马基雅维里 君主论英文prince-第6部分

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life。　Nevertheless；　he　acpanied　his　infamies　with　so　much　ability　of

mind　and　body　that；　having　devoted　himself　to　the　military　profession；

he　rose　through　its　ranks　to　be　Praetor　of　Syracuse。　Being　established

in　that　position；　and　having　deliberately　resolved　to　make　himself

prince　and　to　seize　by　violence；　without　obligation　to　others；　that

which　had　been　conceded　to　him　by　assent；　he　came　to　an　understanding

for　this　purpose　with　Hamilcar；　the　Carthaginian；　who；　with　his　army；

was　fighting　in　Sicily。　One　morning　he　assembled　the　people　and　senate

of　Syracuse；　as　if　he　had　to　discuss　with　them　things　relating　to　the

Republic；　and　at　a　given　signal　the　soldiers　killed　all　the　senators　and

the　richest　of　the　people；　these　dead；　he　seized　and　held　the　princedom

of　that　city　without　any　civil　motion。　And　although　he　was　twice

routed　by　the　Carthaginians；　and　ultimately　besieged；　yet　not　only　was

he　able　to　defend　his　city；　but　leaving　part　of　his　men　for　its　defence；

with　the　others　he　attacked　Africa；　and　in　a　short　time　raised　the　siege

of　Syracuse。　The　Carthaginians；　reduced　to　extreme　necessity；　were

pelled　to　e　to　terms　with　Agathocles；　and；　leaving　Sicily　to　him；

had　to　be　content　with　the　possession　of　Africa。



Therefore；　he　who　considers　the　actions　and　the　genius　of　this　man　will

see　nothing；　or　little；　which　can　be　attributed　to　fortune；　inasmuch　as

he　attained　pre…eminence；　as　is　shown　above；　not　by　the　favour　of　any

one；　but　step　by　step　in　the　military　profession；　which　steps　were

gained　with　a　thousand　troubles　and　perils；　and　were　afterwards　boldly

held　by　him　with　many　hazards　and　dangers。　Yet　it　cannot　be　called

talent　to　slay　fellow…citizens；　to　deceive　friends；　to　be　without　faith；

without　mercy；　without　religion；　such　methods　may　gain　empire；　but　not

glory。　Still；　if　the　courage　of　Agathocles　in　entering　into　and

extricating　himself　from　dangers　be　considered；　together　with　his

greatness　of　mind　in　enduring　overing　hardships；　it　cannot　be　seen

why　he　should　be　esteemed　less　than　the　most　notable　captain。

Nevertheless；　his　barbarous　cruelty　and　inhumanity　with　infinite

wickednesses　do　not　permit　him　to　be　celebrated　among　the　most　excellent

men。　What　he　achieved　cannot　be　attributed　either　to　fortune　or　to

genius。



In　our　times；　during　the　rule　of　Alexander　VI；　Oliverotto　da　Fermo；

having　been　left　an　orphan　many　years　before；　was　brought　up　by　his

maternal　uncle；　Giovanni　Fogliani；　and　in　the　early　days　of　his　youth

sent　to　fight　under　Paolo　Vitelli；　that；　being　trained　under　his

discipline；　he　might　attain　some　high　position　in　the　military

profession。　After　Paolo　died；　he　fought　under　his　brother　Vitellozzo；

and　in　a　very　short　time；　being　endowed　with　wit　and　a　vigorous　body　and

mind；　he　became　the　first　man　in　his　profession。　But　it　appearing　to　him

a　paltry　thing　to　serve　under　others；　he　resolved；　with　the　aid　of　some

citizens　of　Fermo；　to　whom　the　slavery　of　their　country　was　dearer　than

its　liberty；　and　with　the　help　of　the　Vitelli；　to　seize　Fermo。　So　he

wrote　to　Giovanni　Fogliani　that；　having　been　away　from　home　for　many

years；　he　wished　to　visit　him　and　his　city；　and　in　some　measure　to　look

into　his　patrimony；　and　although　he　had　not　laboured　to　acquire　anything

