第 24 节
作者:津夏      更新:2021-02-27 02:39      字数:9321
  Which; as we saw; did not afterwards turn out as expected; because; after
  the rout at Vaila; one party at once took courage and seized the state。 Such
  methods argue; therefore; weakness in the prince; because these factions
  will    never    be   permitted     in  a  vigorous     principality;     such   methods      for
  enabling one the more easily to manage subjects are only useful in times
  of peace; but if war comes this policy proves fallacious。
  4。   Without      doubt    princes    become      great   when     they   overcome       the
  difficulties   and     obstacles   by   which   they   are   confronted;        and   therefore
  fortune; especially when she desires to make a new prince great; who has a
  greater necessity to earn renown than an hereditary one; causes enemies to
  arise    and    form    designs    against    him;    in  order    that   he   may    have    the
  opportunity  of   overcoming   them;   and   by  them  to   mount   higher;   as   by   a
  ladder which his enemies have raised。 For this reason many consider that a
  wise prince; when he has the opportunity; ought with craft to foster some
  animosity against himself; so that; having crushed it; his renown may rise
  higher。
  5。    Princes;    especially     new     ones;    have    found     more     fidelity   and
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  assistance in those men who in the beginning of their rule were distrusted
  than among those who in the beginning were trusted。 Pandolfo Petrucci;
  Prince of Siena; ruled his state more by those who had been distrusted than
  by others。 But on this question one cannot speak generally; for it varies so
  much with the individual; I will only say this; that those men who at the
  commencement          of   a  princedom      have    been   hostile;   if  they   are  of   a
  description to need assistance to support themselves; can always be gained
  over with the greatest ease; and they will be tightly held to serve the prince
  with fidelity; inasmuch as they know it to be very necessary for them to
  cancel   by   deeds   the   bad   impression   which   he   had   formed   of   them;   and
  thus the prince always extracts more profit from them than from those who;
  serving him in too much security;  may neglect his affairs。 And since the
  matter demands it; I must not fail to warn a prince; who by means of secret
  favours has acquired a new state; that he must well consider the reasons
  which induced those to favour him who did so; and if it be not a natural
  affection towards him; but only discontent with their government; then he
  will only keep them friendly with great trouble and difficulty; for it will be
  impossible to satisfy them。 And weighing well the reasons for this in those
  examples which can be   taken from ancient and   modern affairs; we   shall
  find that it is easier for the prince to make friends of those men who were
  contented   under   the   former   government;   and   are   therefore   his   enemies;
  than of those who; being discontented with it; were favourable to him and
  encouraged him to seize it。
  6。 It has been a custom with princes; in order to hold their states more
  securely; to build fortresses that may serve as a bridle and bit to those who
  might design to work against them; and as a place of refuge from a first
  attack。   I   praise   this   system   because   it   has   been   made   use   of   formerly。
  Notwithstanding that; Messer Nicolo Vitelli in our times has been seen to
  demolish two fortresses in Citta di Castello so that he might keep that state;
  Guido Ubaldo; Duke of Urbino; on returning to his dominion; whence he
  had    been    driven   by   Cesare    Borgia;    razed    to  the  foundations      all  the
  fortresses in that province; and considered that without them it would be
  more   difficult   to   lose   it;   the   Bentivogli   returning   to   Bologna   came   to   a
  similar    decision。    Fortresses;    therefore;    are  useful   or  not   according     to
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  circumstances; if they do you good in one way they injure you in another。
  And this question can be reasoned thus: the prince who has more to fear
  from the people than from foreigners ought to build fortresses; but he who
  has more to fear from foreigners than from the people ought to leave them
  alone。 The castle of Milan; built by Francesco Sforza; has made; and will
  make; more trouble for the house of Sforza than any other disorder in the
  state。 For this reason the best possible fortress isnot to be hated by the
  people; because; although you may hold the fortresses; yet they will not
  save you if the people hate you; for there will never be wanting foreigners
  to assist a people who have taken arms against you。 It has not been seen in
  our times that such fortresses have been of use to any prince; unless to the
  Countess of Forli;'*' when the Count Girolamo; her consort; was killed;
  for by that means she was able to withstand the popular attack and wait for
  assistance   from   Milan;   and   thus   recover   her   state;   and   the   posture   of
  affairs was such at that time that the foreigners could not assist the people。
  But fortresses were of little value to her afterwards when Cesare Borgia
  attacked her; and when the people; her enemy; were allied with foreigners。
  Therefore; it would have been safer for her; both then and before; not to
  have been hated by the people than to have had the fortresses。 All these
  things considered then; I shall praise him who builds fortresses as well as
  him who does not; and I shall blame whoever; trusting in them; cares little
  about being hated by the people。
  '*'   Catherine   Sforza;   a   daughter     of   Galeazzo   Sforza   and     Lucrezia
  Landriani;   born   1463;   died   1509。   It   was   to   the   Countess   of   Forli   that
  Machiavelli   was   sent   as   envy   on   1499。   A   letter   from   Fortunati   to   the
  countess announces the appointment: 〃I have been with the signori;〃 wrote
  Fortunati; 〃to learn whom they would send and when。 They tell me that
  Nicolo   Machiavelli;   a   learned   young   Florentine   noble;   secretary   to   my
  Lords of the Ten; is to leave with me at once。〃 Cf。 〃Catherine Sforza;〃 by
  Count Pasolini; translated by P。 Sylvester; 1898。
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  CHAPTER XXI
  HOW A PRINCE SHOULD CONDUCT HIMSELF SO AS TO
  GAIN RENOWN
  Nothing   makes   a   prince   so   much   esteemed   as   great   enterprises   and
  setting   a   fine   example。   We   have   in   our   time   Ferdinand   of   Aragon;   the
  present King of Spain。 He can almost be called a new prince; because he
  has risen; by  fame   and glory;  from  being   an insignificant king   to   be the
  foremost king in Christendom; and if you will consider his deeds you will
  find them all great and some of them extraordinary。 In the beginning of his
  reign he attacked Granada; and this enterprise was the foundation of his
  dominions。 He did this quietly at first and without any fear of hindrance;
  for he held the minds of the barons of Castile occupied in thinking of the
  war and not anticipating any innovations; thus they did not perceive that
  by these means he was acquiring power and authority over them。 He was
  able with the money of the Church and of the people to sustain his armies;
  and by that long war to lay the foundation for the military skill which has
  since distinguished him。 Further; always using religion as a plea; so as to
  undertake      greater  schemes;     he   devoted    himself   with   pious    cruelty  to
  driving out and clearing his kingdom of the Moors; nor could there be a
  more   admirable   example;   nor   one   more   rare。   Under   this   same   cloak   he
  assailed Africa; he came down on Italy; he has finally attacked France; and
  thus his achievements and designs have always been great; and have kept
  the minds of his people in suspense and admiration and occupied with the
  issue of them。 And his actions have arisen in such a way; one out of the
  other; that men have never been given time to work steadily against him。
  Again;   it   much   assists   a   prince   to   set   unusual   examples   in   internal
  affairs; similar to those which are related of Messer Bernabo da Milano;
  who;   when   he   had   the   opportunity;   by   any   one   in   civil   life   doing   some
  extraordinary      thing;  either   good   or  bad;   would    take   some    method    of
  rewarding or punishing him; which would be much spoken about。 And