马基雅维里 君主论英文prince-第5节

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prepared　at　once　to　hold　that　which　fortune　has　thrown　into　their　laps；

and　that　those　foundations；　which　others　have　laid　before　they　became

princes；　they　must　lay　afterwards。



Concerning　these　two　methods　of　rising　to　be　a　prince　by　ability　or

fortune；　I　wish　to　adduce　two　examples　within　our　own　recollection；　and

these　are　Francesco　Sforza　and　Cesare　Borgia。　Francesco；　by　proper　means

and　with　great　ability；　from　being　a　private　person　rose　to　be　Duke　of

Milan；　and　that　which　he　had　acquired　with　a　thousand　anxieties　he　kept

with　little　trouble。　On　the　other　hand；　Cesare　Borgia；　called　by　the

people　Duke　Valentino；　acquired　his　state　during　the　ascendancy　of　his

father；　and　on　its　decline　he　lost　it；　notwithstanding　that　he　had　taken

every　measure　and　done　all　that　ought　to　be　done　by　a　wise　and　able　man

to　fix　firmly　his　roots　in　the　states　which　the　arms　and　fortunes　of

others　had　bestowed　on　him。



Because；　as　is　stated　above；　he　who　has　not　first　laid　his　foundations

may　be　able　with　great　ability　to　lay　them　afterwards；　but　they　will　be

laid　with　trouble　to　the　architect　and　danger　to　the　building。　If；

therefore；　all　the　steps　taken　by　the　duke　be　considered；　it　will　be

seen　that　he　laid　solid　foundations　for　his　future　power；　and　I　do　not

consider　it　superfluous　to　discuss　them；　because　I　do　not　know　what

better　precepts　to　give　a　new　prince　than　the　example　of　his　actions；

and　if　his　dispositions　were　of　no　avail；　that　was　not　his　fault；　but

the　extraordinary　and　extreme　malignity　of　fortune。



Alexander　VI；　in　wishing　to　aggrandize　the　duke；　his　son；　had　many

immediate　and　prospective　difficulties。　Firstly；　he　did　not　see　his　way

to　make　him　master　of　any　state　that　was　not　a　state　of　the　Church；　and

if　he　was　willing　to　rob　the　Church　he　knew　that　the　Duke　of　Milan　and

the　Venetians　would　not　consent；　because　Faenza　and　Rimini　were　already

under　the　protection　of　the　Venetians。　Besides　this；　he　saw　the　arms　of

Italy；　especially　those　by　which　he　might　have　been　assisted；　in　hands

that　would　fear　the　aggrandizement　of　the　Pope；　namely；　the　Orsini　and

the　Colonna　and　their　following。　It　behoved　him；　therefore；　to　upset

this　state　of　affairs　and　embroil　the　powers；　so　as　to　make　himself

securely　master　of　part　of　their　states。　This　was　easy　for　him　to　do；

because　he　found　the　Venetians；　moved　by　other　reasons；　inclined　to

bring　back　the　French　into　Italy；　he　would　not　only　not　oppose　this；　but

he　would　render　it　more　easy　by　dissolving　the　former　marriage　of　King

Louis。　Therefore　the　king　came　into　Italy　with　the　assistance　of　the

Venetians　and　the　consent　of　Alexander。　He　was　no　sooner　in　Milan　than

the　Pope　had　soldiers　from　him　for　the　attempt　on　the　Romagna；　which

yielded　to　him　on　the　reputation　of　the　king。　The　duke；　therefore；

having　acquired　the　Romagna　and　beaten　the　Colonna；　while　wishing　to

hold　that　and　to　advance　further；　was　hindered　by　two　things：　the　one；

his　forces　did　not　appear　loyal　to　him；　the　other；　the　goodwill　of

France：　that　is　to　say；　he　feared　that　the　forces　of　the　Orsini；　which

was　using；　would　not　stand　to　him；　that　not　only　might　they　hinder　him

from　winning　more；　but　might　themselves　seize　what　he　had　won；　and　that

the　King　might　also　do　the　same。　Of　the　Orsini　he　had　a　warning　when；

after　taking　Faenza　and　attacking　Bologna；　he　saw　them　go　very

unwillingly　to　that　attack。　And　as　to　the　king；　he　learned　his　mind　when

he　himself；　after　taking　the　duchy　of　Urbino；　attacked　Tuscany；　and　the

king　made　him　desist　from　that　undertaking；　hence　the　duke　decided　to

depend　no　more　upon　the　arms　and　the　luck　of　others。



For　the　first　thing　he　weakened　the　Orsini　and　Colonna　parties　in　Rome；

by　gaining　to　himself　all　their　adherents　who　were　gentlemen；　making

them　his　gentlemen；　giving　them　good　pay；　and；　according　to　their　rank；

honouring　them　with　office　and　mand　in　such　a　way　that　in　a　few

months　all　attachment　to　the　factions　was　destroyed　and　turned　entirely

to　the　duke。　After　this　he　awaited　an　opportunity　to　crush　the　Orsini；

having　scattered　the　adherents　of　the　Colonna。　This　came　to　him　soon　and

he　used　it　well；　for　the　Orsini；　perceiving　at　length　that　the

aggrandizement　of　the　duke　and　the　Church　was　ruin　to　them；　called　a

meeting　at　Magione；　in　the　territory　of　Perugia。　From　this　sprung　the

rebellion　at　Urbino　and　the　tumults　in　the　Romagna；　with　endless　dangers

