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whom he owed so much； for fear of compromising himself； his connection
with the Medici was open to suspicion； and Giuliano appears to have
recognized his real forte when he set him to write the 〃History of
Florence；〃 rather than employ him in the state。 And it is on the literary side
of his character； and there alone； that we find no weakness and no failure。
Although the light of almost four centuries has been focused on 〃The
Prince；〃 its problems are still debatable and interesting； because they are
the eternal problems between the ruled and their rulers。 Such as they are；
its ethics are those of Machiavelli's contemporaries； yet they cannot be
said to be out of date so long as the governments of Europe rely on
material rather than on moral forces。 Its historical incidents and
personages become interesting by reason of the uses which Machiavelli
makes of them to illustrate his theories of government and conduct。
Leaving out of consideration those maxims of state which still furnish
some European and eastern statesmen with principles of action； 〃The
Prince〃 is bestrewn with truths that can be proved at every turn。 Men are
still the dupes of their simplicity and greed； as they were in the days of
Alexander VI。 The cloak of religion still conceals the vices which
Machiavelli laid bare in the character of Ferdinand of Aragon。 Men will
not look at things as they really are； but as they wish them to beand are
ruined。 In politics there are no perfectly safe courses； prudence consists in
choosing the least dangerous ones。 Then to pass to a higher plane
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The Prince
Machiavelli reiterates that； although crimes may win an empire； they do
not win glory。 Necessary wars are just wars； and the arms of a nation are
hallowed when it has no other resource but to fight。
It is the cry of a far later day than Machiavelli's that government
should be elevated into a living moral force； capable of inspiring the
people with a just recognition of the fundamental principles of society； to
this 〃high argument〃 〃The Prince〃 contributes but little。 Machiavelli
always refused to write either of men or of governments otherwise than as
he found them； and he writes with such skill and insight that his work is of
abiding value。 But what invests 〃The Prince〃 with more than a merely
artistic or historical interest is the incontrovertible truth that it deals with
the great principles which still guide nations and rulers in their
relationship with each other and their neighbours。
In translating 〃The Prince〃 my aim has been to achieve at all costs an
exact literal rendering of the original； rather than a fluent paraphrase
adapted to the modern notions of style and expression。 Machiavelli was no
facile phrasemonger； the conditions under which he wrote obliged him to
weigh every word； his themes were lofty； his substance grave； his manner
nobly plain and serious。 〃Quis eo fuit unquam in partiundis rebus； in
definiendis； in explanandis pressior？〃 In 〃The Prince；〃 it may be truly said；
there is reason assignable； not only for every word； but for the position of
every word。 To an Englishman of Shakespeare's time the translation of
such a treatise was in some ways a comparatively easy task； for in those
times the genius of the English more nearly resembled that of the Italian
language； to the Englishman of to…day it is not so simple。 To take a single
example： the word 〃intrattenere；〃 employed by Machiavelli to indicate the
policy adopted by the Roman Senate towards the weaker states of Greece；
would by an Elizabethan be correctly rendered 〃entertain；〃 and every
contemporary reader would understand what was meant by saying that
〃Rome entertained the Aetolians and the Achaeans without augmenting
their power。〃 But to…day such a phrase would seem obsolete and
ambiguous； if not unmeaning： we are compelled to say that 〃Rome
maintained friendly relations with the Aetolians；〃 etc。； using four words to
do the work of one。 I have tried to preserve the pithy brevity of the Italian
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The Prince
so far as was consistent with an absolute fidelity to the sense。 If the result
be an occasional asperity I can only hope that the reader； in his eagerness
to reach the author's meaning； may overlook the roughness of the road that
leads him to it。
The following is a list of the works of Machiavelli：
Principal works。 Discorso sopra le cose di Pisa； 1499； Del modo di
trattare i popoli della Valdichiana ribellati； 1502； Del modo tenuto dal
duca Valentino nell' ammazzare Vitellozzo Vitelli； Oliverotto da Fermo；
etc。； 1502； Discorso sopra la provisione del danaro； 1502； Decennale
primo （poem in terza rima）； 1506； Ritratti delle cose dell' Alemagna； 1508…
12； Decennale secondo； 1509； Ritratti delle cose di Francia； 1510； Discorsi
sopra la prima deca di T。 Livio； 3 vols。； 1512…17； Il Principe； 1513； Andria；
comedy translated from Terence； 1513 （？）； Mandragola； prose comedy in
five acts； with prologue in verse； 1513； Della lingua （dialogue）； 1514；
Clizia； comedy in prose； 1515 （？）； Belfagor arcidiavolo （novel）； 1515；
Asino d'oro （poem in terza rima）； 1517； Dell' arte della guerra； 1519…20；
Discorso sopra il riformare lo stato di Firenze； 1520； Sommario delle cose
della citta di Lucca； 1520； Vita di Castruccio Castracani da Lucca； 1520；
Istorie fiorentine； 8 books； 1521…5； Frammenti storici； 1525。
Other poems include Sonetti； Canzoni； Ottave； and Canti
carnascialeschi。
Editions。 Aldo； Venice； 1546； della Tertina； 1550； Cambiagi； Florence；
6 vols。； 1782…5； dei Classici； Milan； 10 1813； Silvestri； 9 vols。； 1820…2；
Passerini； Fanfani； Milanesi； 6 vols。 only published； 1873…7。
Minor works。 Ed。 F。 L。 Polidori； 1852； Lettere familiari； ed。 E。 Alvisi；
1883； 2 editions； one with excisions； Credited Writings； ed。 G。 Canestrini；
1857； Letters to F。 Vettori； see A。 Ridolfi； Pensieri intorno allo scopo di N。
Machiavelli nel libro Il Principe； etc。； D。 Ferrara； The Pr