THE PRINCE
by Nicolo Machiavelli
Translated by W. K. Marriott
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CHAPTER XXI
How A Prince Should Conduct Himself
As To Gain Renown
NOTHING makes a prince so much
esteemed as great enterprises and setting a fine example. We have in
our time Ferdinand of Aragon, the present King of Spain. He can
almost be called a new prince, because he has risen, by fame and
glory, from being an insignificant king to be the foremost king in
Christendom; and if you will consider his deeds you will find them
all great and some of them extraordinary. In the beginning of his
reign he attacked Granada, and this enterprise was the foundation of
his dominions. He did this quietly at first and without any fear of
hindrance, for he held the minds of the barons of Castile occupied
in thinking of the war and not anticipating any innovations; thus
they did not perceive that by these means he was acquiring power and
authority over them. He was able with the money of the Church and of
the people to sustain his armies, and by that long war to lay the
foundation for the military skill which has since distinguished him.
Further, always using religion as a plea, so as to undertake greater
schemes, he devoted himself with a pious cruelty to driving out and
clearing his kingdom of the Moors; nor could there be a more
admirable example, nor one more rare. Under this same cloak he
assailed Africa, he came down on Italy, he has finally attacked
France; and thus his achievements and designs have always been
great, and have kept the minds of his people in suspense and
admiration and occupied with the issue of them. And his actions have
arisen in such a way, one out of the other, that men have never been
given time to work steadily against him. (Note
1)
Again, it much assists a prince to
set unusual examples in internal affairs, similar to those which are
related of Messer Bernabo da Milano, who, when he had the
opportunity, by any one in civil life doing some extraordinary
thing, either good or bad, would take some method of rewarding or
punishing him, which would be much spoken about. And a prince ought,
above all things, always to endeavour in every action to gain for
himself the reputation of being a great and remarkable man. (Note
2)
A prince is also respected when he
is either a true friend or a downright enemy, that to say, when,
without any reservation, he declares himself in favour of one party
against the other; which course will always be more advantageous
than standing neutral; because if two of your powerful neighbours
come to blows, they are of such a character that, if one of them
conquers, you have either to fear him or not. In either case it will
always be more advantageous for you to declare yourself and to make
war strenuously; because, in the first case, if you do not declare
yourself, you will invariably fall a prey to the conqueror, to the
pleasure and satisfaction of him who has been conquered, and you
will have no reasons to offer, nor anything to protect or to shelter
you. Because he who conquers does not want doubtful friends who will
not aid him in the time of trial; and he who loses will not harbour
you because you did not willingly, sword in hand, court his fate. (Note
3)
Antiochus went into Greece, being
sent for by the Aetolians to drive out the Romans. He sent envoys to
the Achaeans, who were friends of the Romans, exhorting them to
remain neutral; and on the other hand the Romans urged them to take
up arms. This question came to be discussed in the council of the
Achaeans, where the legate of Antiochus urged them to stand neutral.
To this the Roman legate answered: "As for that which has been
said, that it is better and more advantageous for your state not to
interfere in our war, nothing can be more erroneous; because by not
interfering you will be left, without favour or consideration, the
guerdon of the conqueror." Thus it will always happen that he
who is not your friend will demand your neutrality, whilst he who is
your friend will entreat you to declare yourself with arms. And
irresolute princes, to avoid present dangers, generally follow the
neutral path, and are generally ruined. But when a prince declares
himself gallantly in favour of one side, if the party with whom he
allies himself conquers, although the victor may be powerful and may
have him at his mercy, yet he is indebted to him, and there is
established a bond of amity; and men are never so shameless as to
become a monument of ingratitude by oppressing you. Victories after
all are never so complete that the victor must not show some regard,
especially to justice. But if he with whom you ally yourself loses,
you may be sheltered by him, and whilst he is able he may aid you,
and you become companions in a fortune that may rise again. (Note
4)
In the second case, when those who
fight are of such a character that you have no anxiety as to who may
conquer, so much the more is it greater prudence to be allied,
because you assist at the destruction of one by the aid of another
who, if he had been wise, would have saved him; and conquering, as
it is impossible that he should not with your assistance, he remains
at your discretion. And here it is to be noted that a prince ought
to take care never to make an alliance with one more powerful than
himself for the purpose of attacking others, unless necessity
compels him, as is said above; because if he conquers you are at his
discretion, and princes ought to avoid as much as possible being at
the discretion of any one. The Venetians joined with France against
the Duke of Milan, and this alliance, which caused their ruin, could
have been avoided. But when it cannot be avoided, as happened to the
Florentines when the Pope and Spain sent armies to attack Lombardy,
then in such a case, for the above reasons, the prince ought to
favour one of the parties. (Note
5)
Never let any Government imagine
that it can choose perfectly safe courses; rather let it expect to
have to take very doubtful ones, because it is found in ordinary
affairs that one never seeks to avoid one trouble without running
into another; but prudence consists in knowing how to distinguish
the character of troubles, and for choice to take the lesser evil. (Note
6)
A prince ought also to show himself
a patron of ability, and to honour the proficient in every art. At
the same time he should encourage his citizens to practise their
callings peaceably, both in commerce and agriculture, and in every
other following, so that the one should not be deterred from
improving his possessions for fear lest they be taken away from him
or another from opening up trade for fear of taxes; but the prince
ought to offer rewards to whoever wishes to do these things and
designs in any way to honour his city or state. (Note
7)
Further, he ought to entertain the
people with festivals and spectacles at convenient seasons of the
year; and as every city is divided into guilds or into societies, he
ought to hold such bodies in esteem, and associate with them
sometimes, and show himself an example of courtesy and liberality;
nevertheless, always maintaining the majesty of his rank, for this
he must never consent to abate in anything. (Note
8)
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