马基雅维里 君主论英文prince- 第4部分

the　opportunity　would　have　e　in　vain。



It　was　necessary；　therefore；　to　Moses　that　he　should　find　the　people　of

Israel　in　Egypt　enslaved　and　oppressed　by　the　Egyptians；　in　order　that

they　should　be　disposed　to　follow　him　so　as　to　be　delivered　out　of

bondage。　It　was　necessary　that　Romulus　should　not　remain　in　Alba；　and

that　he　should　be　abandoned　at　his　birth；　in　order　that　he　should　bee

King　of　Rome　and　founder　of　the　fatherland。　It　was　necessary　that　Cyrus

should　find　the　Persians　discontented　with　the　government　of　the　Medes；

and　the　Medes　soft　and　effeminate　through　their　long　peace。　Theseus

could　not　have　shown　his　ability　had　he　not　found　the　Athenians

dispersed。　These　opportunities；　therefore；　made　those　men　fortunate；　and

their　high　ability　enabled　them　to　recognize　the　opportunity　whereby

their　country　was　ennobled　and　made　famous。



Those　who　by　valorous　ways　bee　princes；　like　these　men；　acquire　a

principality　with　difficulty；　but　they　it　with　ease。　The　difficulties

they　have　in　acquiring　it　arise　in　part　from　the　new　rules　and　methods

which　they　are　forced　to　introduce　to　establish　their　government　and　its

security。　And　it　ought　to　be　remembered　that　there　is　nothing　more

difficult　to　take　in　hand；　more　perilous　to　conduct；　or　more　uncertain

in　its　success；　than　to　take　the　lead　in　the　introduction　of　a　new　order

of　things。　Because　the　innovator　has　for　enemies　all　those　who　have　done

well　under　the　old　conditions；　and　lukewarm　defenders　in　those　who　may

do　well　under　the　new。　This　coolness　arises　partly　from　fear　of　the

opponents；　who　have　the　laws　on　their　side；　and　partly　from　the

incredulity　of　men；　who　do　not　readily　believe　in　new　things　until　they

have　had　a　long　experience　of　them。　Thus　it　happens　that　whenever　those

who　are　hostile　have　the　opportunity　to　attack　they　do　it　like

partisans；　whilst　the　others　defend　lukewarmly；　in　such　wise　that　the

prince　is　endangered　along　with　them。



It　is　necessary；　therefore；　if　we　desire　to　discuss　this　matter

thoroughly；　to　inquire　whether　these　innovators　can　rely　on　themselves

or　have　to　depend　on　others：　that　is　to　say；　whether；　to　consummate

their　enterprise；　have　they　to　use　prayers　or　can　they　use　force？　In　the

first　instance　they　always　succeed　badly；　and　never　pass　anything；

but　when　they　can　rely　on　themselves　and　use　force；　then　they　are　rarely

endangered。　Hence　it　is　that　all　armed　prophets　have　conquered；　and　the

unarmed　ones　have　been　destroyed。　Besides　the　reasons　mentioned；　the

nature　of　the　people　is　variable；　and　whilst　it　is　easy　to　persuade

them；　it　is　difficult　to　fix　them　in　that　persuasion。　And　thus　it　is

necessary　to　take　such　measures　that；　when　they　believe　no　longer；　it

may　be　possible　to　make　them　believe　by　force。



If　Moses；　Cyrus；　Theseus；　and　Romulus　had　been　unarmed　they　could　not

have　enforced　their　constitutions　for　long　　as　happened　in　our　time　to

Fra　Girolamo　Savonarola；　who　was　ruined　with　his　new　order　of　things

immediately　the　multitude　believed　in　him　no　longer；　and　he　had　no　means

of　keeping　steadfast　those　who　believed　or　of　making　the　unbelievers　to

believe。　Therefore　such　as　these　have　great　difficulties　in　consummating

their　enterprise；　for　all　their　dangers　are　in　the　ascent；　yet　with

