Against foreign powers, a
prince can defend himself with good weapons and good friends; if he has good
weapons, he will never lack for good friends.
A son could bear complacently
the death of his father while the loss of his inheritance might drive him to
despair
A wise ruler ought never to
keep faith when by doing so it would be against his interests.
As the observance of divine
institutions is the cause of the greatness of republics, so the disregard of
them produces their ruin; for where the fear of God is wanting, there the
country will come to ruin, unless it be sustained the fear of the prince
A prince being thus obliged to
know well how to act as a beast must imitate the fox and the lion, for the lion
cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from
wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten
wolves.
A prince ought to have two
fears, one from within, on account of his subjects, the other from without, on
account of external powers. From the latter he is defended by being well armed
and having good allies, and if he is well armed he will have good friends, and
affairs will always remain quiet within when they are quiet without, unless
they should have been already disturbed by conspiracy; and even should affairs
outside be disturbed, if he has carried out his preparations and has lived as I
have said, as long as he does not despair, he will resist every attack.
A prince ought to have no other
aim or thought, nor select anything else for his study, than war and its rules
and discipline; for this is the sole art that belongs to him who rules, and it
is of such force that it not only upholds those who are born princes, but it
often enables men to rise from a private station to that rank. And, on the
contrary, it is seen that when princes have thought more of ease than of arms
they have lost their states. And the first cause of your losing it is to
neglect this art; and what enables you to acquire a state is to be master of
the art.
A prince must be prudent enough
to know how to escape the bad reputation of those vices that would lose the
state for him, and must protect himself from those that will not lose it for
him, if this is possible; but if he cannot, he need not concern himself unduly
if he ignores these less serious vices.
A prince never lacks legitimate
reasons to break his promise.
A prince should therefore have
no other aim or thought, nor take up any other thing for his study but war and
it organization and discipline, for that is the only art that is necessary to
one who commands.
Among other evils which being
unarmed brings you, it causes you to be despised.
Anyone who studies present and
ancient affairs will easily see how in all cities and all peoples there still
exist, and have always existed, the same desires and passions.
Ambition is so powerful a
passion in the human breast, that however high we reach we are never satisfied.
A wise man will see to it that
his acts always seem voluntary and not done by compulsion, however much he may
be compelled by necessity.
All courses of action are
risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it's impossible), but calculating
risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of
sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.
A man who is used to acting in
one way never changes; he must come to ruin when the times, in changing, no
longer are in harmony with his ways.
Appear as you may wish to be
A prudent man should always
follow in the path trodden by great men and imitate those who are most
excellent, so that if he does not attain to their greatness, at any rate he
will get some tinge of it.
And truly it is a very natural
and ordinary thing to desire to acquire, and always, when men do it who can,
they will be praised or not blamed; but when they cannot, and wish to do it
anyway, here lies the error and the blame.
And it ought to be remembered
that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct,
or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of
a new order of things.
Are fortresses, and many other
things to which princes often resort advantageous or hurtful
A return to first principles in
a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good
example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the
wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example.
As all those have shown who
have discussed civil institutions, and as every history is full of examples, it
is necessary to whoever arranges to found a Republic and establish laws in it,
to presuppose that all men are bad and that they will use their malignity of
mind every time they have the opportunity; and if such malignity is hidden for
a time, it proceeds from the unknown reason that would not be known because the
experience of the contrary had not been seen, but time, which is said to be the
father of every truth, will cause it to be discovered.
Because just as good morals, if
they are to be maintained, have need of the laws, so the laws, if they are to
be observed, have need of good morals
Before all else, be armed.
Benefits should be conferred
gradually; and in that way they will taste better.
Entrepreneurs are simply those
who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity
and are able to turn both to their advantage.
Every one admits how
praiseworthy it is in a prince to keep faith, and to live with integrity and
not with craft. Nevertheless our experience has been that those princes who
have done great things have held good faith of little account, and have known
how to circumvent the intellect of men by craft, and in the end have overcome
those who have relied on their word.
Everyone sees what you appear
to be, few really know what you are, and those few dare not oppose themselves
to the opinion of the many, who have the majesty of the state to defend them.