except　honour；　yet；　in　order　that　the　citizens　should　see　he　had　not

spent　his　time　in　vain；　he　desired　to　e　honourably；　so　would　be

acpanied　by　one　hundred　horsemen；　his　friends　and　retainers；　and　he

entreated　Giovanni　to　arrange　that　he　should　be　received　honourably　by

the　citizens　of　Fermo；　all　of　which　would　be　not　only　to　his　honour；　but

also　to　that　of　Giovanni　himself；　who　had　brought　him　up。



Giovanni；　therefore；　did　not　fail　in　any　attentions　due　to　his　nephew；

and　he　caused　him　to　be　honourably　received　by　the　Fermans；　and　he

lodged　him　in　his　own　house；　where；　having　passed　some　days；　and　having

arranged　what　was　necessary　for　his　wicked　designs；　Oliverotto　gave　a

solemn　banquet　to　which　he　invited　Giovanni　Fogliani　and　the　chiefs　of

Fermo。　When　the　viands　and　all　the　other　entertainments　that　are　usual

in　such　banquets　were　finished；　Oliverotto　artfully　began　certain　grave

discourses；　speaking　of　the　greatness　of　Pope　Alexander　and　his　son

Cesare；　and　of　their　enterprises；　to　which　discourse　Giovanni　and　others

answered；　but　he　rose　at　once；　saying　that　such　matters　ought　to　be

discussed　in　a　more　private　place；　and　he　betook　himself　to　a　chamber；

whither　Giovanni　and　the　rest　of　the　citizens　went　in　after　him。　No

sooner　were　they　seated　than　soldiers　issued　from　secret　places　and

slaughtered　Giovanni　and　the　rest。　After　these　murders　Oliverotto；

mounted　on　horseback；　rode　up　and　down　the　town　and　besieged　the　chief

magistrate　in　the　palace；　so　that　in　fear　the　people　were　forced　to　obey

him；　and　to　form　a　government；　of　which　he　made　himself　the　prince。　He

killed　all　the　malcontents　who　were　able　to　injure　him；　and　strengthened

himself　with　new　civil　and　military　ordinances；　in　such　a　way　that；　in

the　year　during　which　he　held　the　principality；　not　only　was　he　secure

in　the　city　of　Fermo；　but　he　had　bee　formidable　to　all　his

neighbours。　And　his　destruction　would　have　been　as　difficult　as　that　of

Agathocles　if　he　had　not　allowed　himself　to　be　overreached　by　Cesare

Borgia；　who　took　him　with　the　Orsini　and　Vitelli　at　Sinigaglia；　as　was

stated　above。　Thus　one　year　after　he　had　mitted　this　parricide；　he

was　strangled；　together　with　Vitellozzo；　whom　he　had　made　his　leader　in

valour　and　wickedness。



Some　may　wonder　how　it　can　happen　that　Agathocles；　and　his　like；　after

infinite　treacheries　and　cruelties；　should　live　for　long　secure　in　his

country；　and　defend　himself　from　external　enemies；　and　never　be

conspired　against　by　his　own　citizens；　seeing　that　many　others；　by　means

of　cruelty；　have　never　been　able　even　in　peaceful　times　to　hold　the

state；　still　less　in　the　doubtful　times　of　war。　I　believe　that　this

follows　from　severities　being　badly　or　properly　used。　Those　may　be

called　properly　used；　if　of　evil　it　is　lawful　to　speak　well；　that　are

applied　at　one　blow　and　are　necessary　to　one's　security；　and　that　are

not　persisted　in　afterwards　unless　they　can　be　turned　to　the　advantage

of　the　subjects。　The　badly　employed　are　those　which；　notwithstanding

they　may　be　few　in　the　mencement；　multiply　with　time　rather　than

decrease。　Those　who　practise　the　first　system　are　able；　by　aid　of　God　or

man；　to　mitigate　in　some　degree　their　rule；　as　Agathocles　did。　It　is

impossible　for　those　who　follow　the　other　to　maintain　themselves。