ability　they　will　overe　them；　but　when　these　are　overe；　and　those

who　envied　them　their　success　are　exterminated；　they　will　begin　to　be

respected；　and　they　will　continue　afterwards　powerful；　secure；　honoured；

and　happy。



To　these　great　examples　I　wish　to　add　a　lesser　one；　still　it　bears　some

resemblance　to　them；　and　I　wish　it　to　suffice　me　for　all　of　a　like　kind：

it　is　Hiero　the　Syracusan。　This　man　rose　from　a　private　station　to　be

Prince　of　Syracuse；　nor　did　he；　either；　owe　anything　to　fortune　but

opportunity；　for　the　Syracusans；　being　oppressed；　chose　him　for　their

captain；　afterwards　he　was　rewarded　by　being　made　their　prince。　He　was

of　so　great　ability；　even　as　a　private　citizen；　that　one　who　writes　of

him　says　he　wanted　nothing　but　a　kingdom　to　be　a　king。　This　man

abolished　the　old　soldiery；　organized　the　new；　gave　up　old　alliances；

made　new　ones；　and　as　he　had　his　own　soldiers　and　allies；　on　such

foundations　he　was　able　to　build　any　edifice：　thus；　whilst　he　had

endured　much　trouble　in　acquiring；　he　had　but　little　in　keeping。



CHAPTER　VII



CONCERNING　NEW　PRINCIPALITIES　WHICH　ARE　ACQUIRED　EITHER　BY　THE　ARMS　OF

OTHERS　OR　BY　GOOD　FORTUNE



THOSE　who　solely　by　good　fortune　bee　princes　from　being　private

citizens　have　little　trouble　in　rising；　but　much　in　keeping　atop；　they

have　not　any　difficulties　on　the　way　up；　because　they　fly；　but　they　have

many　when　they　reach　the　summit。　Such　are　those　to　whom　some　state　is

given　either　for　money　or　by　the　favour　of　him　who　bestows　it；　as

happened　to　many　in　Greece；　in　the　cities　of　Ionia　and　of　the

Hellespont；　where　princes　were　made　by　Darius；　in　order　that　they　might

hold　the　cities　both　for　his　security　and　his　glory；　as　also　were　those

emperors　who；　by　the　corruption　of　the　soldiers；　from　being　citizens

came　to　empire。　Such　stand　simply　upon　the　goodwill　and　the　fortune　of

him　who　has　elevated　them　　two　most　inconstant　and　unstable　things。

Neither　have　they　the　knowledge　requisite　for　the　position；　because；

unless　they　are　men　of　great　worth　and　ability；　it　is　not　reasonable　to

expect　that　they　should　know　how　to　mand；　having　always　lived　in　a

private　condition；　besides；　they　cannot　hold　it　because　they　have　not

forces　which　they　can　keep　friendly　and　faithful。



States　that　rise　unexpectedly；　then；　like　all　other　things　in　nature

which　are　born　and　grow　rapidly；　cannot　have　their　foundations　and

relations　with　other　states　fixed　in　such　a　way　that　the　first　storm

will　not　overthrow　them；　unless；　as　is　said；　those　who　unexpectedly

bee　princes　are　men　of　so　much　ability　that　they　know　they　have　to　be

prepared　at　once　to　hold　that　which　fortune　has　thrown　into　their　laps；

and　that　those　foundations；　which　others　have　laid　before　they　became

princes；　they　must　lay　afterwards。



Concerning　these　two　methods　of　rising　to　be　a　prince　by　ability　or

fortune；　I　wish　to　adduce　two　examples　within　our　own　recollection；　and

these　are　Francesco　Sforza　and　Cesare　Borgia。　Francesco；　by　proper　means

and　with　great　ability；　from　being　a　private　person　rose　to　be　Duke　of

Milan；　and　that　which　he　had　acquired　with　a　thousand　anxieties　he　kept

with　little　trouble。　On　the　other　hand；　Cesare　Borgia；　called　by　the

people　Duke　Valentino；　acquired　his　state　during　the　ascendancy　of　his

father；　and　on　its　decline　he　lost　it；　notwithstanding　that　he　had　taken