From this arises the question
whether it is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than
loved. It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both: but since
love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is
far safer to be feared than loved.
Friendships that are won by
awards, and not by greatness and nobility of soul, although deserved, yet are
not real, and cannot be depended upon in time of adversity.
For among other evils caused by
being disarmed, it renders you contemptible; which is one of those disgraceful
things which a prince must guard against.
For as laws are necessary that
good manners be preserved, so there is need of good manners that law may be
maintained
For the great majority of
mankind are satisfied with appearance, as though they were realities and are
often more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are
Few men are brave by nature,
but good discipline and experience make many so.
From this we learn that a wise
prince sees to it that never, in order to attack someone, does he become the
ally of a prince more powerful than himself, except when necessity forces him,
as I said above. If you win, you are the powerful kings prisoner, and wise
princes avoid as much as they can being in other men’s power.
For one change always leaves a
dovetail into which another will fit.
God is not willing to do
everything, and thus take away our free will and that share of glory which
belongs to us.
Good order and discipline in an
army are more to be depended upon than ferocity.
God creates men, but they
choose each other.
Hatred is gained as much by
good works as by evil.
He who blinded by ambition,
raises himself to a position whence he cannot mount higher, must thereafter
fall with the greatest loss.
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.
He who wishes to be obeyed must
know how to command.
He ought to be slow to believe
and to act, nor should he himself show fear, but proceed in a temperate manner
with prudence and humanity, so that too much confidence may not make him
incautious and too much distrust render him intolerable.
How laudable it is for a prince
to keep good faith and live with integrity, and not with astuteness, everyone
knows. Still the experience of our times shows those princes to have done great
things who have had little regard for good faith, and have been able by
astuteness to confuse men's brains, and who have ultimately overcome those who
have made loyalty their foundation. You must know, then, that there are two
methods of fighting, the one by law, the other by force: the first method is that
of men, the second of beasts; but as the first method is often insufficient,
one must have recourse to the second. It is therefore necessary to know well
how to use both the beast and the man. This was covertly taught to princes by
ancient writers, who relate how Achilles and many others of those princes were
given to Chiron the centaur to be brought up, who kept them under his
discipline; this system of having for teacher one who was half beast and half
man is meant to indicate that a prince must know how to use both natures, and
that the one without the other is not durable. A prince being thus obliged to
know well how to act as a beast must imitate the fox and the lion, for the lion
cannot protect himself from snares, and the fox cannot defend himself from
wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize snares, and a lion to frighten
wolves. Those that wish to be only lions do not understand this. Therefore, a
prudent ruler ought not to keep faith when by so doing it would be against his
interest, and when the reasons which made him bind himself no longer exist. If
men were all good, this precept would not be a good one; but as they are bad,
and would not observe their faith with you, so you are not bound to keep faith
with them.
Hence it comes that all armed
prophets have been victorious, and all unarmed prophets have been destroyed.
How we live is so different
from how we ought to live that he who studies what ought to be done rather than
what is done will learn the way to his downfall rather than to his
preservation.
History is written by the
victors.
…he who seeks to deceive will
always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived
I am firmly convinced, therefore, that to set
up a republic which is to last a long time, the way to set about it is to
constitute it as Sparta and Venice were constituted; to place it in a strong
position, and so to fortify it that no one will dream of taking it by a sudden
assault; and, on the other hand, not to make it so large as to appear
formidable to its neighbors. It should in this way be able to enjoy its form of
government for a long time. For war is made on a commonwealth for two reasons:
to subjugate it, and for fear of being subjugated by it.
I consider it a mark of great
prudence in a man to abstain from threats or any contemptuous expressions, for
neither of these weaken the enemy, but threats make him more cautious, and the
other excites his hatred, and a desire to revenge himself
I shall always esteem it not
much to live in a city where the laws do less than men, because that fatherland
is desirable where possessions and friends can be securely enjoyed, not where
they can be easily taken from you, and friends for few of them
I'm not interested in
preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.
If an injury has to be done to
a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.
In truth, there never was any
remarkable lawgiver amongst any people who did not resort to divine authority,
as otherwise his laws would not have been accepted by the people; for there are
many good laws, the importance of which is known to be the said
It is better to be feared than
loved, if you cannot be both.
