《君主论-the prince(英文版)》the prince(英文版)-第15章

een　enlarged　or　maintained。But　the　scanty　wisdom　of　man；　on　entering　into　an　affair　which　lookswell　at　first；　cannot　discern　the　poison　that　is　hidden　in　it；　as　I　havesaid　above　of　hectic　fevers。　Therefore；　if　he　who　rules　a　principalitycannot　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　RomanEmpire　should　be　examined；　it　will　be　found　to　have　menced　only　withthe　enlisting　of　the　Goths；　because　from　that　time　the　vigour　of　theRoman　Empire　began　to　decline；　and　all　that　valour　which　had　raised　itpassed　away　to　others。I　conclude；　therefore；　that　no　principality　is　secure　without　having　itsown　forces；　on　the　contrary；　it　is　entirely　dependent　on　good　fortune；not　having　the　valour　which　in　adversity　would　defend　it。　And　it　hasalways　been　the　opinion　and　judgment　of　wise　men　that　nothing　can　be　souncertain　or　unstable　as　fame　or　power　not　founded　on　its　own　strength。And　one"s　own　forces　are　those　which　are　posed　either　of　subjects；citizens；　or　dependants；　all　others　are　mercenaries　or　auxiliaries。　Andthe　way　to　take　ready　one"s　own　forces　will　be　easily　found　if　the　rulessuggested　by　me　shall　be　reflected　upon；　and　if　one　will　consider　howPhilip；　the　father　of　Alexander　the　Great；　and　many　republics　andprinces　have　armed　and　organized　themselves；　to　which　rules　I　entirelymit　myself。CHAPTER　XIVTHAT　WHICH　CONCERNS　A　PRINCE　ON　THE　SUBJECT　OF　THE　ART　OF　WARA　PRINCE　ought　to　have　no　other　aim　or　thought；　nor　select　anything　elsefor　his　study；　than　war　and　its　rules　and　discipline；　for　this　is　thesole　art　that　belongs　to　him　who　rules；　and　it　is　of　such　force　that　itnot　only　upholds　those　who　are　born　princes；　but　it　often　enables　men　torise　from　a　private　station　to　that　rank。　And；　on　the　contrary；　it　isseen　that　when　princes　have　thought　more　of　ease　than　of　arms　they　havelost　their　states。　And　the　first　cause　of　your　losing　it　is　to　neglectthis　art；　and　what　enables　you　to　acquire　a　state　is　to　be　master　of　theart。　Francesco　Sforza；　through　being　martial；　from　a　private　personbecame　Duke　of　Milan；　and　the　sons；　through　avoiding　the　hardships　andtroubles　of　arms；　from　dukes　became　private　persons。　For　among　otherevils　which　being　unarmed　brings　you；　it　causes　you　to　be　despised；　andthis　is　one　of　those　ignominies　against　which　a　prince　ought　to　guardhimself；　as　is　shown　later　on。　Because　there　is　nothing　proportionatebetween　the　armed　and　the　unarmed；　and　it　is　not　reasonable　that　he　whois　armed　should　yield　obedience　willingly　to　him　who　is　unarmed；　or　thatthe　unarmed　man　should　be　secure　among　armed　servants。　Because；　therebeing　in　the　one　disdain　and　in　the　other　suspicion；　it　is　not　possiblefor　them　to　work　well　together。　And　therefore　a　prince　who　does　notunderstand　the　art　of　war；　over　and　above　the　other　misfortunes　alreadymentioned；　cannot　be　respected　by　his　soldiers；　nor　can　he　rely　on　them。He　ought　never；　therefore；　to　have　out　of　his　thoughts　this　subject　ofwar；　and　in　peace　he　should　addict　himself　more　to　its　exercise　than　inwar；　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　wellorganized　and　drilled；　to　follow　incessantly　the　chase；　by　which　heaccustoms　his　body　to　hardships；　and　learns　something　of　the　nature　oflocalities；　and　gets　to　find　out　how　the　mountains　rise；　how　the　valleysopen　out；　how　the　plains　lie；　and　to　understand　the　nature　of　rivers　andmarshes；　and　in　all　this　to　take　the　greatest　care。　Which　knowledge　isuseful　in　two　ways。　Firstly；　he　learns　to　know　his　country；　and　isbetter　able　to　undertake　its　defence；　afterwards；　by　means　of　theknowledge　and　observation　of　that　locality；　he　understands　with　ease　anyother　which　it　may　be　necessary　for　him　to　study　hereafter；　because　thehills；　valleys；　and　plains；　and　rivers　and　marshes　that　are；　forinstance；　in　Tuscany；　have　a　certain　resemblance　to　those　of　othercountries；　so　that　with　a　knowledge　of　the　aspect　of　one　country　one　caneasily　arrive　at　a　knowledge　of　others。　And　the　prince　that　lacks　thisskill　lacks　the　essential　which　it　is　desirable　that　a　captain　shouldpossess；　for　it　teaches　him　to　surprise　his　enemy；　to　select　quarters；to　lead　armies；　to　array　the　battle；　to　besiege　towns　to　advantage。Philopoemen；　Prince　of　the　Achaeans；　among　other　praises　which　writershave　bestowed　on　him；　is　mended　because　in　time　of　peace　he　never　hadanything　in　his　mind　but　the　rules　of　war；　and　when　he　was　in　thecountry　with　friends；　he　often　stopped　and　reasoned　with　them：　〃If　theenemy　should　be　upon　that　hill；　and　we　should　find　ourselves　here　withour　army；　with　whom　would　be　the　advantage？　How　should　one　best　advanceto　meet　him；　keeping　the　ranks？　If　we　should　wish　to　retreat；　how　oughtwe　to　set　about　it？　If　they　should　retreat；　how　ought　we　to　pursue？〃　Andhe　would　set　forth　to　them；　as　he　went；　all　the　chances　that　couldbefall　an　army；　he　would　listen　to　their　opinion　and　state　his；confirming　it　with　reasons；　so　that　by　these　continual　discussions　therecould　never　arise；　in　time　of　war；　any　unexpected　circumstances　that　hecould　deal　with。But　to　exercise　the　intellect　the　prince　should　read　histories；　andstudy　there　the　actions　of　illustrious　men；　to　see　how　they　have　borhemselves　in　war；　to　examine　the　causes　of　their　victories　and　defeat；so　as　to　avoid　the　latter　and　imitate　the　former；　and　above　all　do　as　anillustrious　man　did；　who　took　as　an　exemplar　one　who　had　been　praisedand　famous　before　him；　and　whose　achievements　and　deeds　he　always　keptin　his　mind；　as　it　is　said　Alexander　the　Great　imitated　Achilles；　CaesarAlexander；　Scipio　Cyrus。　And　whoever　reads　the　life　of　Cyrus；　written　byXenophon；　will　recognize　afterwards　in　the　life　of　Scipio　how　thatimitation　was　his　glory；　and　how　in　chastity；　affability；　humanity；　andliberality　Scipio　conformed　to　those　things　which　have　been　written　ofCyrus　by　Xenophon。　A　wise　prince　ought　to　observe　some　such　rules；　andnever　in　peaceful　times　stand　idle；　but　increase　his　resources　withindustry　in　such　a　way　that　they　may　be　available　to　him　in　adversity；so　that　if　fortune　changes　it　may　find　him　prepared　to　resist　her　blows。CHAPTER　XVCONCERNING　THINGS　FOR　WHICH　MEN；　AN