every　measure　and　done　all　that　ought　to　be　done　by　a　wise　and　able　man

to　fix　firmly　his　roots　in　the　states　which　the　arms　and　fortunes　of

others　had　bestowed　on　him。



Because；　as　is　stated　above；　he　who　has　not　first　laid　his　foundations

may　be　able　with　great　ability　to　lay　them　afterwards；　but　they　will　be

laid　with　trouble　to　the　architect　and　danger　to　the　building。　If；

therefore；　all　the　steps　taken　by　the　duke　be　considered；　it　will　be

seen　that　he　laid　solid　foundations　for　his　future　power；　and　I　do　not

consider　it　superfluous　to　discuss　them；　because　I　do　not　know　what

better　precepts　to　give　a　new　prince　than　the　example　of　his　actions；

and　if　his　dispositions　were　of　no　avail；　that　was　not　his　fault；　but

the　extraordinary　and　extreme　malignity　of　fortune。



Alexander　VI；　in　wishing　to　aggrandize　the　duke；　his　son；　had　many

immediate　and　prospective　difficulties。　Firstly；　he　did　not　see　his　way

to　make　him　master　of　any　state　that　was　not　a　state　of　the　Church；　and

if　he　was　willing　to　rob　the　Church　he　knew　that　the　Duke　of　Milan　and

the　Venetians　would　not　consent；　because　Faenza　and　Rimini　were　already

under　the　protection　of　the　Venetians。　Besides　this；　he　saw　the　arms　of

Italy；　especially　those　by　which　he　might　have　been　assisted；　in　hands

that　would　fear　the　aggrandizement　of　the　Pope；　namely；　the　Orsini　and

the　Colonna　and　their　following。　It　behoved　him；　therefore；　to　upset

this　state　of　affairs　and　embroil　the　powers；　so　as　to　make　himself

securely　master　of　part　of　their　states。　This　was　easy　for　him　to　do；

because　he　found　the　Venetians；　moved　by　other　reasons；　inclined　to

bring　back　the　French　into　Italy；　he　would　not　only　not　oppose　this；　but

he　would　render　it　more　easy　by　dissolving　the　former　marriage　of　King

Louis。　Therefore　the　king　came　into　Italy　with　the　assistance　of　the

Venetians　and　the　consent　of　Alexander。　He　was　no　sooner　in　Milan　than

the　Pope　had　soldiers　from　him　for　the　attempt　on　the　Romagna；　which

yielded　to　him　on　the　reputation　of　the　king。　The　duke；　therefore；

having　acquired　the　Romagna　and　beaten　the　Colonna；　while　wishing　to

hold　that　and　to　advance　further；　was　hindered　by　two　things：　the　one；

his　forces　did　not　appear　loyal　to　him；　the　other；　the　goodwill　of

France：　that　is　to　say；　he　feared　that　the　forces　of　the　Orsini；　which

was　using；　would　not　stand　to　him；　that　not　only　might　they　hinder　him

from　winning　more；　but　might　themselves　seize　what　he　had　won；　and　that

the　King　might　also　do　the　same。　Of　the　Orsini　he　had　a　warning　when；

after　taking　Faenza　and　attacking　Bologna；　he　saw　them　go　very

unwillingly　to　that　attack。　And　as　to　the　king；　he　learned　his　mind　when

he　himself；　after　taking　the　duchy　of　Urbino；　attacked　Tuscany；　and　the

king　made　him　desist　from　that　undertaking；　hence　the　duke　decided　to

depend　no　more　upon　the　arms　and　the　luck　of　others。



For　the　first　thing　he　weakened　the　Orsini　and　Colonna　parties　in　Rome；

by　gaining　to　himself　all　their　adherents　who　were　gentlemen；　making

them　his　gentlemen；　giving　them　good　pay；　and；　according　to　their　rank；

honouring　them　with　office　and　mand　in　such　a　way　that　in　a　few

months　all　attachment　to　the　factions　was　destroyed　and　turned　entirely

to　the　duke。　After　this　he　awaited　an　opportunity　to　crush　the　Ors