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　to　the　magistracy；　and　who；　especiallyin　troubled　times；　can　destroy　the　government　with　great　ease；　either　byintrigue　or　open　defiance；　and　the　prince　has　not　the　chance　amidtumults　to　exercise　absolute　authority；　because　the　citizens　andsubjects；　accustomed　to　receive　orders　from　magistrates；　are　not　of　amind　to　obey　him　amid　these　confusions；　and　there　will　always　be　indoubtful　times　a　scarcity　of　men　whom　he　can　trust。　For　such　a　princecannot　rely　upon　es；　when　citizens　had　needof　the　state；　because　then　every　one　agrees　with　him；　they　all　promise；and　when　death　is　far　distant　they　all　wish　to　die　for　him；　but　introubled　times；　when　the　state　has　need　of　its　citizens；　then　he　findsbut　few。　And　so　much　the　more　is　this　experiment　dangerous；　inasmuch　asit　can　only　be　tried　once。　Therefore　a　wise　prince　ought　to　adopt　such　acourse　that　his　citizens　will　always　in　every　sort　and　kind　ofcircumstance　have　need　of　the　state　and　of　him；　and　then　he　will　alwaysfind　them　faithful。CHAPTER　XCONCERNING　THE　WAY　IN　WHICH　THE　STRENGTH　OF　ALL　PRINCIPALITIES　OUGHT　TOBE　MEASUREDIT　IS　necessary　to　consider　another　point　in　examining　the　character　ofthese　principalities：　that　is；　whether　a　prince　has　such　power　that；　incase　of　need；　he　can　support　himself　with　his　own　resources；　or　whetherhe　has　always　need　of　the　assistance　of　others。　And　to　make　this　quiteclear　I　say　that　I　consider　those　are　able　to　support　themselves　bytheir　own　resources　who　can；　either　by　abundance　of　men　or　money；　raisea　sufficient　army　to　join　battle　against　any　one　who　es　to　attackthem；　and　I　consider　those　always　to　have　need　of　others　who　cannot　showthemselves　against　the　enemy　in　the　field；　but　are　forced　to　defendthemselves　by　sheltering　behind　walls。　The　first　case　has　beendiscussed；　but　we　will　speak　of　it　again　should　it　recur。　In　the　secondcase　one　can　say　nothing　except　to　encourage　such　princes　to　provisionand　fortify　their　towns；　and　not　on　any　account　to　defend　the　country。And　whoever　shall　fortify　his　town　well；　and　shall　have　managed　theother　concerns　of　his　subjects　in　the　way　stated　above；　and　to　be　oftenrepeated；　will　never　be　attacked　without　great　caution；　for　men　arealways　adverse　to　enterprises　where　difficulties　can　be　seen；　and　itwill　be　seen　not　to　be　an　easy　thing　to　attack　one　who　has　his　town　wellfortified；　and　is　not　hated　by　his　people。The　cities　of　Germany　are　absolutely　free；　they　own　but　little　countryaround　them；　and　they　yield　obedience　to　the　emperor　when　it　suits　them；nor　do　they　fear　this　or　any　other　power　they　may　have　near　them；because　they　are　fortified　in　such　a　way　that　every　one　thinks　thetaking　of　them　by　assault　would　be　tedious　and　difficult；　seeing　theyhave　proper　ditches　and　walls；　they　have　sufficient　artillery；　and　theyalways　keep　in　public　depots　enough　for　one　year's　eating；　drinking；　andfiring。　And　beyond　this；　to　keep　the　people　quiet　and　without　loss　tothe　state；　they　always　have　the　means　of　giving　work　to　the　munity　inthose　labours　that　are　the　life　and　strength　of　the　city；　and　on　thepursuit　of　which　the　people　are　supported；　they　also　hold　militaryexercises　in　repute；　and　moreover　have　many　ordinances　to　uphold　them。Therefore；　a　prince　who　has　a　strong　city；　and　had　not　made　himselfodious；　will　not　be　attacked；　or　if　any　one　should　attack　he　will　onlybe　driven　off　with　disgrace；　again；　because　that　affairs　of　this　worldare　so　changeable；　it　is　almost　impossible　to　keep　an　army　a　whole　yearin　the　field　without　being　interfered　with。　And　whoever　should　reply：　Ifthe　people　have　property　outside　the　city；　and　see　it　burnt；　they　willnot　remain　patient；　and　the　long　siege　and　self…interest　will　make　themforget　their　prince；　to　this　I　answer　that　a　powerful　and　courageousprince　will　overe　all　such　difficulties　by　giving　at　one　time　hope　tohis　subjects　that　the　evil　will　not　be　for　long；　at　another　time　fear　ofthe　cruelty　of　the　enemy；　then　preserving　himself　adroitly　from　thosesubjects　who　seem　to　him　to　be　too　bold。