君主论（１７－１８）

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 notsufficienttoproducethiseffect.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.

CHAPTER XVIII— CONCERNINGTHEWAYINWHICHPRINCESSHOULDKEEPFAITH

Everyoneadmitshowpraiseworthyitisinaprincetokeepfaith,andtolivewithintegrityandnotwithcraft.Neverthelessourexperiencehasbeenthatthoseprinceswhohavedonegreatthingshaveheldgoodfaithoflittleaccount,andhaveknownhowtocircumventtheintellectofmenbycraft,andintheendhaveovercomethosewhohavereliedontheirword.Youmustknowtherearetwowaysofcontesting,theonebythelaw,theotherbyforce;thefirstmethodispropertomen,thesecondtobeasts;butbecausethefirstisfrequentlynotsufficient,itisnecessarytohaverecoursetothesecond.Thereforeitisnecessaryforaprincetounderstandhowtoavailhimselfofthebeastandtheman.Thishasbeenfigurativelytaughttoprincesbyancientwriters,whodescribehowAchillesandmanyotherprincesofoldweregiventotheCentaurChirontonurse,whobroughtthemupinhisdiscipline;whichmeanssolelythat,astheyhadforateacheronewhowashalfbeastandhalfman,soitisnecessaryforaprincetoknowhowtomakeuseofbothnatures,andthatonewithouttheotherisnotdurable.Aprince,therefore,beingcompelledknowinglytoadoptthebeast,oughttochoosethefoxandthelion;becausethelioncannotdefendhimselfagainstsnaresandthefoxcannotdefendhimselfagainstwolves.Therefore,itisnecessarytobeafoxtodiscoverthesnaresandaliontoterrifythewolves.Thosewhorelysimplyontheliondonotunderstandwhattheyareabout.Thereforeawiselordcannot,noroughtheto,keepfaithwhensuchobservancemaybeturnedagainsthim,andwhenthereasonsthatcausedhimtopledgeitexistnolonger.Ifmenwereentirelygoodthispreceptwouldnothold,butbecausetheyarebad,andwillnotkeepfaithwithyou,youtooarenotboundtoobserveitwiththem.Norwillthereeverbewantingtoaprincelegitimatereasonstoexcusethisnon-observance.Ofthisendlessmodernexamplescouldbegiven,showinghowmanytreatiesandengagementshavebeenmadevoidandofnoeffectthroughthefaithlessnessofprinces;andhewhohasknownbesthowtoemploythefoxhassucceededbest.

simply on theliondonotunderstandwhattheyareabout.Thereforeawiselordcannot,noroughtheto,keepfaithwhensuchobservancemaybeturnedagainsthim,andwhenthereasonsthatcausedhimtopledgeitexistnolonger.Ifmenwereentirelygoodthispreceptwouldnothold,butbecausetheyarebad,andwillnotkeepfaithwithyou,youtooarenotboundtoobserveitwiththem.Norwillthereeverbewantingtoaprincelegitimatereasonstoexcusethisnon-observance.Ofthisendlessmodernexamplescouldbegiven,showinghowmanytreatiesandengagementshavebeenmadevoidandofnoeffectthroughthefaithlessnessofprinces;andhewhohasknownbesthowtoemploythefoxhassucceededbest.

Butitisnecessarytoknowwellhowtodisguisethischaracteristic,andtobeagreatpretenderanddissembler;andmenaresosimple,andsosubjecttopresentnecessities,thathewhoseekstodeceivewillalwaysfindsomeonewhowillallowhimselftobedeceived.OnerecentexampleIcannotpassoverinsilence.AlexandertheSixthdidnothingelsebutdeceivemen,noreverthoughtofdoingotherwise,andhealwaysfoundvictims;forthereneverwasamanwhohadgreaterpowerinasserting,orwhowithgreateroathswouldaffirmathing,yetwouldobserveitless;neverthelesshisdeceitsalwayssucceededaccordingtohiswishes,becausehewellunderstoodthissideofmankind.

ThereforeitisunnecessaryforaprincetohaveallthegoodqualitiesIhaveenumerated,butitisverynecessarytoappeartohavethem.AndIshalldaretosaythisalso,thattohavethemandalwaystoobservethemisinjurious,andthattoappeartohavethemisuseful;toappearmerciful,faithful,humane,religious,upright,andtobeso,butwithamindsoframedthatshouldyourequirenottobeso,youmaybeableandknowhowtochangetotheopposite.

should you requirenottobeso,youmaybeableandknowhowtochangetotheopposite.

Andyouhavetounderstandthis,thataprince,especiallyanewone,cannotobserveallthosethingsforwhichmenareesteemed,beingoftenforced,inordertomaintainthestate,toactcontrarytofidelity,friendship,humanity,andreligion.Thereforeitisnecessaryforhimtohaveamindreadytoturnitselfaccordinglyasthewindsandvariationsoffortuneforceit,yet,asIhavesaidabove,nottodivergefromthegoodifhecanavoiddoingso,but,ifcompelled,thentoknowhowtosetaboutit.

Forthisreasonaprinceoughttotakecarethatheneverletsanythingslipfromhislipsthatisnotrepletewiththeabove-namedfivequalities,thathemayappeartohimwhoseesandhearshimaltogethermerciful,faithful,humane,upright,andreligious.Thereisnothingmorenecessarytoappeartohavethanthislastquality,inasmuchasmenjudgegenerallymorebytheeyethanbythehand,becauseitbelongstoeverybodytoseeyou,tofewtocomeintouchwithyou.Everyoneseeswhatyouappeartobe,fewreallyknowwhatyouare,andthosefewdarenotopposethemselvestotheopinionofthemany,whohavethemajestyofthestatetodefendthem;andintheactionsofallmen,andespeciallyofprinces,whichitisnotprudenttochallenge,onejudgesbytheresult.

Forthatreason,letaprincehavethecreditofconqueringandholdinghisstate,themeanswillalwaysbeconsideredhonest,andhewillbepraisedbyeverybody;becausethevulgararealwaystakenbywhatathingseemstobeandbywhatcomesofit;andintheworldthereareonlythevulgar,forthefewfindaplacethereonlywhenthemanyhavenogroundtoreston.

few find a placethereonlywhenthemanyhavenogroundtoreston.

Oneprinceofthepresenttime,whomitisnotwelltoname,neverpreachesanythingelsebutpeaceandgoodfaith,andtobothheismosthostile,andeither,ifhehadkeptit,wouldhavedeprivedhimofreputationandkingdommanyatime.