to　the　duke；　all　of　which　he　overcame　with　the　help　of　the　French。

Having　restored　his　authority；　not　to　leave　it　at　risk　by　trusting

either　to　the　French　or　other　outside　forces；　he　had　recourse　to　his

wiles；　and　he　knew　so　well　how　to　conceal　his　mind　that；　by　the

mediation　of　Signor　Paolo　＇Orsini＇　　whom　the　duke　did　not　fail　to

secure　with　all　kinds　of　attention；　giving　him　money；　apparel；　and

horses　　the　Orsini　were　reconciled；　so　that　their　simplicity　brought

them　into　his　power　at　Sinigaglia。　Having　exterminated　the　leaders；　and

turned　their　partisans　into　his　friends；　the　duke　had　laid　sufficiently

good　foundations　to　his　power；　having　all　the　Romagna　and　the　duchy　of

Urbino；　and　the　people　now　beginning　to　appreciate　their　prosperity；　he

gained　them　all　over　to　himself。　And　as　this　point　is　worthy　of　notice；

and　to　be　imitated　by　others；　I　am　not　willing　to　leave　it　out。



When　the　duke　occupied　the　Romagna　he　found　it　under　the　rule　of　weak

masters；　who　rather　plundered　their　subjects　than　ruled　them；　and　gave

them　more　cause　for　disunion　than　for　union；　so　that　the　country　was

full　of　robbery；　quarrels；　and　every　kind　of　violence；　and　so；　wishing

to　bring　back　peace　and　obedience　to　authority；　he　considered　it

necessary　to　give　it　a　good　governor。　Thereupon　he　promoted　Messer

Ramiro　d'Orco　＇de　Lorqua＇；　a　swift　and　cruel　man；　to　whom　he　gave　the

fullest　power。　This　man　in　a　short　time　restored　peace　and　unity　with

the　greatest　success。　Afterwards　the　duke　considered　that　it　was　not

advisable　to　confer　such　excessive　authority；　for　he　had　no　doubt　but

that　he　would　bee　odious；　so　he　set　up　a　court　of　judgment　in　the

country；　under　a　most　excellent　president；　wherein　all　cities　had　their

advocates。　And　because　he　knew　that　the　past　severity　had　caused　some

hatred　against　himself；　so；　to　clear　himself　in　the　minds　of　the　people；

and　gain　them　entirely　to　himself；　he　desired　to　show　that；　if　any

cruelty　had　been　practised；　it　had　not　originated　with　him；　but　in　the

natural　sternness　of　the　minister。　Under　this　pretence　he　took　Ramiro；

and　one　morning　caused　him　to　be　executed　and　left　on　the　piazza　at

Cesena　with　the　block　and　a　bloody　knife　at　his　side。　The　barbarity　of

this　spectacle　caused　the　people　to　be　at　once　satisfied　and　dismayed。



But　let　us　return　whence　we　started。　I　say　that　the　duke；　finding

himself　now　sufficiently　powerful　and　partly　secured　from　immediate

dangers　by　having　armed　himself　in　his　own　way；　and　having　in　a　great

measure　crushed　those　forces　in　his　vicinity　that　could　injure　him　if　he

wished　to　proceed　with　his　conquest；　had　next　to　consider　France；　for　he

knew　that　the　king；　who　too　late　was　aware　of　his　mistake；　would　not

support　him。　And　from　this　time　he　began　to　seek　new　alliances　and　to

temporize　with　France　in　the　expedition　which　she　was　making　towards　the

kingdom　of　Naples　against　the　Spaniards　who　were　besieging　Gaeta。　It　was

his　intention　to　secure　himself　against　them；　and　this　he　would　have

quickly　acplished　had　Alexander　lived。



Such　was　his　line　of　action　as　to　present　affairs。　But　as　to　the　future

he　had　to　fear；　in　the　first　place；　that　a　new　successor　to　the　Church

might　not　be　friendly　to　him　and　might　seek　to　take　from　him　that　which

Alexander　had　given　him；　so　he　decided　to　act　in　four　ways。　Firstly；　by

exterminating　the　families　of　those　lords　whom　he　had　despoiled；　so　as

to　take　away　that　pretext　from　the　Pope。　Secondly；　by　winning　to　himself

all　the　gentlemen　of　Rome；　so　as　to　be　able　to　curb　the　Pope　with　their

aid；　as　has　been　observed。　Thirdly；　by　converting　the　college　more　to

himself。　Fourthly；　by　acquiring　so　much　power　before　the　Pope　should　die

that　he　could　by　his　own　measures　resist　the　first　shock。　Of　these　four

things；　at　the　death　of　Alexander；　he　had　acplished　three。　For　he　had

killed　as　many　of　the　dispossessed　lords　as　he　could　lay　hands　on；　and

few　had　escaped；　he　had　won　over　the　Roman　gentlemen；　and　he　had　the

most　numerous　party　in　the　college。　And　as　to　any　fresh　acquisition；　he

intended　to　bee　master　of　Tuscany；　for　he　already　possessed　Perugia

and　Piombino；　and　Pisa　was　under　his　protection。　And　as　he　had　no　longer

to　study　France　（for　the　French　were　already　driven　out　of　the　kingdom

of　Naples　by　the　Spaniards；　and　in　this　way　both　were　pelled　to　buy

his　goodwill）；　he　pounced　down　upon　Pisa。　After　this；　Lucca　and　Siena

yielded　at　once；　partly　through　hatred　and　partly　through　fear　of　the

Florentines；　and　the　Florentines　would　have　had　no　remedy　had　he

continued