Further；　the　enemy　would　naturally　on　his　arrival　at　once　burn　and　ruinthe　country　at　the　time　when　the　spirits　of　the　people　are　still　hot　andready　for　the　defence；　and；　therefore；　so　much　the　less　ought　the　princeto　hesitate；　because　after　a　time；　when　spirits　have　cooled；　the　damageis　already　done；　the　ills　are　incurred；　and　there　is　no　longer　anyremedy；　and　therefore　they　are　so　much　the　more　ready　to　unite　withtheir　prince；　he　appearing　to　be　under　obligations　to　them　now　thattheir　houses　have　been　burnt　and　their　possessions　ruined　in　hisdefence。　For　it　is　the　nature　of　men　to　be　bound　by　the　benefits　theyconfer　as　much　as　by　those　they　receive。　Therefore；　if　everything　iswell　considered；　it　wilt　not　be　difficult　for　a　wise　prince　to　keep　theminds　of　his　citizens　steadfast　from　first　to　last；　when　he　does　notfail　to　support　and　defend　them。CHAPTER　XICONCERNING　ECCLESIASTICAL　PRINCIPALITIESIT　ONLY　remains　now　to　speak　of　ecclesiastical　principalities；　touchingwhich　all　difficulties　are　prior　to　getting　possession；　because　they　areacquired　either　by　capacity　or　good　fortune；　and　they　can　be　heldwithout　either；　for　they　are　sustained　by　the　ordinances　of　religion；which　are　so　all…powerful；　and　of　such　a　character　that　theprincipalities　may　be　held　no　matter　how　their　princes　behave　and　live。These　princes　alone　have　states　and　do　not　defend　them；　they　havesubjects　and　do　not　rule　them；　and　the　states；　although　unguarded；　arenot　taken　from　them；　and　the　subjects；　although　not　ruled；　do　not　care；and　they　have　neither　the　desire　nor　the　ability　to　alienate　themselves。Such　principalities　only　are　secure　and　happy。　But　being　upheld　bypowers；　to　which　the　human　mind　cannot　reach；　I　shall　speak　no　more　ofthem；　because；　being　exalted　and　maintained　by　God；　it　would　be　the　actof　a　presumptuous　and　rash　man　to　discuss　them。Nevertheless；　if　any　one　should　ask　of　me　how　es　it　that　the　Churchhas　attained　such　greatness　in　temporal　power；　seeing　that　fromAlexander　backwards　the　Italian　potentates　（not　only　those　who　have　beencalled　potentates；　but　every　baron　and　lord；　though　the　smallest）　havevalued　the　temporal　power　very　slightly　……　yet　now　a　king　of　Francetrembles　before　it；　and　it　has　been　able　to　drive　him　from　Italy；　and　toruin　the　Veians　……　although　this　may　be　very　manifest；　it　does　notappear　to　me　superfluous　to　recall　it　in　some　measure　to　memory。Before　Charles；　King　of　France；　passed　into　Italy；　this　country　wasunder　the　dominion　of　the　Pope；　the　Veians；　the　King　of　Naples；　theDuke　of　Milan；　and　the　Florentines。　These　potentates　had　two　principalanxieties：　the　one；　that　no　foreigner　should　enter　Italy　under　arms；　theother；　that　none　of　themselves　should　seize　more　territory。　Those　aboutwhom　there　was　the　most　anxiety　were　the　Pope　and　the　Veians。　Torestrain　the　Veians　the　union　of　all　the　others　was　necessary；　as　itwas　for　the　defence　of　Ferrara；　and　to　keep　down　the　Pope　they　made　useof　the　barons　of　Rome；　who；　being　divided　into　two　factions；　Orsini　andColonna；　had　always　a　pretext　for　disorder；　and；　standing　with　arms　intheir　hands　under　the　eyes　of　the　Pontiff；　kept　the　pontificate　weak　andpowerless。　And　although　there　might　arise　sometimes　a　courageous　pope；such　as　Sixtus　＇IV＇；　yet　neither　fortune　nor　wisdom　could　rid　him　ofthese　annoyances。　And　the　short　life　of　a　pope　is　also　a　cause　ofweakness；　for　in　the　ten　years；　which　is　the　average　life　of　a　pope；　hecan　with　difficulty　lower　one　of　the　factions；　and　if；　so　to　speak；　onepope　should　almost　destroy　the　Colonna；　another　would　arise　hostile　tothe　Orsini；　who　would　support　their　opponents；　and　yet　would　not　havetime　to　ruin　the　Orsini。　This　was　the　reason　why　the　temporal　powers　ofthe　pope　were　little　esteemed　in　Italy。Alexander　VI　arose　afterwards；　who　of　all　the　pontiffs　that　have　everbeen　showed　how　a　pope　with　both　money　and　arms　was　able　to　prevail；　andthrough　the　instrumentality　of　the　Duke　Valentino；　and　by　reason　of　theentry　of　the　French；　he　brought　about　all　those　things　which　I　havediscussed　above　in　the　actions　of　the　duke。　And　although　his　intentionwas　not　to　aggrandize　the　Church；　but　the　duke；　nevertheless；　what　hedid　contributed　to　the　greatness　of　the　Church；　which；　after　his　deathand　the　ruin　of　the　duke；　became　the　heir　to　all　his　labours。