It is double pleasure to
deceive the deceiver.
It is much more secure to be
feared than to be loved.
It is necessary for him who
lays out a state and arranges laws for it to presuppose that all men are evil
and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their
spirits whenever they have free scope
It is not titles that honor
men, but men that honor titles.
It ought to be remembered that
there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or
more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a
new order of things.
If we must choose between them,
it is far safer to be feared than loved.
If someone puts up the argument
that King Louis gave the Romagna to Pope Alexander, and the kingdom of Naples
to Spain, in order to avoid a war, I would answer as I did before: that you
should never let things get out of hand in order to avoid war. You don't avoid
such a war, you merely postpone it, to your own disadvantage.
It ought to be remembered that
there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or
more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a
new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have
done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do
well under the new. This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents, who
have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not
readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them.
I say that every prince must
desire to be considered merciful and not cruel. He must, however, take care not
to misuse this mercifulness. … A prince, therefore, must not mind incurring the
charge of cruelty for the purpose of keeping his subjects united and confident;
for, with a very few examples, he will be more merciful than those who, from
excess of tenderness, allow disorders to arise, from whence spring murders and
rapine; for these as a rule injure the whole community, while the executions
carried out by the prince injure only one individual. And of all princes, it is
impossible for a new prince to escape the name of cruel, new states being
always full of dangers. … Nevertheless, he must be cautious in believing and
acting, and must not inspire fear of his own accord, and must proceed in a
temperate manner with prudence and humanity, so that too much confidence does
not render him incautious, and too much diffidence does not render him
intolerant. From this arises the question whether it is better to be loved more
than feared, or feared more than loved. The reply is, that one ought to be both
feared and loved, but as it is difficult for the two to go together, it is much
safer to be feared than loved, if one of the two has to be wanting. For it may
be said of men in general that they are ungrateful, voluble, dissemblers,
anxious to avoid danger, and covetous of gain ; as long as you benefit them,
they are entirely yours; they offer you their blood, their goods, their life,
and their children, as I have before said, when the necessity is remote; but
when it approaches, they revolt. And the prince who has relied solely on their
words, without making other preparations, is ruined, for the friendship which
is gained by purchase and not through grandeur and nobility of spirit is
merited but is not secured, and at times is not to be had. And men have less
scruple in offending one who makes himself loved than one who makes himself
feared; for love is held by a chain of obligation which, men being selfish, is
broken whenever it serves their purpose; but fear is maintained by a dread of
punishment which never fails.
I conclude, then, that so long
as Fortune varies and men stand still, they will prosper while they suit the
times, and fail when they do not. But I do feel this: that it is better to be
rash than timid, for Fortune is a woman, and the man who wants to hold her down
must beat and bully her. We see that she yields more often to men of this
stripe than to those who come coldly toward her.
It is truly a marvelous thing
to consider to what greatness Athens arrived in the space of one hundred years
after she freed herself from the tyranny of Pisistratus; but, above all, it is
even more marvelous to consider the greatness Rome reached when she freed
herself from her kings. The reason is easy to understand, for it is the common
good and not private gain that makes cities great. Yet, without a doubt, this
common good is observed only in republics, for in them everything that promotes
it is practiced, and however much damage it does to this or that private
individual, those who benefit from the said common good are so numerous that
they are able to advance in spite of the inclination of the few citizens who
are oppressed by it.
I assert once again as a truth
to which history as a whole bears witness that men may second their fortune,
but cannot oppose it; that they may weave its warp, but cannot break it. Yet
they should never give up, because there is always hope, though they know not
the end and more towards it along roads which cross one another and as yet are
unexplored; and since there is hope, they should not despair, no matter what
fortune brings or in what travail they find themselves.
It is not titles that make men
illustrious, but men who make titles illustrious.
I believe that it is possible
for one to praise, without concern, any man after he is dead since every reason
and supervision for adulation is lacking.
