the prince-第12部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


e　arms　may　be　useful　and　good　in　themselves；　but　for　him　who　calls　them　in　they　are　always　disadvantageous；　for　losing；　one　is　undone；　and　winning；　one　is　their　captive。

＇*＇　Ferdinand　V　（F。　II　of　Aragon　and　Sicily；　F。　III　of　Naples）；　　　　　surnamed　〃The　Catholic；〃　born　1542；　died　1516。

And　although　ancient　histories　may　be　full　of　examples；　I　do　not　wish　to　leave　this　recent　one　of　Pope　Julius　the　Second；　the　peril　of　which　cannot　fail　to　be　perceived；　for　he；　wishing　to　get　Ferrara；　threw　himself　entirely　into　the　hands　of　the　foreigner。　But　his　good　fortune　brought　about　a　third　event；　so　that　he　did　not　reap　the　fruit　of　his　rash　choice；　because；　having　his　auxiliaries　routed　at　Ravenna；　and　the　Switzers　having　risen　and　driven　out　the　conquerors　（against　all　expectation；　both　his　and　others）；　it　so　came　to　pass　that　he　did　not　become　prisoner　to　his　enemies；　they　having　fled；　nor　to　his　auxiliaries；　he　having　conquered　by　other　arms　than　theirs。

The　Florentines；　being　entirely　without　arms；　sent　ten　thousand　Frenchmen　to　take　Pisa；　whereby　they　ran　more　danger　than　at　any　other　time　of　their　troubles。

The　Emperor　of　Constantinople；＇*＇　to　oppose　his　neighbours；　sent　ten　thousand　Turks　into　Greece；　who；　on　the　war　being　finished；　were　not　willing　to　quit；　this　was　the　beginning　of　the　servitude　of　Greece　to　the　infidels。

＇*＇　Joannes　Cantacuzenus；　born　1300；　died　1383。

Therefore；　let　him　who　has　no　desire　to　conquer　make　use　of　these　arms；　for　they　are　much　more　hazardous　than　mercenaries；　because　with　them　the　ruin　is　ready　made；　they　are　all　united；　all　yield　obedience　to　others；　but　with　mercenaries；　when　they　have　conquered；　more　time　and　better　opportunities　are　needed　to　injure　you；　they　are　not　all　of　one　community；　they　are　found　and　paid　by　you；　and　a　third　party；　which　you　have　made　their　head；　is　not　able　all　at　once　to　assume　enough　authority　to　injure　you。　In　conclusion；　in　mercenaries　dastardy　is　most　dangerous；　in　auxiliaries；　valour。　The　wise　prince；　therefore；　has　always　avoided　these　arms　and　turned　to　his　own；　and　has　been　willing　rather　to　lose　with　them　than　to　conquer　with　the　others；　not　deeming　that　a　real　victory　which　is　gained　with　the　arms　of　others。

I　shall　never　hesitate　to　cite　Cesare　Borgia　and　his　actions。　This　duke　entered　the　Romagna　with　auxiliaries；　taking　there　only　French　soldiers；　and　with　them　he　captured　Imola　and　Forli；　but　afterwards；　such　forces　not　appearing　to　him　reliable；　he　turned　to　mercenaries；　discerning　less　danger　in　them；　and　enlisted　the　Orsini　and　Vitelli；　whom　presently；　on　handling　and　finding　them　doubtful；　unfaithful；　and　dangerous；　he　destroyed　and　turned　to　his　own　men。　And　the　difference　between　one　and　the　other　of　these　forces　can　easily　be　seen　when　one　considers　the　difference　there　was　in　the　reputation　of　the　duke；　when　he　had　the　French；　when　he　had　the　Orsini　and　Vitelli；　and　when　he　relied　on　his　own　soldiers；　on　whose　fidelity　he　could　always　count　and　found　it　ever　increasing；　he　was　never　esteemed　more　highly　than　when　every　one　saw　that　he　was　complete　master　of　his　own　forces。

