05-Chapter 5 How Cities or Provinces Which Before Their Acquisition…mt

Chapter 5 How Cities orProvinces Which Before Their Acquisition Have Lived Under Their Own Laws Are ToBe Governed

When a newly acquired Statehas been accustomed, as I have said, to live under its own laws and in freedom,there are three methods whereby it may be held. The first is to destroy it; thesecond, to go and reside there in person; the third, to suffer it to live onunder its own laws, subjecting it to a tribute, and entrusting its governmentto a few of the inhabitants who will keep the rest your friends. Such aGovernment, since it is the creature of the new Prince, will see that it cannotstand without his protection and support, and must therefore do all it can tomaintain him; and a city accustomed to live in freedom, if it is to bepreserved at all, is more easily controlled through its own citizens than inany other way.

We have examples of allthese methods in the histories of the Spartans and the Romans. The Spartansheld Athens and Thebes by creating oligarchies in these cities, yet lost themin the end. The Romans, to retain Capua, Carthage, and Numantia, destroyed themand never lost them. On the other hand, when they thought to hold Greece as theSpartans had held it, leaving it its freedom and allowing it to be governed byits own laws, they failed, and had to destroy many cities of that Provincebefore they could secure it. For, in truth, there is no sure way of holdingother than by destroying, and whoever becomes master of a City accustomed tolive in freedom and does not destroy it, may reckon on being destroyed by it.For if it should rebel, it can always screen itself under the name of libertyand its ancient laws, which no length of time, nor any benefits conferred willever cause it to forget; and do what you will, and take what care you may,unless the inhabitants be scattered and dispersed, this name, and the old orderof things, will never cease to be remembered, but will at once be turnedagainst you whenever misfortune overtakes you, as when Pisa rose against theFlorentines after a hundred years of servitude.

If, however, the newlyacquired City or Province has been accustomed to live under a Prince, and hisline is extinguished, it will be impossible for the citizens, used, on the onehand, to obey, and deprived, on the other, of their old ruler, to agree tochoose a leader from among themselves; and as they know not how to live asfreemen, and are therefore slow to take up arms, a stranger may readily gainthem over and attach them to his cause. But in Republics there is a strongervitality, a fiercer hatred, a keener thirst for revenge. The memory of theirformer freedom will not let them rest; so that the safest course is either todestroy them, or to go and live in them.

五、如何管理在被征服前生活在各自法律之下的城市或君主国

前面说过，有些国家被征服之前，曾长期在自己的法律之下自由地生活。统治这样的国家有三种办法：一是灭掉它们；二是亲自驻扎；三是让它们继续生活在自己的法律之下，但要让它们称臣纳贡，建立一个对你长期友好的、少数人组成的政府，而这样一个由新君主扶持起来的政府将会认识到，若是没有新君主的友谊和支持，它就不可能立足，因而肯定会全力拥护你。征服者如果决意保有一个习惯于自由生活的城邦，那么借助于该城邦的公民，会比任何其他方式都容易得多。

斯巴达人曾在雅典和底比斯建立了少数人组成的政府，以此控制那两个地方，后来还是丢掉了他们。罗马人为了控制卡普阿、迦太基和努曼蒂亚而灭掉了它们，就没有得而复失；他们试图像斯巴达人那样统治希腊，让它享有自由并允许它保留自己的法律，但没有成功。于是，为了保持统治而不得不灭掉许多城邦，除此之外也确实没有更可靠的办法了。谁要是成为一个自由城邦的主子而不去灭掉它，那就迟早会被它灭掉。因为，只要它发动起义，总会以自由的名义和旧制度为借口，而这两样东西决不会由于时间的关系或者给人们一些什么好处就能被遗忘。除非公民们四分五裂或者作鸟兽散，否则，你无论怎么做，无论怎么防范，他们都不会忘掉那个名义和那种制度，一遇非常时期，立刻就会想起它们，正如比萨蒙受了佛罗伦萨人百年奴役之后的情形一样。

但是，那些习惯于生活在一位君主统治之下的城邦或地区，一旦旧君家族被铲除，它们却不会赞成推立它们之中的什么人为君主，因为它们服从惯了，没有了旧君，却又不会像自由人那样生活，所以，不可能很快就揭竿而起，新君主比较容易得到它们的支持并把它们操于股掌之中。但在共和国，生命力就较强，厌恶感较深，复仇欲也较切，它们缅怀过去的自由，不愿意也不可能平静下来，因而，最稳妥的办法就是灭掉它们，或者驻在它们中间。