君主论-the prince(英文版)-第17章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


；　because；　byarming　them；　those　arms　bee　yours；　those　men　who　were　distrustedbee　faithful；　and　those　who　were　faithful　are　kept　so；　and　yoursubjects　bee　your　adherents。　And　whereas　all　subjects　cannot　bearmed；　yet　when　those　whom　you　do　arm　are　benefited；　the　others　can　behandled　more　freely；　and　this　difference　in　their　treatment；　akes　the　former　your　dependants；　and　the　latter；considering　it　to　be　necessary　that　those　who　have　the　most　danger　andservice　should　have　the　most　reward；　excuse　you。　But　when　you　disarmthem；　you　at　once　offend　them　by　showing　that　you　distrust　them；　eitherfor　cowardice　or　for　want　of　loyalty；　and　either　of　these　opinionsbreeds　hatred　against　you。　And　because　you　cannot　remain　unarmed；　itfollows　that　you　turn　to　mercenaries；　which　are　of　the　character　alreadyshown；　even　if　they　should　be　good　they　would　not　be　sufficient　todefend　you　against　powerful　enemies　and　distrusted　subjects。　Therefore；as　I　have　said；　a　new　prince　in　a　new　principality　has　alwaysdistributed　arms。　Histories　are　full　of　examples。　But　when　a　princeacquires　a　new　state；　which　he　adds　as　a　province　to　his　old　one；　thenit　is　necessary　to　disarm　the　men　of　that　state；　except　those　who　havebeen　his　adherents　in　acquiring　it；　and　these　again；　with　time　andopportunity；　should　be　rendered　soft　and　effeminate；　and　matters　shouldbe　managed　in　such　a　way　that　all　the　armed　men　in　the　state　shall　beyour　own　soldiers　who　in　your　old　state　were　living　near　you。3。　Our　forefathers；　and　those　who　were　reckoned　wise；　were　accustomed　tosay　that　it　was　necessary　to　hold　Pistoia　by　factions　and　Pisa　byfortresses；　and　with　this　idea　they　fostered　quarrels　in　some　of　theirtributary　towns　so　as　to　keep　possession　of　them　the　more　easily。　Thismay　have　been　well　enough　in　those　times　when　Italy　was　in　a　waybalanced；　but　I　do　not　believe　that　it　can　be　accepted　as　a　precept　forto…day；　because　I　do　not　believe　that　factions　can　ever　be　of　use；rather　it　is　certain　that　when　the　enemy　es　upon　you　in　dividedcities　you　are　quickly　lost；　because　the　weakest　party　will　alwaysassist　the　outside　forces　and　the　other　will　not　be　able　to　resist。　TheVeians；　moved；　as　I　believe；　by　the　above　reasons；　fostered　theGuelph　and　Ghibelline　factions　in　their　tributary　cities；　and　althoughthey　never　allowed　them　to　e　to　bloodshed；　yet　they　nursed　thesedisputes　amongst　them；　so　that　the　citizens；　distracted　by　theirdifferences；　should　not　unite　against　them。　Which；　as　we　saw；　did　notafterwards　turn　out　as　expected；　because；　after　the　rout　at　Vaila；　oneparty　at　once　took　courage　and　seized　the　state。　Such　methods　argue；therefore；　weakness　in　the　prince；　because　these　factions　will　never　bepermitted　in　a　vigorous　principality；　such　methods　for　enabling　one　themore　easily　to　manage　subjects　are　only　useful　in　times　of　peace；　but　ifwar　es　this　policy　proves　fallacious。4。　Without　doubt　princes　bee　great　when　they　overe　thedifficulties　and　obstacles　by　which　they　are　confronted；　and　thereforefortune；　especially　when　she　desires　to　make　a　new　prince　great；　who　hasa　greater　necessity　to　earn　renown　than　an　hereditary　one；　causesenemies　to　arise　and　form　designs　against　him；　in　order　that　he　may　havethe　opportunity　of　overing　them；　and　by　them　to　mount　higher；　as　by　aladder　which　his　enemies　have　raised。　For　this　reason　many　consider　thata　wise　prince；　when　he　has　the　opportunity；　ought　with　craft　to　fostersome　animosity　against　himself；　so　that；　having　crushed　it；　his　renownmay　rise　higher。5。　Princes；　especially　new　ones；　have　found　more　fidelity　and　assistancein　those　men　who　in　the　beginning　of　their　rule　were　distrusted　thanamong　those　who　in　the　beginning　were　trusted。　Pandolfo　Petrucci；　Princeof　Siena；　ruled　his　state　more　by　those　who　had　been　distrusted　than　byothers。　But　on　this　question　one　cannot　speak　generally；　for　it　variesso　much　with　the　individual；　I　will　only　say　this；　that　those　men　who　atthe　mencement　of　a　princedom　have　been　hostile；　if　they　are　of　adescription　to　need　assistance　to　support　themselves；　can　always　begained　over　with　the　greatest　ease；　and　they　will　be　tightly　held　toserve　the　prince　with　fidelity；　inasmuch　as　they　know　it　to　be　verynecessary　for　them　to　cancel　by　deeds　the　bad　impression　which　he　hadformed　of　them；　and　thus　the　prince　always　extracts　more　profit　fromthem　than　from　those　who；　serving　him　in　too　much　security；　may　neglecthis　affairs。　