Hence　it　is　to　be　remarked　that；　in　seizing　a　state；　the　usurper　ought

to　examine　closely　into　all　those　injuries　which　it　is　necessary　for　him

to　inflict；　and　to　do　them　all　at　one　stroke　so　as　not　to　have　to　repeat

them　daily；　and　thus　by　not　unsettling　men　he　will　be　able　to　reassure

them；　and　win　them　to　himself　by　benefits。　He　who　does　otherwise；　either

from　timidity　or　evil　advice；　is　always　pelled　to　keep　the　knife　in

his　hand；　neither　can　he　rely　on　his　subjects；　nor　can　they　attach

themselves　to　him；　owing　to　their　continued　and　repeated　wrongs。　For

injuries　ought　to　be　done　all　at　one　time；　so　that；　being　tasted　less；

they　offend　less；　benefits　ought　to　be　given　little　by　little；　so　that

the　flavour　of　them　may　last　longer。



And　above　all　things；　a　prince　ought　to　live　amongst　his　people　in　such

a　way　that　no　unexpected　circumstances；　whether　of　good　or　evil；　shall

make　him　change；　because　if　the　necessity　for　this　es　in　troubled

times；　you　are　too　late　for　harsh　measures；　and　mild　ones　will　not　help

you；　for　they　will　be　considered　as　forced　from　you；　and　no　one　will　be

under　any　obligation　to　you　for　them。



CHAPTER　IX



CONCERNING　A　CIVIL　PRINCIPALITY



BUT　ing　to　the　other　point　　where　a　leading　citizen　bees　the

prince　of　his　country；　not　by　wickedness　or　any　intolerable　violence；

but　by　the　favour　of　his　fellow　citizens　　this　may　be　called　a　civil

principality：　nor　is　genius　or　fortune　altogether　necessary　to　attain　to

it；　but　rather　a　happy　shrewdness。　I　say　then　that　such　a　principality

is　obtained　either　by　the　favour　of　the　people　or　by　the　favour　of　the

nobles。　Because　in　all　cities　these　two　distinct　parties　are　found；　and

from　this　it　arises　that　the　people　do　not　wish　to　be　ruled　nor

oppressed　by　the　nobles；　and　the　nobles　wish　to　rule　and　oppress　the

people；　and　from　these　two　opposite　desires　there　arises　in　cities　one

of　three　results；　either　a　principality；　self…government；　or　anarchy。



A　principality　is　created　either　by　the　people　or　by　the　nobles；

accordingly　as　one　or　other　of　them　has　the　opportunity；　for　the　nobles；

seeing　they　cannot　withstand　the　people；　begin　to　cry　up　the　reputation

of　one　of　themselves；　and　they　make　him　a　prince；　so　that　under　his

shadow　they　can　give　vent　to　their　ambitions。　The　people；　finding　they

cannot　resist　the　nobles；　also　cry　up　the　reputation　of　one　of

themselves；　and　make　him　a　prince　so　as　to　be　defended　by　his　authority。

He　who　obtains　sovereignty　by　the　assistance　of　the　nobles　maintains

himself　with　more　difficulty　than　he　who　es　to　it　by　the　aid　of　the

people；　because　the　former　finds　himself　with　many　around　him　who

consider　themselves　his　equals；　and　because　of　this　he　can　neither　rule

nor　manage　them　to　his　liking。　But　he　who　reaches　sovereignty　by　popular

favour　finds　himself　alone；　and　has　none　around　him；　or　few；　who　are　not

prepared　to　obey　him。



Besides　this；　one　cannot　by　fair　dealing；　and　without　injury　to　others；

satisfy　the　nobles；　but　you　can　satisfy　the　people；　for　their　object　is

more　righteous　than　that　of　the　nobles；　the　latter　wishing　to　oppress；

whilst　the　former　only　desire　not　to　be　oppressed。　It　is　to　be　added

also　that　a　prince　can　never　secure　himself　against　a　hostile　people；

because　of　their　being　too　many；　whilst　from　the　nobles　he　can　secure

himself；　as　they　are　few　in　number。　The