君主论-the prince(英文版)-第16章

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adevoid　and　of　no　effect　through　the　faithlessness　of　princes；　and　he　whohas　known　best　how　to　employ　the　fox　has　succeeded　best。But　it　is　necessary　to　know　well　how　to　disguise　this　characteristic；and　to　be　a　great　pretender　and　dissembler；　and　men　are　so　simple；　andso　subject　to　present　necessities；　that　he　who　seeks　to　deceive　willalways　find　someone　who　will　allow　himself　to　be　deceived。　One　recentexample　I　cannot　pass　over　in　silence。　Alexander　VI　did　nothing　else　butdeceive　men；　nor　ever　thought　of　doing　otherwise；　and　he　always　foundvictims；　for　there　never　was　a　man　who　had　greater　power　in　asserting；or　who　with　greater　oaths　would　affirm　a　thing；　yet　would　observe　itless；　nevertheless　his　deceits　always　succeeded　according　to　his　wishes；because　he　well　understood　this　side　of　mankind。Therefore　it　is　unnecessary　for　a　prince　to　have　all　the　good　qualitiesI　have　enumerated；　but　it　is　very　necessary　to　appear　to　have　them。　AndI　shall　dare　to　say　this　also；　that　to　have　them　and　always　to　observethem　is　injurious；　and　that　to　appear　to　have　them　is　useful；　to　appearmerciful；　faithful；　humane；　religious；　upright；　and　to　be　so；　but　with　amind　so　framed　that　should　you　require　not　to　be　so；　you　may　be　able　andknow　how　to　change　to　the　opposite。And　you　have　to　understand　this；　that　a　prince；　especially　a　new　one；cannot　observe　all　those　things　for　which　men　are　esteemed；　being　oftenforced；　in　order　to　maintain　the　state；　to　act　contrary　to　faith；friendship；　humanity；　and　religion。　Therefore　it　is　necessary　for　him　tohave　a　mind　ready　to　turn　itself　accordingly　as　the　winds　and　variationsof　fortune　force　it；　yet；　as　I　have　said　above；　not　to　diverge　from　thegood　if　he　can　avoid　doing　so；　but；　if　pelled；　then　to　know　how　toset　about　it。For　this　reason　a　prince　ought　to　take　care　that　he　never　lets　anythingslip　from　his　lips　that　is　not　replete　with　the　above…named　fivequalities；　that　he　may　appear　to　him　who　sees　and　hears　him　altogethermerciful；　faithful；　humane；　upright；　and　religious。　There　is　nothingmore　necessary　to　appear　to　have　than　this　last　quality；　inasmuch　as　menjudge　generally　more　by　the　eye　than　by　the　hand；　because　it　belongs　toeverybody　to　see　you；　to　few　to　e　in　touch　with　you。　Every　one　seeswhat　you　appear　to　be；　few　really　know　what　you　are；　and　those　few　darenot　oppose　themselves　to　the　opinion　of　the　many；　who　have　the　majestyof　the　state　to　defend　them；　and　in　the　actions　of　all　men；　andespecially　of　princes；　which　it　is　not　prudent　to　challenge；　one　judgesby　the　result。For　that　reason；　let　a　prince　have　the　credit　of　conquering　and　holdinghis　state；　the　means　will　always　be　considered　honest；　and　he　will　bepraised　by　everybody　because　the　vulgar　are　always　taken　by　what　a　thingseems　to　be　and　by　what　es　of　it；　and　in　the　world　there　are　only　thevulgar；　for　the　few　find　a　place　there　only　when　the　many　have　no　groundto　rest　on。One　prince　＇1＇　of　the　present　time；　whom　it　is　not　well　to　name；　neverpreaches　anything　else　but　peace　and　good　faith；　and　to　both　he　is　mosthostile；　and　either；　if　he　had　kept　it；　would　have　deprived　him　ofreputation　and　kingdom　many　a　time。1。　Maximilian　I；　Holy　Roman　Emperor。CHAPTER　XIXTHAT　ONE　SHOULD　AVOID　BEING　DESPISED　AND　HATEDNow；　concerning　the　characteristics　of　which　mention　is　made　above；　Ihave　spoken　of　the　more　important　ones；　the　others　I　wish　to　discussbriefly　under　this　generality；　that　the　prince　must　consider；　as　hasbeen　in　part　said　before；　how　to　avoid　those　things　which　will　make　himhated　or　contemptible；　and　as　often　as　he　shall　have　succeeded　he　willhave　fulfilled　his　part；　and　he　need　not　fear　any　danger　in　otherreproaches。