君主论-the prince(英文版)-第11部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　changes　it　may　find　him　prepared　to　resist　her　blows。CHAPTER　XVCONCERNING　THINGS　FOR　WHICH　MEN；　AND　ESPECIALLY　PRINCES；　ARE　PRAISED　ORBLAMEDIT　REMAINS　now　to　see　what　ought　to　be　the　rules　of　conduct　for　a　princetowards　subject　and　friends。　And　as　I　know　that　many　have　written　onthis　point；　I　expect　I　shall　be　considered　presumptuous　in　mentioning　itagain；　especially　as　in　discussing　it　I　shall　depart　from　the　methods　ofother　people。　But；　it　being　my　intention　to　write　a　thing　which　shall　beuseful　to　him　who　apprehends　it；　it　appears　to　me　more　appropriate　tofollow　up　the　real　truth　of　a　matter　than　the　imagination　of　it；　formany　have　pictured　republics　and　principalities　which　in　fact　have　neverbeen　known　or　seen；　because　how　one　lives　is　so　far　distant　from　how　oneought　to　live；　that　he　who　neglects　what　is　done　for　what　ought　to　bedone；　sooner　effects　his　ruin　than　his　preservation；　for　a　man　whowishes　to　act　entirely　up　to　his　professions　of　virtue　soon　meets　withwhat　destroys　him　among　so　much　that　is　evil。Hence　it　is　necessary　for　a　prince　wishing　to　hold　his　own　to　know　howto　do　wrong；　and　to　make　use　of　it　or　not　according　to　necessity。Therefore；　putting　on　one　side　imaginary　things　concerning　a　prince；　anddiscussing　those　which　are　real；　I　say　that　all　men　when　they　are　spokenof；　and　chiefly　princes　for　being　more　highly　placed；　are　remarkable　forsome　of　those　qualities　which　bring　them　either　blame　or　praise；　andthus　it　is　that　one　is　reputed　liberal；　another　miserly；　using　a　Tuscanterm　（because　an　avaricious　person　in　our　language　is　still　he　whodesires　to　possess　by　robbery；　whilst　we　call　one　miserly　who　depriveshimself　too　much　of　the　use　of　his　own）；　one　is　reputed　generous；　onerapacious；　one　cruel；　one　passionate；　one　faithless；　anotherfaithful；　one　effeminate　and　cowardly；　another　bold　and　brave；　oneaffable；　another　haughty；　one　lascivious；　another　chaste；　one　sincere；another　cunning；　one　hard；　another　easy；　one　grave；　another　frivolous；one　religious；　another　unbelieving；　and　the　like。　And　I　know　that　everyone　will　confess　that　it　would　be　most　praiseworthy　in　a　prince　toexhibit　all　the　above　qualities　that　are　considered　good；　but　becausethey　can　neither　be　entirely　possessed　nor　observed；　for　humanconditions　do　not　permit　it；　it　is　necessary　for　him　to　be　sufficientlyprudent　that　he　may　know　how　to　avoid　the　reproach　of　those　vices　whichwould　lose　him　his　state；　and　also　to　keep　himself；　if　it　be　possible；from　those　which　would　not　lose　him　it；　but　this　not　being　possible；　hemay　with　less　hesitation　abandon　himself　to　them。　And　again；　he　need　notmake　himself　uneasy　at　incurring　a　reproach　for　those　vices　withoutwhich　the　state　can　only　be　saved　with　difficulty；　for　if　everything　isconsidered　carefully；　it　will　be　found　that　something　which　looks　likevirtue；　if　followed；　would　be　his　ruin；　whilst　something　else；　whichlooks　like　vice；　yet　followed　brings　him　security　and　prosperity。CHAPTER　XVICONCERNING　LIBERALITY　AND　MEANNESSMENCING　then　with　the　first　of　the　above…named　characteristics；　I　saythat　it　would　be　well　to　be　reputed　liberal。　Nevertheless；　liberalityexercised　in　a　way　that　does　not　bring　you　the　reputation　for　it；injures　you；　for　if　one　exercises　it　honestly　and　as　it　should　beexercised；　it　may　not　bee　known；　and　you　will　not　avoid　the　reproachof　its　opposite。　Therefore；　any　one　wishing　to　maintain　among　men　thename　of　liberal　is　obliged　to　avoid　no　attribute　of　magnificence；　sothat　a　prince　thus　inclined　will　consume　in　such　acts　all　his　property；and　will　be　pelled　in　the　end；　if　he　wish　to　maintain　the　name　ofliberal；　to　unduly　weigh　down　his　people；　and　tax　them；　and　doeverything　he　can　to　get　money。　This　will　soon　make　him　odious　to　hissubjects；　and　being　poor　he　will　be　little　valued　by　any　one；　thus；with　his　liberality；　having　offended　many　and　rewarded　few；　he　isaffected　by　the　very　first　trouble　and　imperilled　by　whatever　may　be　thefirst　danger；　recognizing　this　himself；　and　wishing　to　draw　back　fromit；　he　runs　at　once　into　the　reproach　of　being　miserly。Therefore；　a　prince；　not　being　able　to　exercise　this　virtue　ofliberality　in　such　a　way　that　it　is　recognized；　except　to　his　cost；　ifhe　is　wise　he　ought　not　to　fear　the　reputation　of　being　mean；　for　intime　he　will　e　to　be　more　considered　than　if　liberal；　seeing　thatwith　his　economy　his　revenues　are　enough；　that　he　can　defend　himselfagainst　all　attacks；　and　is　able　to　engage　in　enterprises　withoutburdening　his　people；　thus　it　es　to　pass　that　he　exercises　liberalitytowards　all　from　whom　he　does　not　take；　who　are　numberless；　and　meannesstowards　those　to　whom　he　does　not　give；　who　are　few。