《君主论-the prince(英文版)》the prince(英文版)-第18章


legate of Scipio;yet they were not avenged by him; nor was the insolence of the legatepunished; owing entirely to his easy nature。 Insomuch that someone inthe Senate; wishing to excuse him; said there were many men who knewmuch better how not to err than to correct the errors of others。 Thisdisposition; if he had been continued in the mand; would havedestroyed in time the fame and glory of Scipio; but; he being under thecontrol of the Senate; this injurious characteristic not only concealeditself; but contributed to his glory。Returning to the question of being feared or loved; I e to theconclusion that; men loving according to their own will and fearingaccording to that of the prince; a wise prince should establish himselfon that which is in his own control and not in that of others; he mustendeavour only to avoid hatred; as is noted。1。 。。。against my will; my fate; A throne unsettled; and an infant state; Bid me defend my realms with all my pow"rs; And guard with these severities my shores。CHAPTER XVIIICONCERNING THE WAY IN WHICH PRINCES SHOULD KEEP FAITHEVERY one admits how praiseworthy it is in a prince to keep faith; andto live with integrity and not with craft。 Nevertheless our experiencehas been that those princes who have done great things have held goodfaith of little account; and have known how to circumvent the intellectof men by craft; and in the end have overe those who have relied ontheir word。 You must know there are two ways of contesting; the one bythe law; the other by force; the first method is proper to men; thesecond to beasts; but because the first is frequently not sufficient; itis necessary to have recourse to the second。 Therefore it is necessaryfor a prince to understand how to avail himself of the beast and theman。 This has been figuratively taught to princes by ancient writers;who describe how Achilles and many other princes of old were given tothe Centaur Chiron to nurse; who brought them up in his discipline;which means solely that; as they had for a teacher one who was halfbeast and half man; so it is necessary for a prince to know how to makeuse of both natures; and that one without the other is not durable。 Aprince; therefore; being pelled knowingly to adopt the beast; oughtto choose the fox and the lion; because the lion cannot defend himselfagainst snares and the fox cannot defend himself against wolves。Therefore; it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares and a lionto terrify the wolves。 Those who rely simply on the lion do notunderstand what they are about。 Therefore a wise lord cannot; nor oughthe to; keep faith when such observance may be turned against him; andwhen the reasons that caused him to pledge it exist no longer。 If menwere entirely good this precept would not hold; but because they arebad; and will not keep faith with you; you too are not bound to observeit with them。 Nor will there ever be wanting to a prince legitimatereasons to excuse this nonobservance。 Of this endless modern examplescould be given; showing how many treaties and engagements have been madevoid and of no effect through the faithlessness of princes; and he whohas known best how to employ the fox has succeeded best。But it is necessary to know well how to disguise this characteristic;and to be a great pretender and dissembler; and men are so simple; andso subject to present necessities; that he who seeks to deceive willalways find someone who will allow himself to be deceived。 One recentexample I cannot pass over in silence。 Alexander VI did nothing else butdeceive men; nor ever thought of doing otherwise; and he always foundvictims; for there never was a man who had greater power in asserting;or who with greater oaths would affirm a thing; yet would observe itless; nevertheless his deceits always succeeded according to his wishes;because he well understood this side of mankind。Therefore it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualitiesI have enumerated; but it is very necessary to appear to have them。 AndI shall dare to say this also; that to have them and always to observethem is injurious; and that to appear to have them is useful; to appearmerciful; faithful; humane; religious; upright; and to be so; but with amind so framed that should you require not to be so; you may be able andknow how to change to the opposite。And you have to understand this; that a prince; especially a new one;cannot observe all those things for which men are esteemed; being oftenforced; in order to maintain the state; to act contrary to faith;friendship; humanity; and religion。 Therefore it is necessary for him tohave a mind ready to turn itself accordingly as the winds and variationsof fortune force it; yet; as I have said above; not to diverge from thegood if he can avoid doing so; but; if pelled; then to know how toset about it。For this reason a prince ought to take care that he never lets anythingslip from his lips that is not replete with the above…named fivequalities; that he may appear to him who sees and hears him altogethermerciful; faithful; humane; upright; and religious。 There is nothingmore necessary to appear to have than this last quality; inasmuch as menjudge generally more by the eye than by the hand; because it belongs toeverybody to see you; to few to e in touch with you。 Every one seeswhat you appear to be; few really know what you are; and those few darenot oppose themselves to the opinion of the many; who have the majestyof the state to defend them; and in the actions of all men; andespecially of princes; which it is not prudent to challenge; one judgesby the result。For that reason; let a prince have the credit of conquering and holdinghis state; the means will always be considered honest; and he will bepraised by everybody because the vulgar are always taken by what a thingseems to be and by what es of it; and in the world there are only thevulgar; for the few find a place there only when the many have no groundto rest on。One prince '1' of the present time; whom it is not well to name; neverpreaches anything else but peace and good faith; and to both he is mosthostile; and either; if he had kept it; would have deprived him ofreputation and kingdom many a time。1。 Maximilian I; Holy Roman E
小说推荐
返回首页返回目录