It may be observed, that
provinces amid the vicissitudes to which they are subject, pass from order into
confusion, and afterward recur to a state of order again; for the nature of
mundane affairs not allowing them to continue in an even course, when they have
arrived at their greatest perfection, they soon begin to decline. In the same
manner, having been reduced by disorder, and sunk to their utmost state of
depression, unable to descend lower, they, of necessity, rescind; and thus from
good they gradually decline to evil, and from evil again return to good. The
reason is, that valor produces peace; peace, repose; repose, disorder;
disorder, ruin; so from disorder order springs; from order virtue, and from
this, glory and good fortune.
If you only notice human
proceedings, you may observe that all who attain great power and riches, make
use of either force or fraud; and what they have acquired either by deceit or
violence, in order to conceal the disgraceful methods of attainment, they
endeavor to sanctify with the false title of honest gains. Those who either
from imprudence or want of sagacity avoid doing so, are always overwhelmed with
servitude and poverty; for faithful servants are always servants, and honest
men are always poor; nor do any ever escape from servitude but the bold and
faithless, or from poverty, but the rapacious and fraudulent. God and nature
have thrown all human fortunes into the midst of mankind; and they are thus
attainable rather by rapine than by industry, by wicked actions rather than by
good. Hence it is that men feed upon each other, and those who cannot defend
themselves must be worried.
It is better to be feared than
loved, if you cannot be both.
It should be noted that when he
seizes a state the new ruler ought to determine all the injuries that he will
need to inflict. He should inflict them once and for all, and not have to renew
them every day.
I'm not interested in
preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.
It is not titles that honor
men, but men that honor titles.
It is best to be both feared
and loved; however, if one cannot be both it is better to be feared than loved.
It must be considered that
there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor
more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things.
It must be remembered that
there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more
dangerous to manage than a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all
who would profit by the preservation of the old institution and merely lukewarm
defenders in those who gain by the new ones.
If an injury has to be done to
a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.
I consider it a mark of great
prudence in a man to abstain from threats or any contemptuous expressions, for
neither of these weaken the enemy, but threats make him more cautious, and the
other excites his hatred, and a desire to revenge himself.
It was the verdict of ancient
writers that men afflict themselves in evil and weary themselves in the good,
and that the same effects result from both of these passions. For whenever men
are not obliged to fight from necessity, they fight from ambition; which is so
powerful in human breasts, that it never leaves them no matter to what rank
they rise. The reason is that nature has so created men that they are able to
desire everything but are not able to attain everything: so that the desire
being always greater than the acquisition, there results discontent with the
possession and little satisfaction to themselves from it. From this arises the
changes in their fortunes; for as men desire, some to have more, some in fear
of losing their acquisition, there ensues enmity and war, from which results
the ruin of that province and the elevation of another.
Many have imagined republics
and principalities which have never been seen or known to exist in reality; for
how we live is so far removed from how we ought to live, that he who abandons
what is done for what ought to be done, will rather bring about
Men are so simple and so much
inclined to obey immediate needs that a deceiver will never lack victims for
his deceptions
Men are so simple and yield so
readily to the desires of the moment that he who will trick will always find
another who will suffer to be tricked.
Men nearly always follow the
tracks made by others and proceed in their affairs by imitation, even though
they cannot entirely keep to the tracks of others or emulate the prowess of
their models. So a prudent man should always follow in the footsteps of great
men and imitate those who have been outstanding. If his own prowess fails to
compare with theirs, at least it has an air of greatness about it. He should
behave like those archers who, if they are skillful, when the target seems too
distant, know the capabilities of their bow and aim a good deal higher than
their objective, not in order to shoot so high but so that by aiming high they
can reach the target.
Men sooner forget the death of
their father than the loss of their patrimony.
Men in general judge more by
the sense of sight than by the sense of touch, because everyone can see, but
only a few can test by feeling. Everyone sees what you seem to be, few know
what you really are, and those few do not dare take a stand against the general
opinion.
Men are more apt to be mistaken
in their generalizations than in their particular observations.
Men ought either to be indulged
or utterly destroyed, for if you merely offend them they take vengeance, but if
you injure them greatly they are unable to retaliate, so that the injury done
to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared.
Men rise from one ambition to
another: first, they seek to secure themselves against attack, and then they
attack others.
Men should be either treated
generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries - for
heavy ones they cannot.
Men shrink less from offending
one who inspires love than one who inspires fear.
