君主论（１６）

CHAPTER XVII —CONCERNINGCRUELTYANDCLEMENCY,ANDWHETHERITISBETTERTOBELOVEDTHANFEARED

Comingnowtotheotherqualitiesmentionedabove,Isaythateveryprinceoughttodesiretobeconsideredclementandnotcruel.Neverthelessheoughttotakecarenottomisusethisclemency.CesareBorgiawasconsideredcruel;notwithstanding,hiscrueltyreconciledtheRomagna,unifiedit,andrestoredittopeaceandloyalty.Andifthisberightlyconsidered,hewillbeseentohavebeenmuchmoremercifulthantheFlorentinepeople,who,toavoidareputationforcruelty,permittedPistoiatobedestroyed.Thereforeaprince,solongashekeepshissubjectsunitedandloyal,oughtnottomindthereproachofcruelty;becausewithafewexampleshewillbemoremercifulthanthosewho,throughtoomuchmercy,allowdisorderstoarise,fromwhichfollowmurdersorrobberies;forthesearewonttoinjurethewholepeople,whilstthoseexecutionswhichoriginatewithaprinceoffendtheindividualonly.

Andofallprinces,itisimpossibleforthenewprincetoavoidtheimputationofcruelty,owingtonewstatesbeingfullofdangers.HenceVirgil,throughthemouthofDido,excusestheinhumanityofherreignowingtoitsbeingnew,saying:

new, saying:

"Res dura,etregninovitasmetaliacogunt

Moliri,etlatefinescustodetueri."

Neverthelessheoughttobeslowtobelieveandtoact,norshouldhehimselfshowfear,butproceedinatemperatemannerwithprudenceandhumanity,sothattoomuchconfidencemaynotmakehimincautiousandtoomuchdistrustrenderhimintolerable.

Uponthisaquestionarises:whetheritbebettertobelovedthanfearedorfearedthanloved?Itmaybeansweredthatoneshouldwishtobeboth,but,becauseitisdifficulttounitetheminoneperson,itismuchsafertobefearedthanloved,when,ofthetwo,eithermustbedispensedwith.Becausethisistobeassertedingeneralofmen,thattheyareungrateful,fickle,false,cowardly,covetous,andaslongasyousucceedtheyareyoursentirely;theywillofferyoutheirblood,property,life,andchildren,asissaidabove,whentheneedisfardistant;butwhenitapproachestheyturnagainstyou.Andthatprincewho,relyingentirelyontheirpromises,hasneglectedotherprecautions,isruined;becausefriendshipsthatareobtainedbypayments,andnotbygreatnessornobilityofmind,mayindeedbeearned,buttheyarenotsecured,andintimeofneedcannotbereliedupon;andmenhavelessscrupleinoffendingonewhoisbelovedthanonewhoisfeared,forloveispreservedbythelinkofobligationwhich,owingtothebasenessofmen,isbrokenateveryopportunityfortheiradvantage;butfearpreservesyoubyadreadofpunishmentwhichneverfails.

scruple in offendingonewhoisbelovedthanonewhoisfeared,forloveispreservedbythelinkofobligationwhich,owingtothebasenessofmen,isbrokenateveryopportunityfortheiradvantage;butfearpreservesyoubyadreadofpunishmentwhichneverfails.

Neverthelessaprinceoughttoinspirefearinsuchawaythat,ifhedoesnotwinlove,heavoidshatred;becausehecanendureverywellbeingfearedwhilstheisnothated,whichwillalwaysbeaslongasheabstainsfromthepropertyofhiscitizensandsubjectsandfromtheirwomen.Butwhenitisnecessaryforhimtoproceedagainstthelifeofsomeone,hemustdoitonproperjustificationandformanifestcause,butaboveallthingshemustkeephishandsoffthepropertyofothers,becausemenmorequicklyforgetthedeathoftheirfatherthanthelossoftheirpatrimony.Besides,pretextsfortakingawaythepropertyareneverwanting;forhewhohasoncebeguntolivebyrobberywillalwaysfindpretextsforseizingwhatbelongstoothers;butreasonsfortakinglife,onthecontrary,aremoredifficulttofindandsoonerlapse.Butwhenaprinceiswithhisarmy,andhasundercontrolamultitudeofsoldiers,thenitisquitenecessaryforhimtodisregardthereputationofcruelty,forwithoutithewouldneverholdhisarmyunitedordisposedtoitsduties.

