马基雅维里 君主论英文prince-第6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！



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

continued　to　prosper；　as　he　was　prospering　the　year　that　Alexander　died；

for　he　had　acquired　so　much　power　and　reputation　that　he　would　have

stood　by　himself；　and　no　longer　have　depended　on　the　luck　and　the　forces

of　others；　but　solely　on　his　own　power　and　ability。



But　Alexander　died　five　years　after　he　had　first　drawn　the　sword。　He

left　the　duke　with　the　state　of　Romagna　alone　consolidated；　with　the

rest　in　the　air；　between　two　most　powerful　hostile　armies；　and　sick　unto

death。　Yet　there　were　in　the　duke　such　boldness　and　ability；　and　he　knew

so　well　how　men　are　to　be　won　or　lost；　and　so　firm　were　the　foundations

which　in　so　short　a　time　he　had　laid；　that　if　he　had　not　had　those

armies　on　his　back；　or　if　he　had　been　in　good　health；　he　would　have

overe　all　difficulties。　And　it　is　seen　that　his　foundations　were

good；　for　the　Romagna　awaited　him　for　more　than　a　month。　In　Rome；

although　but　half　alive；　he　remained　secure；　and　whilst　the　Baglioni；

the　Vitelli；　and　the　Orsini　might　e　to　Rome；　they　could　not　effect

anything　against　him。　If　he　could　not　have　made　Pope　him　whom　he　wished；

at　least　the　one　whom　he　did　not　wish　would　not　have　been　elected。　But

if　he　had　been　in　sound　health　at　the　death　of　Alexander；　everything

would　have　been　easy　to　him。　On　the　day　that　Julius　II　was　elected；　he

told　me　that　he　had　thought　of　everything　that　might　occur　at　the　death

of　his　father；　and　had　provided　a　remedy　for　all；　except　that　he　had

never　anticipated　that；　when　the　death　did　happen；　he　himself　would　be

on　the　point　to　die。



When　all　the　actions　of　the　duke　are　recalled；　I　do　not　know　how　to

blame　him；　but　rather　it　appears　to　me；　as　I　have　said；　that　I　ought　to

offer　him　for　imitation　to　all　those　who；　by　the　fortune　or　the　arms　of

others；　are　raised　to　government。　Because　he；　having　a　lofty　spirit　and

far…reaching　aims；　could　not　have　regulated　his　conduct　otherwise；　and

only　the　shortness　of　the　life　of　Alexander　and　his　own　sickness

frustrated　his　designs。　Therefore；　he　who　considers　it　necessary　to

secure　himself　in　his　new　principality；　to　win　friends；　to　overe

either　by　force　or　fraud；　to　make　himself　beloved　and　feared　by　the

people；　to　be　followed　and　revered　by　the　soldiers；　to　exterminate　those

who　have　power　or　reason　to　hurt　him；　to　change　the　old　order　of　things

for　new；　to　be　severe　and　gracious；　magnanimous　and　liberal；　to　destroy

a　disloyal　soldiery　and　to　create　new；　to　maintain　friendship　with　kings

and　princes　in　such　a　way　that　they　must　help　him　with　zeal　and　offend

with　caution；　cannot　find　a　more　lively　example　than　the　actions　of　this

man。



Only　can　he　be　blamed　for　the　election　of　Julius　II；　in　whom　he　made　a

bad　choice；　because；　as　is　said；　not　being　able　to　elect　a　Pope　to　his

own　mind；　he　could　have　hindered　any　other　from　being　elected　Pope；　and

he　ought　never　to　have　consented　to　the　election　of　any　cardinal　whom　he

had　injured　or　who　had　cause　to　fear　him　if　they　became　pontiffs。　For

men　injure　either　from　fear　or　hatred。　Those　whom　he　had　injured；

amongst　others；　were　San　Pietro　ad　Vincula；　Colonna；　San　Giorgio；　and

Ascanio。　＇1＇　Any　one　of　the　others；　on　being　Pope；　would　have　had　to

fear　him；　Rouen　and　the　Spaniards　excepted；　the　latter　from　their

relationship　and　obligations；　the　former　from　his　influence；　the　kingdom

of　France　having　relations　with　him。　Therefore；　above　everything；　the

duke　ought　to　have　created　a　Spaniard　Pope；　and；　failing　him；　he　ought

to　have　consented　to　Rouen　and　not　San　Pietro　ad　Vincula。　He　who

believes　that　new　benefits　will　cause　great　personages　to　forget　old

injuries　is　deceived。　Therefore；　the　duke　erred　in　his　choice；　and　it

was　the　cause　of　his　ultimate　ruin。



1。　Julius　II　had　been　Cardinal　of　San　Pietro　ad　Vincula；　San　Giorgio　was

Raffaells　Riaxis；　and　Ascanio　was　Cardinal　Ascanio　Sforza。



CHAPTER　VIII



CONCERNING　THOSE　WHO　HAVE　OBTAINED　A　PRINCIPALITY　BY　WICKEDNESS



ALTHOUGH　a　prince　may　rise　from　a　private　station　in　two　ways；　neither

of　which　can　be　entirely　attributed　to　fortune　or　genius；　yet　it　is

manifest　to　me　that　I　must　not　be　silent　on　them；　although　one　could　be

more　copiously　treated　when　I　discuss　republics。　These　methods　are　when；

either　by　some　wicked　or　nefarious　ways；　one　ascends　to　the

principality；　or　when　by　the　favour　of　his　fellow…citizens　a　private

