the prince-第3部分

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　beand　are　ruined。　In　politics　there　are　no　perfectly　safe　courses；　prudence　consists　in　choosing　the　least　dangerous　ones。　Then　to　pass　to　a　higher　planeMachiavelli　reiterates　that；　although　crimes　may　win　an　empire；　they　do　not　win　glory。　Necessary　wars　are　just　wars；　and　the　arms　of　a　nation　are　hallowed　when　it　has　no　other　resource　but　to　fight。

It　is　the　cry　of　a　far　later　day　than　Machiavelli's　that　government　should　be　elevated　into　a　living　moral　force；　capable　of　inspiring　the　people　with　a　just　recognition　of　the　fundamental　principles　of　society；　to　this　〃high　argument〃　〃The　Prince〃　contributes　but　little。　Machiavelli　always　refused　to　write　either　of　men　or　of　governments　otherwise　than　as　he　found　them；　and　he　writes　with　such　skill　and　insight　that　his　work　is　of　abiding　value。　But　what　invests　〃The　Prince〃　with　more　than　a　merely　artistic　or　historical　interest　is　the　incontrovertible　truth　that　it　deals　with　the　great　principles　which　still　guide　nations　and　rulers　in　their　relationship　with　each　other　and　their　neighbours。

In　translating　〃The　Prince〃　my　aim　has　been　to　achieve　at　all　costs　an　exact　literal　rendering　of　the　original；　rather　than　a　fluent　paraphrase　adapted　to　the　modern　notions　of　style　and　expression。　Machiavelli　was　no　facile　phrasemonger；　the　conditions　under　which　he　wrote　obliged　him　to　weigh　every　word；　his　themes　were　lofty；　his　substance　grave；　his　manner　nobly　plain　and　serious。　〃Quis　eo　fuit　unquam　in　partiundis　rebus；　in　definiendis；　in　explanandis　pressior？〃　In　〃The　Prince；〃　it　may　be　truly　said；　there　is　reason　assignable；　not　only　for　every　word；　but　for　the　position　of　every　word。　To　an　Englishman　of　Shakespeare's　time　the　translation　of　such　a　treatise　was　in　some　ways　a　comparatively　easy　task；　for　in　those　times　the　genius　of　the　English　more　nearly　resembled　that　of　the　Italian　language；　to　the　Englishman　of　to…day　it　is　not　so　simple。　To　take　a　single　example：　the　word　〃intrattenere；〃　employed　by　Machiavelli　to　indicate　the　policy　adopted　by　the　Roman　Senate　towards　the　weaker　states　of　Greece；　would　by　an　Elizabethan　be　correctly　rendered　〃entertain；〃　and　every　contemporary　reader　would　understand　what　was　meant　by　saying　that　〃Rome　entertained　the　Aetolians　and　the　Achaeans　without　augmenting　their　power。〃　But　to…day　such　a　phrase　would　seem　obsolete　and　ambiguous；　if　not　unmeaning：　we　are　compelled　to　say　that　〃Rome　maintained　friendly　relations　with　the　Aetolians；〃　etc。；　using　four　words　to　do　the　work　of　one。　I　have　tried　to　preserve　the　pithy　brevity　of　the　Italian　so　far　as　was　consistent　with　an　absolute　fidelity　to　the　sense。　If　the　result　be　an　occasional　asperity　I　can　only　hope　that　the　reader；　in　his　eagerness　to　reach　the　author's　meaning；　may　overlook　the　roughness　of　the　road　that　leads　him　to　it。

