratitude　by　oppressing

you。　Victories　after　all　are　never　so　plete　that　the　victor　must　not

show　some　regard；　especially　to　justice。　But　if　he　with　whom　you　ally

yourself　loses；　you　may　be　sheltered　by　him；　and　whilst　he　is　able　he

may　aid　you；　and　you　bee　panions　in　a　fortune　that　may　rise　again。



In　the　second　case；　when　those　who　fight　are　of　such　a　character　that

you　have　no　anxiety　as　to　who　may　conquer；　so　much　the　more　is　it

greater　prudence　to　be　allied；　because　you　assist　at　the　destruction　of

one　by　the　aid　of　another　who；　if　he　had　been　wise；　would　have　saved

him；　and　conquering；　as　it　is　impossible　that　he　should　not　with　your

assistance；　he　remains　at　your　discretion。　And　here　it　is　to　be　noted

that　a　prince　ought　to　take　care　never　to　make　an　alliance　with　one　more

powerful　than　himself　for　the　purpose　of　attacking　others；　unless

necessity　pels　him；　as　is　said　above；　because　if　he　conquers　you　are

at　his　discretion；　and　princes　ought　to　avoid　as　much　as　possible　being

at　the　discretion　of　any　one。　The　Venetians　joined　with　France　against

the　Duke　of　Milan；　and　this　alliance；　which　caused　their　ruin；　could

have　been　avoided。　But　when　it　cannot　be　avoided；　as　happened　to　the

Florentines　when　the　Pope　and　Spain　sent　armies　to　attack　Lombardy；　then

in　such　a　case；　for　the　above　reasons；　the　prince　ought　to　favour　one　of

the　parties。



Never　let　any　Government　imagine　that　it　can　choose　perfectly　safe

courses；　rather　let　it　expect　to　have　to　take　very　doubtful　ones；

because　it　is　found　in　ordinary　affairs　that　one　never　seeks　to　avoid

one　trouble　without　running　into　another；　but　prudence　consists　in

knowing　how　to　distinguish　the　character　of　troubles；　and　for　choice　to

take　the　lesser　evil。



A　prince　ought　also　to　show　himself　a　patron　of　ability；　and　to　honour

the　proficient　in　every　art。　At　the　same　time　he　should　encourage　his

citizens　to　practise　their　callings　peaceably；　both　in　merce　and

agriculture；　and　in　every　other　following；　so　that　the　one　should　not　be

deterred　from　improving　his　possessions　for　fear　lest　they　be　taken　away

from　him　or　another　from　opening　up　trade　for　fear　of　taxes；　but　the

prince　ought　to　offer　rewards　to　whoever　wishes　to　do　these　things　and

designs　in　any　way　to　honour　his　city　or　state。



Further；　he　ought　to　entertain　the　people　with　festivals　and　spectacles

at　convenient　seasons　of　the　year；　and　as　every　city　is　divided　into

guilds　or　into　societies；　he　ought　to　hold　such　bodies　in　esteem；　and

associate　with　them　sometimes；　and　show　himself　an　example　of　courtesy

and　liberality；　nevertheless；　always　maintaining　the　majesty　of　his

rank；　for　this　he　must　never　consent　to　abate　in　anything。



CHAPTER　XXII



CONCERNING　THE　SECRETARIES　OF　PRINCES



THE　choice　of　servants　is　of　no　little　importance　to　a　prince；　and　they

are　good　or　not　according　to　the　discrimination　of　the　prince。　And　the

first　opinion　which　one　forms　of　a　prince；　and　of　his　understanding；　is

by　observing　the　men　he　has　around　him；　and　when　they　are　capable　and

faithful　he　may　always　be　considered　wise；　because　he　has　known　how　to

recognize　the　capable　and　to　keep　them　faithful。　But　when　they　are

otherwise　one　cannot　form　a　good　opinion　of　him；　for　the　prime　error

which　he　made　was　in　choosing　them。



There　were　none　who　knew　Messer　Antonio　da　Venafro　as　the　servant　of

Pandolfo　Petrucci；　Prince　of　Siena；　who　would　not　consider　Pandolfo　to

be　a　very　clever　man　in　having　Venafro　for　his　servant。　Because　there

are　three　classes　of　intellects：　one　which　prehends　by　itself；

another　which　appreciates　what　others　prehend；　and　a　third　which

neither　prehends　by　itself　nor　by　the　showing　of　others；　the　first　is

the　most　excellent；　the　second　is　good；　the　third　is　useless。　Therefore；

it　follows　necessarily　that；　if　Pandolfo　was　not　in　the　first　rank；　he

was　in　the　second；　for　whenever　one　has　judgment　to