the prince-第15部分

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　accordingly　as　the　winds　and　variations　of　fortune　force　it；　yet；　as　I　have　said　above；　not　to　diverge　from　the　good　if　he　can　avoid　doing　so；　but；　if　compelled；　then　to　know　how　to　set　about　it。

＇*＇　〃Contrary　to　fidelity〃　or　〃faith；〃　〃contro　alla　fede；〃　and　〃tutto　　　　　fede；〃　〃altogether　faithful；〃　in　the　next　paragraph。　It　is　　　　　noteworthy　that　these　two　phrases；　〃contro　alla　fede〃　and　〃tutto　　　　　fede；〃　were　omitted　in　the　Testina　edition；　which　was　published　　　　　with　the　sanction　of　the　papal　authorities。　It　may　be　that　the　　　　　meaning　attached　to　the　word　〃fede〃　was　〃the　faith；〃　i。e。　the　　　　　Catholic　creed；　and　not　as　rendered　here　〃fidelity〃　and　　　　　〃faithful。〃　Observe　that　the　word　〃religione〃　was　suffered　to　　　　　stand　in　the　text　of　the　Testina；　being　used　to　signify　　　　　indifferently　every　shade　of　belief；　as　witness　〃the　religion；〃　a　　　　　phrase　inevitably　employed　to　designate　the　Huguenot　heresy。　South　　　　　in　his　Sermon　IX；　p。　69；　ed。　1843；　comments　on　this　passage　as　　　　　follows：　〃That　great　patron　and　Coryphaeus　of　this　tribe；　Nicolo　　　　　Machiavel；　laid　down　this　for　a　master　rule　in　his　political　　　　　scheme：　'That　the　show　of　religion　was　helpful　to　the　politician；　　　　　but　the　reality　of　it　hurtful　and　pernicious。'〃

For　this　reason　a　prince　ought　to　take　care　that　he　never　lets　anything　slip　from　his　lips　that　is　not　replete　with　the　above…named　five　qualities；　that　he　may　appear　to　him　who　sees　and　hears　him　altogether　merciful；　faithful；　humane；　upright；　and　religious。　There　is　nothing　more　necessary　to　appear　to　have　than　this　last　quality；　inasmuch　as　men　judge　generally　more　by　the　eye　than　by　the　hand；　because　it　belongs　to　everybody　to　see　you；　to　few　to　come　in　touch　with　you。　Every　one　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；　and　in　the　actions　of　all　men；　and　especially　of　princes；　which　it　is　not　prudent　to　challenge；　one　judges　by　the　result。

For　that　reason；　let　a　prince　have　the　credit　of　conquering　and　holding　his　state；　the　means　will　always　be　considered　honest；　and　he　will　be　praised　by　everybody；　because　the　vulgar　are　always　taken　by　what　a　thing　seems　to　be　and　by　what　comes　of　it；　and　in　the　world　there　are　only　the　vulgar；　for　the　few　find　a　place　there　only　when　the　many　have　no　ground　to　rest　on。

One　prince＇*＇　of　the　present　time；　whom　it　is　not　well　to　name；　never　preaches　anything　else　but　peace　and　good　faith；　and　to　both　he　is　most　hostile；　and　either；　if　he　had　kept　it；　would　have　deprived　him　of　reputation　and　kingdom　many　a　time。

＇*＇　Ferdinand　of　Aragon。　〃When　Machiavelli　was　writing　'The　Prince'　it　　　　　would　have　been　clearly　impossible　to　mention　Ferdinand's　name　　　　　here　without　giving　offence。〃　Burd's　〃Il　Principe；〃　p。　308。



CHAPTER　XIX

THAT　ONE　SHOULD　AVOID　BEING　DESPISED　AND　HATED

Now；　concerning　the　characteristics　of　which　mention　is　made　above；　I　have　spoken　of　the　more　important　ones；　the　others　I　wish　to　discuss　briefly　under　this　generality；　that　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　their　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　endeavour　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。　For　this　reason　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；　as　I　said　Nabis　the　Spartan　did。

But　concerning　his　subjects；　when　affairs　outside　are　disturbed　he　has　only　to　fear　that　they　will　conspire　secretly；　from　which　a　prince　can　easily　secure　himself　by　avoiding　being　hated　and　despised；　and　by　keeping　the　people　satisfied　with　him；　which　it　is　most　necessary　for　him　to　accomplish；　as　I　said　above　at　length。　And　one　of　the　most　efficacious　remedies　that　a　prince　can　have　against　conspiracies　is　not　to　be　hated　and　despised　by　the　people；　for　he　who　conspires　against　a　prince　always　expects　to　please　them　by　his　removal；　but　when　the　conspirator　can　only　look　forward　to　offending　them；　he　will　not　have　the　courage　to　take　such　a　course；　for　the　difficulties　that　confront　a　conspirator　are　infinite。　And　as　experience　shows；　many　have　been　the　conspiracies；　but　few　have　been　successful；　because　he　who　conspires　cannot　act　alone；　nor　can　he　take　a　companion　except　from　those　whom　he　believes　to　be　malcontents；　and　as　soon　as　you　have　opened　your　mind　to　a　malcontent　you　have　given　him　the　material　with　which　to　content　himself；　for　by　denouncing　you　he　can　look　for　every　advantage；　so　that；　seeing　the　gain　from　this　course　to　be　assured；　and　seeing　the　other　to　be　doubtful　and　full　of　dangers；　he　must　be　a　very　rare　friend；　or　a　thoroughly　obstinate　enemy　of　the　prince；　to　keep　faith　with　you。