I　was　not　intending　to　go　beyond　Italian　and　recent　examples；　but　I　am　unwilling　to　leave　out　Hiero；　the　Syracusan；　he　being　one　of　those　I　have　named　above。　This　man；　as　I　have　said；　made　head　of　the　army　by　the　Syracusans；　soon　found　out　that　a　mercenary　soldiery；　constituted　like　our　Italian　condottieri；　was　of　no　use；　and　it　appearing　to　him　that　he　could　neither　keep　them　not　let　them　go；　he　had　them　all　cut　to　pieces；　and　afterwards　made　war　with　his　own　forces　and　not　with　aliens。

I　wish　also　to　recall　to　memory　an　instance　from　the　Old　Testament　applicable　to　this　subject。　David　offered　himself　to　Saul　to　fight　with　Goliath；　the　Philistine　champion；　and；　to　give　him　courage；　Saul　armed　him　with　his　own　weapons；　which　David　rejected　as　soon　as　he　had　them　on　his　back；　saying　he　could　make　no　use　of　them；　and　that　he　wished　to　meet　the　enemy　with　his　sling　and　his　knife。　In　conclusion；　the　arms　of　others　either　fall　from　your　back；　or　they　weigh　you　down；　or　they　bind　you　fast。

Charles　the　Seventh；＇*＇　the　father　of　King　Louis　the　Eleventh；＇＋＇　having　by　good　fortune　and　valour　liberated　France　from　the　English；　recognized　the　necessity　of　being　armed　with　forces　of　his　own；　and　he　established　in　his　kingdom　ordinances　concerning　men…at…arms　and　infantry。　Afterwards　his　son；　King　Louis；　abolished　the　infantry　and　began　to　enlist　the　Switzers；　which　mistake；　followed　by　others；　is；　as　is　now　seen；　a　source　of　peril　to　that　kingdom；　because；　having　raised　the　reputation　of　the　Switzers；　he　has　entirely　diminished　the　value　of　his　own　arms；　for　he　has　destroyed　the　infantry　altogether；　and　his　men…at…arms　he　has　subordinated　to　others；　for；　being　as　they　are　so　accustomed　to　fight　along　with　Switzers；　it　does　not　appear　that　they　can　now　conquer　without　them。　Hence　it　arises　that　the　French　cannot　stand　against　the　Switzers；　and　without　the　Switzers　they　do　not　come　off　well　against　others。　The　armies　of　the　French　have　thus　become　mixed；　partly　mercenary　and　partly　national；　both　of　which　arms　together　are　much　better　than　mercenaries　alone　or　auxiliaries　alone；　but　much　inferior　to　one's　own　forces。　And　this　example　proves　it；　for　the　kingdom　of　France　would　be　unconquerable　if　the　ordinance　of　Charles　had　been　enlarged　or　maintained。

＇*＇　Charles　VII　of　France；　surnamed　〃The　Victorious；〃　born　1403；　died　　　　　1461。

＇＋＇　Louis　XI；　son　of　the　above；　born　1423；　died　1483。

But　the　scanty　wisdom　of　man；　on　entering　into　an　affair　which　looks　well　at　first；　cannot　discern　the　poison　that　is　hidden　in　it；　as　I　have　said　above　of　hectic　fevers。　Therefore；　if　he　who　rules　a　principality　cannot　recognize　evils　until　they　are　upon　him；　he　is　not　truly　wise；　and　this　insight　is　given　to　few。　And　if　the　first　disaster　to　the　Roman　Empire＇*＇　should　be　examined；　it　will　be　found　to　have　commenced　only　with　the　enlisting　of　the　Goths；　because　from　that　time　the　vigour　of　the　Roman　Empire　began　to　decline；　and　all　that　valour　which　had　raised　it　passed　away　to　others。