Pope　Julius　came　afterwards　and　found　the　Church　strong；　possessing　allthe　Romagna；　the　barons　of　Rome　reduced　to　impotence；　and；　through　thechastisements　Alexander；　the　factions　wiped　out；　he　also　found　the　wayopen　to　accumulate　money　in　a　manner　such　as　had　never　been　practisedbefore　Alexander's　time。　Such　things　Julius　not　only　followed；　butimproved　upon；　and　he　intended　to　gain　Bologna；　to　ruin　the　Veians；and　to　drive　the　French　out　of　Italy。　All　of　these　enterprises　prosperedwith　him；　and　so　much　the　more　to　his　credit；　inasmuch　as　he　dideverything　to　strengthen　the　Church　and　not　any　private　person。　He　keptalso　the　Orsini　and　Colonna　factions　within　the　bounds　in　which　he　foundthem；　and　although　there　was　among　them　some　mind　to　make　disturbance；nevertheless　he　held　two　things　firm：　the　one；　the　greatness　of　thechurch；　with　which　he　terrified　them；　and　the　other；　not　allowing　themto　have　their　own　cardinals；　who　caused　the　disorders　among　them。　Forwhenever　these　factions　have　their　cardinals　they　do　not　remain　quietfor　long；　because　cardinals　foster　the　factions　in　Rome　and　out　of　it；and　the　barons　are　pelled　to　support　them；　and　thus　from　theambitions　of　prelates　arise　disorders　and　tumults　among　the　barons。　Forthese　reasons　his　Holiness　Pope　Leo　found　the　pontificate　most　powerful；and　it　is　to　be　hoped　that；　if　others　made　it　great　in　arms；　he　willmake　it　still　greater　and　more　venerated　by　his　goodness　and　infiniteother　virtues。CHAPTER　XIIHOW　MANY　KINDS　OF　SOLDIERY　THERE　ARE；　AND　CONCERNING　MERCENARIESHAVING　discoursed　particularly　on　the　characteristics　of　suchprincipalities　as　in　the　beginning　I　proposed　to　discuss；　and　havingconsidered　in　some　degree　the　causes　of　their　being　good　or　bad；　andhaving　shown　the　methods　by　which　many　have　sought　to　acquire　them　andto　hold　them；　it　now　remains　for　me　to　discuss　generally　the　means　ofoffence　and　defence　which　belong　to　each　of　them。We　have　seen　above　how　necessary　it　is　for　a　prince　to　have　hisfoundations　well　laid；　otherwise　it　follows　of　necessity　he　will　go　toruin。　The　chief　foundations　of　all　states；　new　as　well　as　old　orposite；　are　good　laws　and　good　arms；　and　as　there　cannot　be　good　lawswhere　the　state　is　not　well　armed；　it　follows　that　where　they　are　wellarmed　they　have　good　laws。　I　shall　leave　the　laws　out　of　the　discussionand　shall　speak　of　the　arms。I　say；　therefore；　that　the　arms　with　which　a　prince　defends　his　stateare　either　his　own；　or　they　are　mercenaries；　auxiliaries；　or　mixed。Mercenaries　and　auxiliaries　are　useless　and　dangerous；　and　if　one　holdshis　state　based　on　these　arms；　he　will　stand　neither　firm　nor　safe；　forthey　are　disunited；　ambitious　and　without　discipline；　unfaithful；valiant　before　friends；　cowardly　before　enemies；　they　have　neither　thefear　of　God　nor　fidelity　to　men；　and　destruction　is　deferred　only　solong　as　the　attack　is；　for　in　peace　one　is　robbed　by　them；　and　in　war　bythe　enemy。　The　fact　is；　they　have　no　other　attraction　or　reason　forkeeping　the　field　than　a　trifle　of　stipend；　which　is　not　sufficient　tomake　them　willing　to　die　for　you。　They　are　ready　enough　to　be　yoursoldiers　whilst　you　do　not　make　war；　but　if　war　es　they　takethemselves　off　or　run　from　the　foe；　which　I　should　have　little　troubleto　prove；　for　the　ruin　of　Italy　has　been　caused　by　nothing　else　than　byresting　all　her　hopes　for　many　years　on　mercenaries；　and　although　theyformerly　made　some　display　and　appeared　valiant　amongst　themselves；　yetwhen　the　foreigners　came　they　showed　what　they　were。　Thus　it　was　thatCharles；　King　of　France；　was　allowed　to　seize　Italy　with　chalk　in　hand；＇1＇　and　he　who　told　us　that　our　sins　were　the　cause　of　it　told　thetruth；　but　they　were　not　the　sins　he　imagined；　but　those　which　I　haverelated。　And　as　they　were　the　sins　of　princes；　it　is　the　princes　whohave　also　suffered　the　penalty。I　wish　to　demonstrate　further　the　infelicity　of　these　arms。　Themercenary　captains　are　either　capable　men　or　they　are　not；　if　they　are；you　cannot　trust　them；　because　they　always　aspire　to　their　owngreatness；　either　by　oppressing　you；　who　are　their　master；　or　others