Men sooner forget the death of
their father than the loss of their patrimony.
Men are driven by two principal
impulses, either by love or by fear.
Men never do good unless
necessity drives them to it; but when they are free to choose and can do just
as they please, confusion and disorder become rampant.
Men are so simple of mind, and
so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a deceitful man will always
find plenty who are ready to be deceived.
Men never do good unless
necessity drives them to it; but when they are free to choose and can do just
as they please, confusion and disorder become rampant.
Many have dreamed up republics
and principalities that have never in truth been known to exist; the gulf
between how one should live and how one does live is so wide that a man who
neglects what is actually done for what should be done learns the way to
self-destruction rather than self-preservation.
My view is that it is desirable
to be both loved and feared; but it is difficult to achieve both and, if one of
them has to be lacking, it is much safer to be feared than loved.
Nature that framed us of four
elements, warring within our breasts for regiment, doth teach us all to have
aspiring minds.
Nature has so contrived that to
men, though all things are objects of desire, not all things are attainable; so
that desire always exceeds the power of attainment, with the result that men
are ill-content with what they possess and their present state brings them
little satisfaction. Hence arise the vicissitudes of their fortune.
Never was anything great
achieved without danger.
Never do any enemy a small
injury for they are like a snake which is half beaten and it will strike back
the first chance it gets.
No proceeding is better than
that which you have concealed from the enemy until the time you have executed
it ( No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy
until it is ripe for execution.) . To know how to recognize an opportunity in
war, and take it, benefits you more than anything else. Nature creates few men brave,
industry and training makes many. Discipline in war counts more than fury.
Nothing is of greater
importance in time of war than in knowing how to make the best use of a fair
opportunity when it is offered.
No one should be astonished if
in the following discussion of completely new princedoms and of the prince and
of government, I bring up the noblest examples. Because, since men almost
always walk in the paths beaten by others and carry on their affairs by
imitating even though it is not possible to keep wholly in the paths of others
or to attain the ability of those you imitate a prudent man will always choose
to take paths beaten by great men and to imitate those who have been especially
admirable, in order that if his ability does not reach theirs, at least it may
offer some suggestion of it; and he will act like prudent archers, who, seeing
that the mark they plan to hit is too far away and knowing what space can be
covered by the power of their bows, take an aim much higher than their mark,
not in order to reach with their arrows so great a height, but to be able, with
the aid of so high an aim, to attain their purpose.
Of mankind we may say in
general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.
One change always leaves the
way open for the establishment of others.
One who deceives will always
find those who allow themselves to be deceived.
Occasionally words must serve
to veil the facts. But let this happen in such a way that no one become aware
of it; or, if it should be noticed, excuses must be at hand to be produced
immediately.
Politics have no relation to
morals.
Princes and governments are far
more dangerous than other elements within society.
People should either be
caressed or crushed. If you do them minor damage they will get their revenge;
but if you cripple them there is nothing they can do. If you need to injure
someone, do it in such a way that you do not have to fear their vengeance.
Severities should be dealt out all at once, so
that their suddenness may give less offense; benefits ought to be handed ought
drop by drop, so that they may be relished the more.
States that rise quickly, just
as all the other things of nature that are born and grow rapidly, cannot have
roots and ramifications; the first bad weather kills them
Still, a prince should make
himself feared in such a way that if he does not gain love, he at any rate
avoids hatred; for fear and the absence of hatred may well go together, and
will be always attained by one who abstains from interfering with the property
of his citizens and subjects or with their women. And when he is obliged to
take the life of any one, to do so when there is a proper justification and
manifest reason for it; but above all he must abstain from taking the property
of others, for men forget more easily the death of their father than the loss
of their patrimony. Then also pretexts for seizing property are never wanting,
and one who begins to live by rapine will always find some reason for taking
the goods of others, whereas causes for taking life are rarer and more quickly
destroyed.
So in all human affairs one
notices, if one examines them closely, that it is impossible to remove one
inconvenience without another emerging.
Since it is difficult to join
them together, it is safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two
must be lacking.
Since love and fear can hardly
exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than
loved
Tardiness often robs us
opportunity, and the dispatch of our forces.