The　following　is　a　list　of　the　works　of　Machiavelli：

Principal　works。　Discorso　sopra　le　cose　di　Pisa；　1499；　Del　modo　di　trattare　i　popoli　della　Valdichiana　ribellati；　1502；　Del　modo　tenuto　dal　duca　Valentino　nell'　ammazzare　Vitellozzo　Vitelli；　Oliverotto　da　Fermo；　etc。；　1502；　Discorso　sopra　la　provisione　del　danaro；　1502；　Decennale　primo　（poem　in　terza　rima）；　1506；　Ritratti　delle　cose　dell'　Alemagna；　1508…12；　Decennale　secondo；　1509；　Ritratti　delle　cose　di　Francia；　1510；　Discorsi　sopra　la　prima　deca　di　T。　Livio；　3　vols。；　1512…17；　Il　Principe；　1513；　Andria；　comedy　translated　from　Terence；　1513　（？）；　Mandragola；　prose　comedy　in　five　acts；　with　prologue　in　verse；　1513；　Della　lingua　（dialogue）；　1514；　Clizia；　comedy　in　prose；　1515　（？）；　Belfagor　arcidiavolo　（novel）；　1515；　Asino　d'oro　（poem　in　terza　rima）；　1517；　Dell'　arte　della　guerra；　1519…20；　Discorso　sopra　il　riformare　lo　stato　di　Firenze；　1520；　Sommario　delle　cose　della　citta　di　Lucca；　1520；　Vita　di　Castruccio　Castracani　da　Lucca；　1520；　Istorie　fiorentine；　8　books；　1521…5；　Frammenti　storici；　1525。

Other　poems　include　Sonetti；　Canzoni；　Ottave；　and　Canti　carnascialeschi。

Editions。　Aldo；　Venice；　1546；　della　Tertina；　1550；　Cambiagi；　Florence；　6　vols。；　1782…5；　dei　Classici；　Milan；　10　1813；　Silvestri；　9　vols。；　1820…2；　Passerini；　Fanfani；　Milanesi；　6　vols。　only　published；　1873…7。

Minor　works。　Ed。　F。　L。　Polidori；　1852；　Lettere　familiari；　ed。　E。　Alvisi；　1883；　2　editions；　one　with　excisions；　Credited　Writings；　ed。　G。　Canestrini；　1857；　Letters　to　F。　Vettori；　see　A。　Ridolfi；　Pensieri　intorno　allo　scopo　di　N。　Machiavelli　nel　libro　Il　Principe；　etc。；　D。　Ferrara；　The　Private　Correspondence　of　Nicolo　Machiavelli；　1929。



DEDICATION

　　To　the　Magnificent　Lorenzo　Di　Piero　De'　Medici：

　　Those　who　strive　to　obtain　the　good　graces　of　a　prince　are　　　accustomed　to　come　before　him　with　such　things　as　they　hold　most　　　precious；　or　in　which　they　see　him　take　most　delight；　whence　one　　　often　sees　horses；　arms；　cloth　of　gold；　precious　stones；　and　　　similar　ornaments　presented　to　princes；　worthy　of　their　greatness。

　　Desiring　therefore　to　present　myself　to　your　Magnificence　with　　　some　testimony　of　my　devotion　towards　you；　I　have　not　found　among　　　my　possessions　anything　which　I　hold　more　dear　than；　or　value　so　　　much　as；　the　knowledge　of　the　actions　of　great　men；　acquired　by　　　long　experience　in　contemporary　affairs；　and　a　continual　study　of　　　antiquity；　which；　having　reflected　upon　it　with　great　and　　　prolonged　diligence；　I　now　send；　digested　into　a　little　volume；　to　　　your　Magnificence。

　　And　although　I　may　consider　this　work　unworthy　of　your　　　countenance；　nevertheless　I　trust　much　to　your　benignity　that　it　　　may　be　acceptable；　seeing　that　it　is　not　possible　for　me　to　make　a　　　better　gift　than　to　offer　you　the　opportunity　of　understanding　in　　　the　shortest　time　all　that　I　have　learnt　in　so　many　years；　and　　　with　so　many　troubles　and　dangers；　which　work　I　have　not　　　embellished　with　swelling　or　magnificent　words；　nor　stuffed　with　　　rounded　periods；　nor　with　any　extrinsic　allurements　or　adornments　　　whatever；　with　which　so　many　are　accustomed　to　embellish　their　　　works；　for　I　have　wished　either　that　no　honour　should　be　given　it；　　　or　else　that　the　truth　of　the　matter　and　the　weightiness　of　the　　　theme　shall　make　it　acceptable。