It　makes　him　hated　above　all　things；　as　I　have　said；　to　be　rapacious；and　to　be　a　violator　of　the　property　and　women　of　his　subjects；　fromboth　of　which　he　must　abstain。　And　when　neither　their　property　norhonour　is　touched；　the　majority　of　men　live　content；　and　he　has　only　tocontend　with　the　ambition　of　a　few；　whom　he　can　curb　with　ease　in　manyways。It　makes　him　contemptible　to　be　considered　fickle；　frivolous；effeminate；　mean…spirited；　irresolute；　from　all　of　which　a　prince　shouldguard　himself　as　from　a　rock；　and　he　should　endeavour　to　show　in　hisactions　greatness；　courage；　gravity；　and　fortitude；　and　in　his　privatedealings　with　his　subjects　let　him　show　that　his　judgments　areirrevocable；　and　maintain　himself　in　such　reputation　that　no　one　canhope　either　to　deceive　him　or　to　get　round　him。That　prince　is　highly　esteemed　who　conveys　this　impression　of　himself；and　he　who　is　highly　esteemed　is　not　easily　conspired　against；　for；provided　it　is　well　known　that　he　is　an　excellent　man　and　revered　by　hispeople；　he　can　only　be　attacked　with　difficulty。　For　this　reason　aprince　ought　to　have　two　fears；　one　from　within；　on　account　of　hissubjects；　the　other　from　without；　on　account　of　external　powers。　Fromthe　latter　he　is　defended　by　being　well　armed　and　having　good　allies；and　if　he　is　well　armed　he　will　have　good　friends；　and　affairs　willalways　remain　quiet　within　when　they　are　quiet　without；　unless　theyshould　have　been　already　disturbed　by　conspiracy；　and　even　shouldaffairs　outside　be　disturbed；　if　he　has　carried　out　his　preparations　andhas　lived　as　I　have　said；　as　long　as　he　does　not　despair；　he　will　resistevery　attack；　as　I　said　Nabis　the　Spartan　did。But　concerning　his　subjects；　when　affairs　outside　are　disturbed　he　hasonly　to　fear　that　they　will　conspire　secretly；　from　which　a　prince　caneasily　secure　himself　by　avoiding　being　hated　and　despised；　and　bykeeping　the　people　satisfied　with　him；　which　it　is　most　necessary　forhim　to　acplish；　as　I　said　above　at　length。　And　one　of　the　mostefficacious　remedies　that　a　prince　can　have　against　conspiracies　is　notto　be　hated　and　despised　by　the　people；　for　he　who　conspires　against　aprince　always　expects　to　please　them　by　his　removal；　but　when　theconspirator　can　only　look　forward　to　offending　them；　he　will　not　havethe　courage　to　take　such　a　course；　for　the　difficulties　that　confront　aconspirator　are　infinite。　And　as　experience　shows；　many　have　been　theconspiracies；　but　few　have　been　successful；　because　he　who　conspirescannot　act　alone；　nor　can　he　take　a　panion　except　from　those　whom　hebelieves　to　be　malcontents；　and　as　soon　as　you　have　opened　your　mind　toa　malcontent　you　have　given　him　the　material　with　which　to　contenthimself；　for　by　denouncing　you　he　can　look　for　every　advantage；　so　that；seeing　the　gain　from　this　course　to　be　assured；　and　seeing　the　other　tobe　doubtful　and　full　of　dangers；　he　must　be　a　very　rare　friend；　or　athoroughly　obstinate　enemy　of　the　prince；　to　keep　faith　with　you。And；　to　reduce　the　matter　into　a　small　pass；　I　say　that；　on　the　sideof　the　conspirator；　there　is　nothing　but　fear；　jealousy；　prospect　ofpunishment　to　terrify　him；　but　on　the　side　of　the　prince　there　is　themajesty　of　the　principality；　the　laws；　the　protection　of　friends　and　thestate　to　defend　him；　so　that；　adding　to　all　these　things　the　populargoodwill；　it　is　impossible　that　any　one　should　be　so　rash　as　toconspire。　For　whereas　in　general　the　conspirator　has　to　fear　before　theexecution　of　his　plot；　in　this　case　he　has　also　to　fear　the　sequel　tothe　crime；　because　on　account　of　it　he　has　the　people　for　an　enemy；　andthus　cannot　hope　for　any