第 20 节
作者:津夏      更新:2021-02-27 02:39      字数:9322
  adopt   the   beast;   ought   to   choose   the   fox   and   the   lion;   because   the   lion
  cannot   defend   himself   against   snares   and   the   fox   cannot   defend   himself
  against wolves。 Therefore; it is necessary to be a fox to discover the snares
  and a lion to terrify the wolves。 Those who rely simply on the lion do not
  understand what they are about。 Therefore a wise lord cannot; nor ought
  he to;   keep faith   when such observance   may be   turned against him;  and
  when the reasons that caused him to pledge it exist no longer。 If men were
  entirely good this precept would not hold; but because they are bad; and
  will not keep faith with you; you too are not bound to observe it with them。
  Nor will there ever be wanting to a prince legitimate reasons to excuse this
  non…observance。        Of   this   endless    modern     examples      could   be   given;
  showing how many treaties and engagements have been made void and of
  72
  … Page 73…
  The Prince
  no effect through the faithlessness of princes; and he who has known best
  how to employ the fox has succeeded best。
  '*'  〃Contesting;〃   i。e。   〃striving   for   mastery。〃   Mr   Burd   points   out   that
  this   passage   is   imitated   directly  from  Cicero's   〃De   Officiis〃:   〃Nam   cum
  sint   duo   genera   decertandi;   unum   per   disceptationem;   alterum   per   vim;
  cumque   illud   proprium   sit   hominis;   hoc   beluarum;   confugiendum  est   ad
  posterius; si uti non licet superiore。〃
  But   it   is   necessary   to   know   well   how   to   disguise   this   characteristic;
  and to be a great pretender and dissembler; and men are so simple; and so
  subject   to   present   necessities;   that   he   who   seeks   to   deceive   will   always
  find someone who will allow himself to be deceived。 One recent example
  I   cannot   pass   over   in   silence。  Alexander   the   Sixth   did   nothing   else   but
  deceive men; nor   ever thought of   doing otherwise; and he always   found
  victims; for there never was a man who had greater power in asserting; or
  who   with   greater   oaths   would   affirm   a   thing;   yet   would   observe   it   less;
  nevertheless       his  deceits    always    succeeded      according      to  his  wishes;'*'
  because he well understood this side of mankind。
  '*' 〃Nondimanco sempre gli succederono gli inganni (ad votum)。〃 The
  words 〃ad votum〃 are omitted in the Testina addition; 1550。
  Alexander never did what he said; Cesare never said what he did。
  Italian Proverb。
  Therefore it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities
  I have enumerated; but it is very necessary to appear to have them。 And I
  shall dare to say this also; that to have them and always to observe them is
  injurious;   and   that   to   appear   to   have   them  is   useful;   to   appear   merciful;
  faithful;   humane;   religious;   upright;   and   to   be   so;   but   with   a   mind   so
  framed that should you require not to be so; you may be able and know
  how to change to the opposite。
  And you have to understand this; that a prince; especially a new one;
  cannot observe all those things for which men are esteemed; being often
  forced;     in  order    to  maintain      the   state;  to   act  contrary     to  fidelity;'*'
  friendship;   humanity;   and   religion。   Therefore   it   is   necessary   for   him   to
  have a mind ready to turn itself accordingly as the winds and variations of
  fortune force it; yet; as I have said above; not to diverge from the good if
  73
  … Page 74…
  The Prince
  he can avoid doing so; but; if compelled; then to know how to set about it。
  '*'   〃Contrary   to    fidelity〃   or  〃faith;〃   〃contro    alla  fede;〃   and   〃tutto
  fede;〃   〃altogether   faithful;〃   in   the   next   paragraph。   It   is   noteworthy   that
  these two phrases; 〃contro alla fede〃 and 〃tutto fede;〃 were omitted in the
  Testina     edition;   which    was    published     with   the   sanction    of  the   papal
  authorities。   It   may  be   that the   meaning attached   to   the   word   〃fede〃   was
  〃the faith;〃 i。e。 the Catholic creed; and not as rendered here 〃fidelity〃 and