The chief foundations of all
states... are good laws and good arms. And as there cannot be good laws where
there are not good arms... where there are good arms there must be good laws...
Therefore, it is necessary to
be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves
Therefore it is unnecessary for
a prince to have all the good qualities I have enumerated, but it is very
necessary to appear to have them. And I shall dare to say this also, that to
have them and always to observe them is injurious, and that to appear to have
them is useful; to appear merciful, faithful, humane, religious, upright, and
to be so, but with a mind so framed that should you require not to be so, you
may be able and know how to change to the opposite.
The distinction between
children and adults, while probably useful for some purposes, is at bottom a
specious one, I feel. There are only individual egos, crazy for love.
The fact is that a man who
wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many
who are not virtuous.
The first method for estimating
the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
The main foundations of every state,
new states as well as ancient or composite ones, are good laws and good arms -
you cannot have good laws without good arms, and where there are good arms,
good laws inevitably follow
The more sand has escaped from
the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.
The new ruler must determine
all the injuries that he will need to inflict. He must inflict them once and
for all.
The one who adapts his policy
to the times prospers, and likewise that the one whose policy clashes with the
demands of the times does not.
The promise given was a
necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.
The wise man does at once what
the fool does finally.
The wish to acquire more is
admittedly a very natural and common thing; and when men succeed in this they
are always praised rather than condemned. But when they lack the ability to do
so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for
their mistakes.
There are three classes of
intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what
others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the
showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, and the
third is useless.
There is no other way of
guarding oneself against flattery than by letting men understand that they will
not offend you by speaking the truth; but when everyone can tell you the truth,
you lose their respect.
There is no surer sign of decay
in a country than to see the rites of religion held in contempt.
There is nothing more difficult
to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success,
than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.
To understand the nature of the
people one must be a prince, and to understand the nature of the prince, one
must be of the people.
The prince must consider, as
has been in part said before, how to avoid those things which will make him
hated or contemptible … when neither their property nor honor is touched, the
majority of men live content, and he has only to contend with the ambition of a
few, whom he can curb with ease in many ways.
The first method for estimating the
intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
The Romans never allowed a
trouble spot to remain simply to avoid going to war over it, because they knew
that wars don't just go away, they are only postponed to someone else's
advantage. Therefore, they made war with Philip and Antiochus in Greece, in order
not to have to fight them in Italy... They never went by that saying which you
constantly hear from the wiseacres of our day that time heals all things. They
trusted rather their own character and prudence— knowing perfectly well that
time contains the seeds of all things, good as well as bad.
The Romans, foreseeing
troubles, dealt with them at once, and, even to avoid a war, would not let them
come to a head, for they knew that war is not to be avoided, but is only put
off to the advantage of others.
There is no avoiding war; it
can only be postponed to the advantage of others.
The chief foundations of all
states, new as well as old or composite, are good laws and good arms; and as
there cannot be good laws where the state is not well armed, it follows that
where they are well armed they have good laws.
The prince who relies upon
their words, without having otherwise provided for his security, is ruined; for
friendships that are won by awards, and not by greatness and nobility of soul,
although deserved, yet are not real, and cannot be depended upon in time of
adversity.
The prince must consider, as
has been in part said before, how to avoid those things which will make him
hated or contemptible; and as often as he shall have succeeded he will have
fulfilled his part, and he need not fear any danger in other reproaches. It
makes him hated above all things, as I have said, to be rapacious, and to be a
violator of the property and women of his subjects, from both of which he must
abstain. And when neither their property nor honor is touched, the majority of
men live content, and he has only to contend with the ambition of a few, whom
he can curb with ease in many ways. It makes him contemptible to be considered
fickle, frivolous, effeminate, mean-spirited, irresolute, from all of which a
prince should guard himself as from a rock; and he should endeavor to show in
his actions greatness, courage, gravity, and fortitude; and in his private
dealings with his subjects let him show that his judgments are irrevocable, and
maintain himself in such reputation that no one can hope either to deceive him
or to get round him. That prince is highly esteemed who conveys this impression
of himself, and he who is highly esteemed is not easily conspired against; for,
provided it is well known that he is an excellent man and revered by his
people, he can only be attacked with difficulty.
