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君主论-the prince(英文版)-第22章

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y 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 therefore that men; whenthe weather bees fair; shall not make provision; both with defencesand barriers; in such a manner that; rising again; the waters may passaway by canal; and their force be neither so unrestrained nor sodangerous。 So it happens with fortune; who shows her power where valourhas not prepared to resist her; and thither she turns her forces whereshe knows that barriers and defences have not been raised to constrainher。And if you will consider Italy; which is the seat of these changes; andwhich has given to them their impulse; you will see it to be an opencountry without barriers and without any defence。 For if it had beendefended by proper valour; as are Germany; Spain; and France; eitherthis invasion would not have made the great changes it has made or itwould not have e at all。 And this I consider enough to say concerningresistance to fortune in general。But confining myself more to the particular; I say that a prince may beseen happy to…day and ruined to…morrow without having shown any changeof disposition or character。 This; I believe; arises firstly from causesthat have already been discussed at length; namely; that the prince whorelies entirely upon fortune is lost when it changes。 I believe alsothat he will be successful who directs his actions according to thespirit of the times; and that he whose actions do not accord with thetimes will not be successful。 Because men are seen; in affairs that leadto the end which every man has before him; namely; glory and riches; toget there by various methods; one with caution; another with haste; oneby force; another by skill; one by patience; another by its opposite;and each one succeeds in reaching the goal by a different method。 Onecan also see of two cautious men the one attain his end; the other fail;and similarly; two men by different observances are equally successful;the one being cautious; the other impetuous; all this arises fromnothing else than whether or not they conform in their methods to thespirit of the times。 This follows from what I have 
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