AmongthewonderfuldeedsofHannibalthisoneisenumerated:thathavingledanenormousarmy,composedofmanyvariousracesofmen,tofightinforeignlands,nodissensionsaroseeitheramongthemoragainsttheprince,whetherinhisbadorinhisgoodfortune.Thisarosefromnothingelsethanhisinhumancruelty,which,withhisboundlessvalour,madehimreveredandterribleinthesightofhissoldiers,butwithoutthatcruelty,hisothervirtueswerenotsufficienttoproducethiseffect.Andshort-sightedwritersadmirehisdeedsfromonepointofviewandfromanothercondemntheprincipalcauseofthem.ThatitistruehisothervirtueswouldnothavebeensufficientforhimmaybeprovedbythecaseofScipio,thatmostexcellentman,notonlyofhisowntimesbutwithinthememoryofman,againstwhom,nevertheless,hisarmyrebelledinSpain;thisarosefromnothingbuthistoogreatforbearance,whichgavehissoldiersmorelicensethanisconsistentwithmilitarydiscipline.ForthishewasupbraidedintheSenatebyFabiusMaximus,andcalledthecorrupteroftheRomansoldiery.TheLocrianswerelaidwastebyalegateofScipio,yettheywerenotavengedbyhim,norwastheinsolenceofthelegatepunished,owingentirelytohiseasynature.InsomuchthatsomeoneintheSenate,wishingtoexcusehim,saidthereweremanymenwhoknewmuchbetterhownottoerrthantocorrecttheerrorsofothers.Thisdisposition,ifhehadbeencontinuedinthecommand,wouldhavedestroyedintimethefameandgloryofScipio;but,hebeingunderthecontroloftheSenate,thisinjuriouscharacteristicnotonlyconcealeditself,butcontributedtohisglory.

virtues were not sufficienttoproducethiseffect.Andshort-sightedwritersadmirehisdeedsfromonepointofviewandfromanothercondemntheprincipalcauseofthem.ThatitistruehisothervirtueswouldnothavebeensufficientforhimmaybeprovedbythecaseofScipio,thatmostexcellentman,notonlyofhisowntimesbutwithinthememoryofman,againstwhom,nevertheless,hisarmyrebelledinSpain;thisarosefromnothingbuthistoogreatforbearance,whichgavehissoldiersmorelicensethanisconsistentwithmilitarydiscipline.ForthishewasupbraidedintheSenatebyFabiusMaximus,andcalledthecorrupteroftheRomansoldiery.TheLocrianswerelaidwastebyalegateofScipio,yettheywerenotavengedbyhim,norwastheinsolenceofthelegatepunished,owingentirelytohiseasynature.InsomuchthatsomeoneintheSenate,wishingtoexcusehim,saidthereweremanymenwhoknewmuchbetterhownottoerrthantocorrecttheerrorsofothers.Thisdisposition,ifhehadbeencontinuedinthecommand,wouldhavedestroyedintimethefameandgloryofScipio;but,hebeingunderthecontroloftheSenate,thisinjuriouscharacteristicnotonlyconcealeditself,butcontributedtohisglory.

Returningtothequestionofbeingfearedorloved,Icometotheconclusionthat,menlovingaccordingtotheirownwillandfearingaccordingtothatoftheprince,awiseprinceshouldestablishhimselfonthatwhichisinhisowncontrolandnotinthatofothers;hemustendeavouronlytoavoidhatred,asisnoted.