＇*＇　〃Many　speakers　to　the　House　the　other　night　in　the　debate　on　the　　　　　reduction　of　armaments　seemed　to　show　a　most　lamentable　ignorance　　　　　of　the　conditions　under　which　the　British　Empire　maintains　its　　　　　existence。　When　Mr　Balfour　replied　to　the　allegations　that　the　　　　　Roman　Empire　sank　under　the　weight　of　its　military　obligations；　he　　　　　said　that　this　was　'wholly　unhistorical。'　He　might　well　have　added　　　　　that　the　Roman　power　was　at　its　zenith　when　every　citizen　　　　　acknowledged　his　liability　to　fight　for　the　State；　but　that　it　　　　　began　to　decline　as　soon　as　this　obligation　was　no　longer　　　　　recognized。〃Pall　Mall　Gazette；　15th　May　1906。

I　conclude；　therefore；　that　no　principality　is　secure　without　having　its　own　forces；　on　the　contrary；　it　is　entirely　dependent　on　good　fortune；　not　having　the　valour　which　in　adversity　would　defend　it。　And　it　has　always　been　the　opinion　and　judgment　of　wise　men　that　nothing　can　be　so　uncertain　or　unstable　as　fame　or　power　not　founded　on　its　own　strength。　And　one's　own　forces　are　those　which　are　composed　either　of　subjects；　citizens；　or　dependents；　all　others　are　mercenaries　or　auxiliaries。　And　the　way　to　make　ready　one's　own　forces　will　be　easily　found　if　the　rules　suggested　by　me　shall　be　reflected　upon；　and　if　one　will　consider　how　Philip；　the　father　of　Alexander　the　Great；　and　many　republics　and　princes　have　armed　and　organized　themselves；　to　which　rules　I　entirely　commit　myself。



CHAPTER　XIV

THAT　WHICH　CONCERNS　A　PRINCE　ON　THE　SUBJECT　OF　THE　ART　OF　WAR

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。　Francesco　Sforza；　through　being　martial；　from　a　private　person　became　Duke　of　Milan；　and　the　sons；　through　avoiding　the　hardships　and　troubles　of　arms；　from　dukes　became　private　persons。　For　among　other　evils　which　being　unarmed　brings　you；　it　causes　you　to　be　despised；　and　this　is　one　of　those　ignominies　against　which　a　prince　ought　to　guard　himself；　as　is　shown　later　on。　Because　there　is　nothing　proportionate　between　the　armed　and　the　unarmed；　and　it　is　not　reasonable　that　he　who　is　armed　should　yield　obedience　willingly　to　him　who　is　unarmed；　or　that　the　unarmed　man　should　be　secure　among　armed　servants。　Because；　there　being　in　the　one　disdain　and　in　the　other　suspicion；　it　is　not　possible　for　them　to　work　well　together。　And　therefore　a　prince　who　does　not　understand　the　art　of　war；　over　and　above　the　other　misfortunes　already　mentioned；　cannot　be　respected　by　his　soldiers；　nor　can　he　rely　on　them。　He　ought　never；　therefore；　to　have　out　of　his　thoughts　this　subject　of　war；　and　in　peace　he　should　addict　himself　more　to　its　exercise　than　in　war；　this　he　can　do　in　two　ways；　the　one　by　action；　the　other　by　study。

As　regards　action；　he　ought　above　all　things　to　keep　his　men　well　organized　and　drilled；　to　follow　incessantly　the　chase；　by　which　he　accustoms　his　body　to　hardships；　and　learns　something　of　the　nature　of　localities；　and　gets　to　find　out　how　the　mountains　rise；　how　the　valleys　open　out；　how　the　plains　lie；　and　to　understand　the　nature　of　rivers　and　marshes；　and　in　all　this　to　take　the　greatest　care。　Which　knowledge　is　useful　in　two　ways。　Firstly；　he　learns　to　know　his　country；　and　is　better　able　to　undertake　its　defence；　afterwards；　by　means　of　the　knowledge　and　observation　of　that　locality；　he　understands　with　ease　any　other　which　it　may　be　necessary　for　him　to　study　hereafter；　because　the　hills；　valleys；　and　plains；　and　rivers　and　marshes　that　are；　for　instance；　in　Tuscany；　have　a　certain　resemblance　to　those　of　other　countries；　so　that　with　a　knowledge　of　the　aspect　of　one　country　one　can　easily　arrive　at　a　knowle