《君主论-the prince(英文版)》the prince(英文版)-第26章

retained　thekingdom。Therefore；　do　not　let　our　princes　accuse　fortune　for　the　loss　of　theirprincipalities　after　so　many　years"　possession；　but　rather　their　oes　they　never　thought　there　could　be　a　change（it　is　a　mon　defect　in　man　not　to　make　any　provision　in　the　calmagainst　the　tempest）；　and　when　afterwards　the　bad　times　came　theythought　of　flight　and　not　of　defending　themselves；　and　they　hoped　thatthe　people；　disgusted　with　the　insolence　of　the　conquerors；　would　recallthem。　This　course；　when　others　fail；　may　be　good；　but　it　is　very　bad　tohave　neglected　all　other　expedients　for　that；　since　you　would　never　wishto　fall　because　you　trusted　to　be　able　to　find　someone　later　on　torestore　you。　This　again　either　does　not　happen；　or；　if　it　does；　it　willnot　be　for　your　security；　because　that　deliverance　is　of　no　avail　whichdoes　not　depend　upon　yourself；　those　only　are　reliable；　certain；　anddurable　that　depend　on　yourself　and　your　valour。CHAPTER　XXVWHAT　FORTUNE　CAN　EFFECT　IN　HUMAN　AFFAIRS；　AND　HOW　TO　WITHSTAND　HERIT　is　not　unknown　to　me　how　many　men　have　had；　and　still　have；　theopinion　that　the　affairs　of　the　world　are　in　such　wise　governed　byfortune　and　by　God　that　men　with　their　wisdom　cannot　direct　them　andthat　no　one　can　even　help　them；　and　because　of　this　they　would　have　usbelieve　that　it　is　not　necessary　to　labour　much　in　affairs；　but　to　letchance　govern　them。　This　opinion　has　been　more　credited　in　our　timesbecause　of　the　great　changes　in　affairs　which　have　been　seen；　and　maystill　be　seen；　every　day；　beyond　all　human　conjecture。　Sometimespondering　over　this；　I　am　in　some　degree　inclined　to　their　opinion。Nevertheless；　not　to　extinguish　our　free　will；　I　hold　it　to　be　true　thatFortune　is　the　arbiter　of　one…half　of　our　actions；　but　that　she　stillleaves　us　to　direct　the　other　half；　or　perhaps　a　little　less。I　pare　her　to　one　of　those　raging　rivers；　which　when　in　floodoverflows　the　plains；　sweeping　away　trees　and　buildings；　bearing　awaythe　soil　from　place　to　place；　everything　flies　before　it；　all　yield　toits　violence；　without　being　able　in　any　way　to　withstand　it；　and　yet；though　its　nature　be　such；　it　does　not　follow　therefore　that　men；　whenthe　weather　bees　fair；　shall　not　make　provision；　both　with　defencesand　barriers；　in　such　a　manner　that；　rising　again；　the　waters　may　passaway　by　canal；　and　their　force　be　neither　so　unrestrained　nor　sodangerous。　So　it　happens　with　fortune；　who　shows　her　power　where　valourhas　not　prepared　to　resist　her；　and　thither　she　turns　her　forces　whereshe　knows　that　barriers　and　defences　have　not　been　raised　to　constrainher。And　if　you　will　consider　Italy；　which　is　the　seat　of　these　changes；　andwhich　has　given　to　them　their　impulse；　you　will　see　it　to　be　an　opencountry　without　barriers　and　without　any　defence。　For　if　it　had　beendefended　by　proper　valour；　as　are　Germany；　Spain；　and　France；　eitherthis　invasion　would　not　have　made　the　great　changes　it　has　made　or　itwould　not　have　e　at　all。　And　this　I　consider　enough　to　say　concerningresistance　to　fortune　in　general。But　confining　myself　more　to　the　particular；　I　say　that　a　prince　may　beseen　happy　to…day　and　ruined　to…morrow　without　having　shown　any　changeof　disposition　or　character。　This；　I　believe；　arises　firstly　from　causesthat　have　already　been　discussed　at　length；　namely；　that　the　prince　whorelies　entirely　upon　fortune　is　lost　when　it　changes。　I　believe　alsothat　he　will　be　successful　who　directs　his　actions　according　to　thespirit　of　the　times；　and　that　he　whose　actions　do　not　accord　with　thetimes　will　not　be　successful。　Because　men　are　seen；　in　affairs　that　leadto　the　end　which　every　man　has　before　him；　namely；　glory　and　riches；　toget　there　by　various　methods；　one　with　caution；　another　with　haste；　oneby　force；　another　by　skill；　one　by　patience；　another　by　its　opposite；and　each　one　succeeds　in　reaching　the　goal　by　a　different　method。　Onecan　also　see　of　two　cautious　men　the　one　attain　his　end；　the　other　fail；and　similarly；　two　men　by　different　observances　are　equally　successful；the　one　being　cautious；　the　other　impetuous；　all　this　arises　fromnothing　else　than　whether　or　not　they　conform　in　their　methods　to　thespirit　of　the　times。　This　follows　from　what　I　have　said；　that　two　menworking　differently　bring　about　the　same　effect；　and　of　two　workingsimilarly；　one　attains　his　object　and　the　other　does　not。Changes　in　estate　also　issue　from　this；　for　if；　to　one　who　governshimself　with　caution　and　patience；　times　and　affairs　converge　in　such　away　that　his　administration　is　successful；　his　fortune　is　made；　but　iftimes　and　affairs　change；　he　is　ruined　if　he　does　not　change　his　courseof　action。　But　a　man　is　not　often　found　sufficiently　circumspect　to　knowhow　to　acmodate　himself　to　the　change；　both　because　he　cannot　deviatefrom　what　nature　inclines　him　to；　and　also　because；　having　alwaysprospered　by　acting　in　one　way；　he　cannot　be　persuaded　that　it　is　wellto　leave　it；　and；　therefore；　the　cautious　man；　when　it　is　time　to　turnadventurous；　does　not　know　how　to　do　it；　hence　he　is　ruined；　but　had　hechanged　his　conduct　with　the　times　fortune　would　not　have　changed。Pope　Julius　II　went　to　work　impetuously　in　all　his　affairs；　and　foundthe　times　and　circumstances　conform　so　well　to　that　line　of　action　thathe　always　met　with　success。　Consider　his　first　enterprise　againstBologna；　Messer　Giovanni　Bentivogli　being　still　alive。　The　Veianswere　not　agreeable　to　it；　nor　was　the　King　of　Spain；　and　he　had　theenterprise　still　under　discussion　with　the　King　of　France；　neverthelesshe　personally　entered　upon　the　expedition　with　his　accustomed　boldnessand　energy；　a　move　which　made　Spain　and　the　Veians　stand　irresoluteand　passive；　the　latter　from　fear；　the　former　from　desire　to　recover　allthe　kingdom　of　Naples；　on　the　other　hand；　he　drew　after　him　the　King　ofFrance；　because　that　king；　having　observed　the　movement；　and　desiring　tomake　the　Pope　his　friend　so　as　to　humble　the　Veians；　found　itimpossible　to　refuse　him　soldiers　without　manifestly　offending　him。Therefore　Julius　with　his　impetuous　action　acplished　what　no　otherpontiff　with　simple　human　wisdom　could　have　done；　for　if　he　had　waitedin　Rome　until　he　could　get　away；　with　his　plans　arranged　and　everythingfixed；　as　any　other　pontiff　would　have　done；　he　wo