  〃faithful。〃 Observe that the word 〃religione〃 was suffered to stand in the
  text of the Testina; being used to signify indifferently every shade of belief;
  as   witness   〃the   religion;〃   a   phrase   inevitably   employed   to   designate   the
  Huguenot heresy。 South in his Sermon IX; p。 69; ed。 1843; comments on
  this passage as follows: 〃That great patron and Coryphaeus of this tribe;
  Nicolo Machiavel; laid down this for a master rule in his political scheme:
  'That the show of religion was helpful to the politician; but the reality of it
  hurtful and pernicious。'〃
  For this reason a prince ought to take care that he never lets anything
  slip from his lips that is not replete with the above…named five qualities;
  that   he   may   appear   to   him   who   sees   and   hears   him  altogether   merciful;
  faithful; humane; upright; and religious。 There is nothing more necessary
  to appear to have than this last quality; inasmuch as men judge generally
  more by the eye than by the hand; because it belongs to everybody to see
  you; to few to come in touch with you。 Every one sees what you appear to
  be;    few   really   know     what    you   are;  and    those   few    dare   not   oppose
  themselves to the opinion of the many; who have the majesty of the state
  to defend them; and in the actions of all men; and especially of princes;
  which it is not prudent to challenge; one judges by the result。
  For that reason; let a prince have the credit of conquering and holding
  his   state;   the   means   will   always   be   considered   honest;   and   he   will   be
  praised by everybody; because the vulgar are always taken by what a thing
  seems to be and by what comes of it; and in the world there are only the
  vulgar; for the few find a place there only when the many have no ground
  to rest on。
  One prince'*' of the present time; whom it is not well to name; never
  preaches anything else but peace and good faith; and to both he is most
  74
  … Page 75…
  The Prince
  hostile; and either; if he had kept it; would have deprived him of reputation
  and kingdom many a time。
  '*' Ferdinand of Aragon。 〃When Machiavelli was writing 'The Prince'
  it would have been clearly impossible to mention Ferdinand's name here
  without giving offence。〃 Burd's 〃Il Principe;〃 p。 308。
  75
  … Page 76…
  The Prince
  CHAPTER XIX
  THAT ONE SHOULD AVOID BEING DESPISED AND HATED
  Now; concerning the characteristics of which mention is made above; I
  have   spoken   of   the   more   important   ones;   the   others   I   wish   to   discuss
  briefly under this generality; that the prince must consider; as has been in
  part said before; how to avoid those things which will make him hated or
  contemptible;       and   as  often   as  he   shall  have    succeeded     he   will  have
  fulfilled his part; and he need not fear any danger in other reproaches。
  It makes him hated above all things; as I have said; to be rapacious;
  and to be a violator of the property and women of his subjects; from both
  of which he must abstain。 And when neither their property nor their honor
  is touched; the majority of men live content; and he has only to contend
  with the ambition of a few; whom he can curb with ease in many ways。
  It   makes     him    contemptible       to  be    considered     fickle;   frivolous;
  effeminate;   mean…spirited;   irresolute;   from   all   of   which   a   prince   should
  guard   himself   as   from   a   rock;   and   he   should   endeavour   to   show   in   his
  actions     greatness;    courage;    gravity;   and    fortitude;   and   in  his   private
  dealings with his subjects let him show that his judgments are irrevocable;
  and   maintain   himself   in   such   reputation   that   no   one   can   hope   either   to
  deceive him or to get round him。
  That prince is highly esteemed who conveys this impression of himself;
  and    he   who    is  highly   esteemed      is  not  easily   conspired     against;   for;
  provided it is well known that he is an excellent man and revered by his
  people;  he   can   only  be   attacked   with   difficulty。   For   this   reason   a   prince
  ought to have two fears; one from within; on account of his subjects; t