person　bees　the　prince　of　his　country。　And　speaking　of　the　first

method；　it　will　be　illustrated　by　two　examples　　one　ancient；　the　other

modern　　and　without　entering　further　into　the　subject；　I　consider

these　two　examples　will　suffice　those　who　may　be　pelled　to　follow

them。



Agathocles；　the　Sicilian；　became　King　of　Syracuse　not　only　from　a

private　but　from　a　low　and　abject　position。　This　man；　the　son　of　a

potter；　through　all　the　changes　in　his　fortunes　always　led　an　infamous

life。　Nevertheless；　he　acpanied　his　infamies　with　so　much　ability　of

mind　and　body　that；　having　devoted　himself　to　the　military　profession；

he　rose　through　its　ranks　to　be　Praetor　of　Syracuse。　Being　established

in　that　position；　and　having　deliberately　resolved　to　make　himself

prince　and　to　seize　by　violence；　without　obligation　to　others；　that

which　had　been　conceded　to　him　by　assent；　he　came　to　an　understanding

for　this　purpose　with　Hamilcar；　the　Carthaginian；　who；　with　his　army；

was　fighting　in　Sicily。　One　morning　he　assembled　the　people　and　senate

of　Syracuse；　as　if　he　had　to　discuss　with　them　things　relating　to　the

Republic；　and　at　a　given　signal　the　soldiers　killed　all　the　senators　and

the　richest　of　the　people；　these　dead；　he　seized　and　held　the　princedom

of　that　city　without　any　civil　motion。　And　although　he　was　twice

routed　by　the　Carthaginians；　and　ultimately　besieged；　yet　not　only　was

he　able　to　defend　his　city；　but　leaving　part　of　his　men　for　its　defence；

with　the　others　he　attacked　Africa；　and　in　a　short　time　raised　the　siege

of　Syracuse。　The　Carthaginians；　reduced　to　extreme　necessity；　were

pelled　to　e　to　terms　with　Agathocles；　and；　leaving　Sicily　to　him；

had　to　be　content　with　the　possession　of　Africa。



Therefore；　he　who　considers　the　actions　and　the　genius　of　this　man　will

see　nothing；　or　little；　which　can　be　attributed　to　fortune；　inasmuch　as

he　attained　pre…eminence；　as　is　shown　above；　not　by　the　favour　of　any

one；　but　step　by　step　in　the　military　profession；　which　steps　were

gained　with　a　thousand　troubles　and　perils；　and　were　afterwards　boldly

held　by　him　with　many　hazards　and　dangers。　Yet　it　cannot　be　called

talent　to　slay　fellow…citizens；　to　deceive　friends；　to　be　without　faith；

without　mercy；　without　religion；　such　methods　may　gain　empire；　but　not

glory。　Still；　if　the　courage　of　Agathocles　in　entering　into　and

extricating　himself　from　dangers　be　considered；　together　with　his

greatness　of　mind　in　enduring　overing　hardships；　it　cannot　be　seen

why　he　should　be　esteemed　less　than　the　most　notable　captain。

Nevertheless；　his　barbarous　cruelty　and　inhumanity　with　infinite

wickednesses　do　not　permit　him　to　be　celebrated　among　the　most　excellent

men。　What　he　achieved　cannot　be　attributed　either　to　fortune　or　to

genius。



In　our　times；　during　the　rule　of　Alexander　VI；　Oliverotto　da　Fermo；

having　been　left　an　orphan　many　years　before；　was　brought　up　by　his

maternal　uncle；　Giovanni　Fogliani；　and　in　the　early　days　of　his　youth

sent　to　fight　under　Paolo　Vitelli；　that；　being　trained　under　his

discipline；　he　might　attain　some　high　position　in　the　military

profession。　After　Paolo　died；　he　fought　under　his　brother　Vitellozzo；

and　in　a　very　short　time；　being　endowed　with　wit　and　a　vigorous　body　and

mind；　he　became　the　first　man　in　his　profession。　But　it　appearing　to　him

a　paltry　thing　to　serve　under　others；　he　resolved；　with　the　aid　of　some

citizens　of　Fermo；　to　whom　the　slavery　of　their　country　was　dearer　than

its　liberty；　and　with　the　help　of　the　Vitelli；　to　seize　Fermo。　So　he

wrote　to　Giovanni　Fogliani　that；　having　been　away　from　home　for　many

years；　he　wished　to　visit　him　and　his　city；　and　in　some　measure　to　look

into　his　patrimony；　and　although　he　had　not　laboured　to　acquire　anything

except　honour；　yet；　in　order　that　the　citizens　should　see　he　had　not

spent　his　time　in　vain；　he　desired　to　e　honourably；　so　would　be

acpanied　by　one　hundred　horsemen；　his　friends　and　retainers；　and　he

entreated　Giovanni　to　arrange　that　he　should　be　received　honourably　by

the　citizens　of　Fermo；　all　of　which　would　be　not　only　to　his　honour；　but

also　to　that　of　Giovanni　himself；　who　had　brought　him　up。



Giovanni；　therefore；　did　not　fail　in　any　attentions　due　to　his　nephew；

and　he　caused　him　to　be　honourably　received　by　the　Fermans；　and　he

lodged　him　in　his　own　house；　where；　having　passed　some　days；　and　having

arranged　what　was　necessary　for　his　wicked　designs；　Oliverotto　gave　a

solemn　banquet　to　which　he　invited　Giovanni　Fogliani　and　the　chiefs　of

Fermo。　When　the　vian