　　Nor　do　I　hold　with　those　who　regard　it　as　a　presumption　if　a　man　　　of　low　and　humble　condition　dare　to　discuss　and　settle　the　　　concerns　of　princes；　because；　just　as　those　who　draw　landscapes　　　place　themselves　below　in　the　plain　to　contemplate　the　nature　of　　　the　mountains　and　of　lofty　places；　and　in　order　to　contemplate　the　　　plains　place　themselves　upon　high　mountains；　even　so　to　understand　　　the　nature　of　the　people　it　needs　to　be　a　prince；　and　to　　　　understand　that　if　princes　it　needs　to　be　of　the　people。

　　Take　then；　your　Magnificence；　this　little　gift　in　the　spirit　in　　　which　I　send　it；　wherein；　if　it　be　diligently　read　and　considered　　　by　you；　you　will　learn　my　extreme　desire　that　you　should　attain　　　that　greatness　which　fortune　and　your　other　attributes　promise。　　　And　if　your　Magnificence　from　the　summit　of　your　greatness　will　　　sometimes　turn　your　eyes　to　these　lower　regions；　you　will　see　how　　　unmeritedly　I　suffer　a　great　and　continued　malignity　of　fortune。





THE　PRINCE



CHAPTER　I

HOW　MANY　KINDS　OF　PRINCIPALITIES　THERE　ARE；　AND　BY　WHAT　MEANS　THEY　ARE　ACQUIRED

All　states；　all　powers；　that　have　held　and　hold　rule　over　men　have　been　and　are　either　republics　or　principalities。

Principalities　are　either　hereditary；　in　which　the　family　has　been　long　established；　or　they　are　new。

The　new　are　either　entirely　new；　as　was　Milan　to　Francesco　Sforza；　or　they　are；　as　it　were；　members　annexed　to　the　hereditary　state　of　the　prince　who　has　acquired　them；　as　was　the　kingdom　of　Naples　to　that　of　the　King　of　Spain。

Such　dominions　thus　acquired　are　either　accustomed　to　live　under　a　prince；　or　to　live　in　freedom；　and　are　acquired　either　by　the　arms　of　the　prince　himself；　or　of　others；　or　else　by　fortune　or　by　ability。



CHAPTER　II

CONCERNING　HEREDITARY　PRINCIPALITIES

I　will　leave　out　all　discussion　on　republics；　inasmuch　as　in　another　place　I　have　written　of　them　at　length；　and　will　address　myself　only　to　principalities。　In　doing　so　I　will　keep　to　the　order　indicated　above；　and　discuss　how　such　principalities　are　to　be　ruled　and　preserved。

I　say　at　once　there　are　fewer　difficulties　in　holding　hereditary　states；　and　those　long　accustomed　to　the　family　of　their　prince；　than　new　ones；　for　it　is　sufficient　only　not　to　transgress　the　customs　of　his　ancestors；　and　to　deal　prudently　with　circumstances　as　they　arise；　for　a　prince　of　average　powers　to　maintain　himself　in　his　state；　unless　he　be　deprived　of　it　by　some　extraordinary　and　excessive　force；　and　if　he　should　be　so　deprived　of　it；　whenever　anything　sinister　happens　to　the　usurper；　he　will　regain　it。

We　have　in　Italy；　for　example；　the　Duke　of　Ferrara；　who　could　not　have　withstood　the　attacks　of　the　Venetians　in　'84；　nor　those　of　Pope　Julius　in　'10；　unless　he　had　been　long　established　in　his　dominions。　For　the　hereditary　prince　has　less　cause　and　less　necessity　to　offend；　hence　it　happens　that　he　will　be　more　loved；　and　unless　extraordinary　vices　cause　him　to　be　hated；　it　is　reasonable　to　expect　that　his　subjects　will　be　naturally　well　disposed　towards　him；　and　in　the　antiquity　and　duration　of　his　rule　th