And；　to　reduce　the　matter　into　a　small　compass；　I　say　that；　on　the　side　of　the　conspirator；　there　is　nothing　but　fear；　jealousy；　prospect　of　punishment　to　terrify　him；　but　on　the　side　of　the　prince　there　is　the　majesty　of　the　principality；　the　laws；　the　protection　of　friends　and　the　state　to　defend　him；　so　that；　adding　to　all　these　things　the　popular　goodwill；　it　is　impossible　that　any　one　should　be　so　rash　as　to　conspire。　For　whereas　in　general　the　conspirator　has　to　fear　before　the　execution　of　his　plot；　in　this　case　he　has　also　to　fear　the　sequel　to　the　crime；　because　on　account　of　it　he　has　the　people　for　an　enemy；　and　thus　cannot　hope　for　any　escape。

Endless　examples　could　be　given　on　this　subject；　but　I　will　be　content　with　one；　brought　to　pass　within　the　memory　of　our　fathers。　Messer　Annibale　Bentivogli；　who　was　prince　in　Bologna　（grandfather　of　the　present　Annibale）；　having　been　murdered　by　the　Canneschi；　who　had　conspired　against　him；　not　one　of　his　family　survived　but　Messer　Giovanni；＇*＇　who　was　in　childhood：　immediately　after　his　assassination　the　people　rose　and　murdered　all　the　Canneschi。　This　sprung　from　the　popular　goodwill　which　the　house　of　Bentivogli　enjoyed　in　those　days　in　Bologna；　which　was　so　great　that；　although　none　remained　there　after　the　death　of　Annibale　who　was　able　to　rule　the　state；　the　Bolognese；　having　information　that　there　was　one　of　the　Bentivogli　family　in　Florence；　who　up　to　that　time　had　been　considered　the　son　of　a　blacksmith；　sent　to　Florence　for　him　and　gave　him　the　government　of　their　city；　and　it　was　ruled　by　him　until　Messer　Giovanni　came　in　due　course　to　the　government。

＇*＇　Giovanni　Bentivogli；　born　in　Bologna　1438；　died　at　Milan　1508。　He　　　　　ruled　Bologna　from　1462　to　1506。　Machiavelli's　strong　condemnation　　　　　of　conspiracies　may　get　its　edge　from　his　own　very　recent　　　　　experience　（February　1513）；　when　he　had　been　arrested　and　tortured　　　　　for　his　alleged　complicity　in　the　Boscoli　conspiracy。

For　this　reason　I　consider　that　a　prince　ought　to　reckon　conspiracies　of　little　account　when　his　people　hold　him　in　esteem；　but　when　it　is　hostile　to　him；　and　bears　hatred　towards　him；　he　ought　to　fear　everything　and　everybody。　And　well…ordered　states　and　wise　princes　have　taken　every　care　not　to　drive　the　nobles　to　desperation；　and　to　keep　the　people　satisfied　and　contented；　for　this　is　one　of　the　most　important　objects　a　prince　can　have。

Among　the　best　ordered　and　governed　kingdoms　of　our　times　is　France；　and　in　it　are　found　many　good　institutions　on　which　depend　the　liberty　and　security　of　the　king；　of　these　the　first　is　the　parliament　and　its　authority；　because　he　who　founded　the　kingdom；　knowing　the　ambition　of　the　nobility　and　their　boldness；　considered　that　a　bit　to　their　mouths　would　be　necessary　to　hold　them　in；　and；　on　the　other　side；　knowing　the　hatred　of　the　people；　founded　in　fear；　against　the　nobles；　he　wished　to　protect　them；　yet　he　was　not　anxious　for　this　to　be　the　particular　care　of　the　king；　therefore；　to　take　away　the　reproach　which　he　would　be　liable　to　from　the　nobles　for　favouring　the　people；　and　from　the　people　for　favouring　the　nobles；　he　set　up　an　arbiter；　who　should　be　one　who　could　beat　down　the　great　and　favour　the　lesser　without　reproach　to　the　king。　Neither　could　you　have　a　better　or　a　more　prudent　arrangement；　or　a　greater　source　of　security　to　the　king　and　kingdom。　From　this　one　can　draw　another　important　conclusion；　that　princes　ought　to　leave　affairs　of　reproach　to　the　management　of　others；　and　keep　those　of　grace　in　their　own　hands。　And　further；　I　consider　that　a　prince　ought　to　cherish　the　nobles；　but　not　so　as　to　make　himself　hated　by　the　people。

It　may　appear；　perhaps；　to　some　who　have　examined　the　lives　and　deaths　of　the　Roman　emperors　that　many　of　them　would　be　an　example　contrary　to　my　opinion；　seeing　that　some　of　them　lived　nobly　and　showed　great　qualities　of　soul