That one should avoid being
despised and hated
The best fortress which a
prince can possess is the affection of his people.
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.
The first method for estimating
the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
There is no other way of
guarding oneself against flattery than by letting men understand that they will
not offend you by speaking the truth; but when everyone can tell you the truth,
you lose their respect.
The promise given was a
necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.
The fact is that a man who
wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many
who are not virtuous.
There is no avoiding war; it
can only be postponed to the advantage of others.
The main foundations of every
state, new states as well as ancient or composite ones, are good laws and good
arms you cannot have good laws without good arms, and where there are good
arms, good laws inevitably follow.
There is no other way to guard
yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the
truth will not offend you.
The lion cannot protect himself
from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore
be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.
There is no avoiding war, it
can only be postponed to the advantage of your
The end justifies the means.
The vulgar crowd always is
taken by appearances, and the world consists chiefly of the vulgar.
There is nothing more important
than appearing to be religious.
The one who adapts his policy
to the times prospers, and likewise that the one whose policy clashes with the
demands of the times does not.
The people resemble a wild
beast, which, naturally fierce and accustomed to live in the woods, has been
brought up, as it were, in a prison and in servitude, and having by accident
got its liberty, not being accustomed to search for its food, and not knowing
where to conceal itself, easily becomes the prey of the first who seeks to
incarcerate it again.
There is nothing more difficult
to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success
than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.
The demands of a free populace,
too, are very seldom harmful to liberty, for they are due either to the
populace being oppressed or to the suspicious that it is going to be
oppressed... and, should these impressions be false, a remedy is provided in
the public platform on which some man of standing can get up, appeal to the
crowd, and show that it is mistaken. And though, as Tully remarks, the populace
may be ignorant, it is capable of grasping the truth and readily yields when a
man, worthy of confidence, lays the truth before it.
The wish to acquire more is
admittedly a very natural and common thing; and when men succeed in this they
are always praised rather than condemned. But when they lack the ability to do
so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for
their mistakes.
The end of the republic is to
enervate and to weaken all other bodies so as to increase its own body.
Upon this, one has to remark
that men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge
themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; therefore the
injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not
stand in fear of revenge.
War cannot be avoided; it can
only be postponed to the other's advantage.
War is just when it is
necessary; arms are permissible when there is no hope except in arms.
War should be the only study of
a prince. He should consider peace only as a breathing- time, which gives him
leisure to contrive, and furnishes as ability to execute, military plans.
We cannot attribute to fortune
or virtue that which is achieved without either.
When neither their property nor
their honor is touched, the majority of men live content.
When you disarm the people, you
commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through
cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred...
Where the willingness is great,
the difficulties cannot be great.
Whoever conquers a free town
and does not demolish it commits a great error and may expect to be ruined
himself.
Whoever desires to found a state
and give it laws, must start with assuming that all men are bad and ever ready
to display their vicious nature, whenever they may find occasion for it.
Whosoever desires constant
success must change his conduct with the times.
Whoever desires to found a state
and give it laws, must start with assuming that all men are bad and ever ready
to display their vicious nature, whenever they may find occasion for it.
When Scipio became consul and
was keen on getting the province of Africa, promising that Carthage should be
completely destroyed, and the senate would not agree to this because Fabius
Maximus was against it, he threatened to appeal to the people, for he knew full
well how pleasing such projects are to the populace.
When evening comes, I return
home and go into my study. On the threshold I strip off my muddy, sweaty,
workday clothes, and put on the robes of court and palace, and in this graver
dress I enter the antique courts of the ancients and am welcomed by them, and
there I taste the food that alone is mine, and for which I was born. And there
I make bold to speak to them and ask the motives of their actions, and they, in
their humanity, reply to me. And for the space of four hours I forget the
world, remember no vexation, fear poverty no more, tremble no more at death: I
pass indeed into their world.
Whenever men are not obliged to
fight from necessity, they fight from ambition; which is so powerful in human
breasts, that it never leaves them no matter to what rank they rise.
You must know there are two
ways of contesting, the one by the law, the other by force; the first method is
proper to men, the second to beasts; but because the first is frequently not
sufficient, it is necessary to have recourse to the second.