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君主论-the prince(英文版)-第19章

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p his servant honest the prince ought to study him;honouring him; enriching him; doing him kindnesses; sharing with him thehonours and cares; and at the same time let him see that he cannot standalone; so that many honours not make him desire more; many riches makehim wish for more; and that many cares may make him dread changes。 When;therefore; servants; and princes towards servants; are thus disposed;they can trust each other; but when it is otherwise; the end will alwaysbe disastrous for either one or the other。CHAPTER XXIIIHOW FLATTERERS SHOULD BE AVOIDEDI DO NOT wish to leave out an important branch of this subject; for itis a danger from which princes are with difficulty preserved; unlessthey are very careful and discriminating。 It is that of flatterers; ofwhom courts arc full; because men are so self…placent in their ownaffairs; and in a way so deceived in them; that they are preserved withdifficulty from this pest; and if they wish to defend themselves theyrun the danger of falling into contempt。 Because there is no other wayof guarding oneself from flatterers except letting men understand thatto tell you the truth does not offend you; but when every one may tellyou the truth; respect for you abates。Therefore a wise prince ought to hold a third course by choosing thewise men in his state; and giving to them only the liberty of speakingthe truth to him; and then only of those things of which he inquires;and of none others; but he ought to question them upon everything; andlisten to their opinions; and afterwards form his own conclusions。 Withthese councillors; separately and collectively; he ought to carryhimself in such a way that each of them should know that; the morefreely he shall speak; the more he shall be preferred; outside of these;he should listen to no one; pursue the thing resolved on; and besteadfast in his resolutions。 He who does otherwise is either overthrownby flatterers; or is so often changed by varying opinions that he fallsinto contempt。I wish on this subject to adduce a modern example。 Fra Luca; the man ofaffairs to Maximilian; the present emperor; speaking of his majesty;said: He consulted with no one; yet never got his own way in anything。This arose because of his following a practice the opposite to theabove; for the emperor is a secretive man …… he does not municate hisdesigns to any one; nor does he receive opinions on them。 But as incarrying them into effect they bee revealed and known; they are atonce obstructed by those men whom he has around him; and he; beingpliant; is diverted from them。 Hence it follows that those things hedoes one day he undoes the next; and no one ever understands what hewishes or intends to do; and no one can rely on his resolutions。A prince; therefore; ought always to take counsel; but only when hewishes and not when others wish; he ought rather to discourage every onefrom offering advice unless he asks it; but; however; he ought to be aconstant inquirer; and afterwards a patient listener concerning thethings of which he inquired; also; on learning that any one; on anyconsideration; has not told him the truth; he should let his anger befelt。And if there are some who think that a prince who conveys an impressionof his wisdom is not so through his own ability; but through the goodadvisers that he has around him; beyond doubt they are deceived; becausethis is an axiom which never fails: that a prince who is not wisehimself will never take good advice; unless by chance he has yielded hisaffairs entirely to one person who happens to be a very prudent man。 Inthis case indeed he may be well governed; but it would not be for long;because such a governor would in a short time take away his state fromhim。But if a prince who is not experienced should take counsel from morethan one he will never get united counsels; nor will he know how tounite them。 Each of the counsellors will think of his own interests; andthe prince will not know how to control them or to see through them。 Andthey are not to be found otherwise; because men will always prove untrueto you unless they are kept honest by constraint。 Therefore it must beinferred that good counsels; whencesoever they e; are born of thewisdom of the prince; and not the wisdom of the prince from goodcounsels。CHAPTER XXIVTHE PRINCES OF ITALY HAVE LOST THEIR STATESTHE previous suggestions; carefully observed; will enable a new princeto appear well established; and render him at once more secure and fixedin the state than if he had been long seated there。 For the actions of anew prince are more narrowly observed than those of an hereditary one;and when they are seen to be able they gain more men and bind fartighter than ancient blood; because men are attracted more by thepresent than by the past; and when they find the present good they enjoyit and seek no further; they will also make the utmost defence for aprince if he fails them not in other things。 Thus it will be a doubleglory to him to have established a new principality; and adorned andstrengthened it with good laws; good arms; good allies; and with a goodexample; so will it be a double disgrace to him who; born a prince;shall lose his state by want of wisdom。And if those seigniors are considered who have lost their states inItaly in our times; such as the King of Naples; the Duke of Milan; andothers; there will be found in them; firstly; one mon defect inregard to arms from the causes which have been discussed at length; inthe next place; some one of them will be seen; either to have had thepeople hostile; or if he has had the people friendly; he has not knownhow to secure the nobles。 In the absence of these defects states thathave power enough to keep an army in the field cannot be lost。Philip of Macedon; not the father of Alexander the Great; but he who wasconquered by Titus Quintius; had not much territory pared to thegreatness of the Romans and of Greece who attacked him; yet being awarlike man who knew how to attract the people and secure the nobles; hesustained the war against his enemies for many years; and if in the endhe lost the dominion of some cities; nevertheless he retained thekingdom。Therefore; do not let our princes accuse fortune for the loss of theirprincipalities after so many years' possession; but rather their oes they never thought there could be a change(it is a mon defect in man not to make any provision in the calmagainst the tempest); and when afterwards the bad times came theythought of flight and not of defending themselves; and they hoped thatthe people; disgusted with the insolence of the conquerors; would recallthem。 This course; when others fail; may be good; but it is very bad tohave neglected all other expedients for that; since you would never wishto fall because you trusted to be able to find someone later on torestore you。 This again either does not happen; or; if it does; it willnot be for your security; because that deliverance is of no avail whichdoes not depend upon yourself; those only are reliable; certain; anddurable that depend on yourself and your valour。CHAPTER XXVWHAT FORTUNE CAN EFFECT IN HUMAN AFFAIRS; AND HOW TO WITHSTAND HERIT is not unknown to me how many men have had; and still have; theopinion that the affairs of the world are in such wise governed byfortune and by God that men with their wisdom cannot direct them andthat no one can even help them; and because of this they would have usbelieve that it is not necessary to labour much in affairs; but to letchance govern them。 This opinion has been more credited in our timesbecause of the great changes in affairs which have been seen; and maystill be seen; every day; beyond all human conjecture。 Sometimespondering over this; I am in some degree inclined to their opinion。Nevertheless; not to extinguish our free will; I hold it to be true thatFortune is the arbiter of one…half of our actions; but that she stillleaves us to direct the other half; or perhaps a little less。I pare her to one of those raging rivers; which when in floodoverflows the plains; sweeping away trees and buildings; bearing awaythe soil from place to place; everything flies before it; all yield toits violence; without being able in any way to withstand it; and yet;though its nature be such; it does not follow theref
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