And　since　the　matter　demands　it；　I　must　not　fail　to　warn　aprince；　who　by　means　of　secret　favours　has　acquired　a　new　state；　that　hemust　well　consider　the　reasons　which　induced　those　to　favour　him　who　didso；　and　if　it　be　not　a　natural　affection　towards　him；　but　onlydiscontent　with　their　government；　then　he　will　only　keep　them　friendlywith　great　trouble　and　difficulty；　for　it　will　be　impossible　to　satisfythem。　And　weighing　well　the　reasons　for　this　in　those　examples　which　canbe　taken　from　ancient　and　modern　affairs；　we　shall　find　that　it　iseasier　for　the　prince　to　make　friends　of　those　men　who　were　contentedunder　the　former　government；　and　are　therefore　his　enemies；　than　ofthose　who；　being　discontented　with　it；　were　favourable　to　him　andencouraged　him　to　seize　it。6。　It　has　been　a　custom　with　princes；　in　order　to　hold　their　states　moresecurely；　to　build　fortresses　that　may　serve　as　a　bridle　and　bit　tothose　who　might　design　to　work　against　them；　and　as　a　place　of　refugefrom　a　first　attack。　I　praise　this　system　because　it　has　been　made　useof　formerly。　Notwithstanding　that；　Messer　Nicolo　Vitelli　in　our　timeshas　been　seen　to　demolish　two　fortresses　in　Citta　di　Castello　so　that　hemight　keep　that　state；　Guidubaldo；　Duke　of　Urbino；　on　returning　to　hisdominion；　whence　he　had　been　driven　by　Cesare　Borgia；　razed　to　thefoundations　all　the　fortresses　in　that　province；　and　considered　thatwithout　them　it　would　be　more　difficult　to　lose　it；　the　Bentivoglioreturning　to　Bologna　came　to　a　similar　decision。　Fortresses；　therefore；are　useful　or　not　according　to　circumstances；　if　they　do　you　good　in　oneway　they　injure　you　in　another。　And　this　question　can　be　reasoned　thus：the　prince　who　has　more　to　fear　from　the　people　than　from　foreignersought　to　build　fortresses；　but　he　who　has　more　to　fear　from　foreignersthan　from　the　people　ought　to　leave　them　alone。　The　castle　of　Milan；built　by　Francesco　Sforza；　has　made；　and　will　make；　more　trouble　for　thehouse　of　Sforza　than　any　other　disorder　in　the　state。　For　this　reasonthe　best　possible　fortress　is　……　not　to　be　hated　by　the　people；　because；although　you　may　hold　the　fortresses；　yet　they　will　not　save　you　if　thepeople　hate　you；　for　there　will　never　be　wanting　foreigners　to　assist　apeople　who　have　taken　arms　against　you。　It　has　not　been　seen　in　ourtimes　that　such　fortresses　have　been　of　use　to　any　prince；　unless　to　theCountess　of　Forli；　when　the　Count　Girolamo；　her　consort；　was　killed；　forby　that　means　she　was　able　to　withstand　the　popular　attack　and　wait　forassistance　from　Milan；　and　thus　recover　her　state；　and　the　posture　ofaffairs　was　such　at　that　time　that　the　foreigners　could　not　assist　thepeople。　But　fortresses　were　of　little　value　to　her　afterwards　whenCesare　Borgia　attacked　her；　and　when　the　people；　her　enemy；　were　alliedwith　foreigners。　Therefore　it　would　have　been　safer　for　her；　both　thenand　before；　not　to　have　been　hated　by　the　people　than　to　have　had　thefortresses。　All　these　things　considered　then；　I　shall　praise　him　whobuilds　fortresses　as　well　as　him　who　does　not；　and　I　shall　blamewhoever；　trusting　in　them；　cares　little　about　being　hated　by　the　people。CHAPTER　XXIHOW　A　PRINCE　SHOULD　CONDUCT　HIMSELF　SO　AS　TO　GAIN　RENOWNNOTHING　makes　a　prince　so　much　esteemed　as　great　enterprises　and　settinga　fine　example。　We　have　in　our　time　Ferdinand　of　Aragon；　the　presentKing　of　Spain。　He　can　almost　be　called　a　new　prince；　because　he　hasrisen；　by　fame　and　glory；　from　being　an　insignificant　king　to　be　theforemost　king　in　Christendom；　and　if　you　will　consider　his　deeds　youwill　find　them　all　great　and　some　of　them　extraordinary。　In　thebeginning　of　his　reign　he　attacked　Granada；　and　this　enterprise　was　thefoundation　of　his　dominions。　He　did　this　quietly　at　first　and　withoutany　fear　of　hindrance；　for　he　held　the　minds　of　the　barons　of　Castileoccupied　in　thinking　of　the　war　and　not　anticipating　any　innovati