We　have　not　seen　great　things　done　in　our　time　except　by　those　who　havebeen　considered　mean；　the　rest　have　failed。　Pope　Julius　the　Second　wasassisted　in　reaching　the　papacy　by　a　reputation　for　liberality；　yet　hedid　not　strive　afterwards　to　keep　it　up；　when　he　made　war　on　the　King　ofFrance；　and　he　made　many　wars　without　imposing　any　extraordinary　tax　onhis　subjects；　for　he　supplied　his　additional　expenses　out　of　his　longthriftiness。　The　present　King　of　Spain　would　not　have　undertaken　orconquered　in　so　many　enterprises　if　he　had　been　reputed　liberal。　Aprince；　therefore；　provided　that　he　has　not　to　rob　his　subjects；　that　hecan　defend　himself；　that　he　does　not　bee　poor　and　abject；　that　he　isnot　forced　to　bee　rapacious；　ought　to　hold　of　little　account　areputation　for　being　mean；　for　it　is　one　of　those　vices　which　willenable　him　to　govern。And　if　any　one　should　say：　Caesar　obtained　empire　by　liberality；　andmany　others　have　reached　the　highest　positions　by　having　been　liberal；and　by　being　considered　so；　I　answer：　Either　you　are　a　prince　in　fact；or　in　a　way　to　bee　one。　In　the　first　case　this　liberality　isdangerous；　in　the　second　it　is　very　necessary　to　be　considered　liberal；and　Caesar　was　one　of　those　who　wished　to　bee　pre…eminent　in　Rome；but　if　he　had　survived　after　being　so；　and　had　not　moderated　hisexpenses；　he　would　have　destroyed　his　government。　And　if　any　one　shouldreply：　Many　have　been　princes；　and　have　done　great　things　with　armies；who　have　been　considered　very　liberal；　I　reply：　Either　a　prince　spendsthat　which　is　his　own　or　his　subjects'　or　else　that　of　others。　In　thefirst　case　he　ought　to　be　sparing；　in　the　second　he　ought　not　to　neglectany　opportunity　for　liberality。　And　to　the　price　who　goes　forth　with　hisarmy；　supporting　it　by　pillage；　sack；　and　extortion；　handling　that　whichbelongs　to　others；　this　liberality　is　necessary；　otherwise　he　would　notbe　followed　by　soldiers。　And　of　that　which　is　neither　yours　nor　yoursubjects'　you　can　be　a　ready　giver；　as　were　Cyrus；　Caesar；　andAlexander；　because　it　does　not　take　away　your　reputation　if　you　squanderthat　of　others；　but　adds　to　it；　it　is　only　squandering　your　own　thatinjures　you。And　there　is　nothing　wastes　so　rapidly　as　liberality；　for　even　whilstyou　exercise　it　you　lose　the　power　to　do　so；　and　so　bee　either　pooror　despised；　or　else；　in　avoiding　poverty；　rapacious　and　hated。　And　aprince　should　guard　himself；　above　all　things；　against　being　despisedand　hated；　and　liberality　leads　you　to　both。　Therefore　it　is　wiser　tohave　a　reputation　for　meanness　which　brings　reproach　without　hatred；than　to　be　pelled　through　seeking　a　reputation　for　liberality　toincur　a　name　for　rapacity　which　begets　reproach　with　hatred。CHAPTER　XVIICONCERNING　CRUELTY　AND　CLEMENCY；　AND　WHETHER　IT　IS　BETTER　TO　BE　LOVEDTHAN　FEAREDING　noentioned　above；　I　say　that　everyprince　ought　to　desire　to　be　considered　clement　and　not　cruel。Nevertheless　he　ought　to　take　care　not　to　misuse　this　clemency。　CesareBorgia　was　considered　cruel；　notwithstanding；　his　cruelty　reconciled　theRomagna；　unified　it；　and　restored　it　to　peace　and　loyalty。　And　if　thisbe　rightly　considered；　he　will　be　seen　to　have　been　much　more　mercifulthan　the　Florentine　people；　who；　to　avoid　a　reputation　for　cruelty；permitted　Pistoia　to　be　destroyed。　Therefore　a　prince；　so　long　as　hekeeps　his　subjects　united　and　loyal；　ought　not　to　mind　the　reproach　ofcruelty；　because　with　a　few　examples　he　will　be　more　merciful　than　thosewho；　through　too　much　mercy；　allow　disorders　to　arise；　from　which　followmurders　or　robberies；　for　these　are　wont　to　injure　the　whole　people；whilst　those　executions　which　originate　with　a　prince　offend　theindividual　only。And　of　all　princes；　it　is　impossible　for　the　new　prince　to　avoid　theimputation　of　cruelty；　owing　to　new　states　being　full　of　dangers。　HenceVirgil；　through　the　mouth　of　Dido；　excuses　the　inhumanity　of　her　reignowing　to　its　being　new；　saying：　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Res　dura；　et　regni　novitas　me　talia　cogunt　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Moliri；　et　late　fines　custode　tueri。　＇1＇Nevertheless　he　ought　to　be　slow　to　believe　and　to　act；　nor　should　hehimself　show　fear；　but　proceed　in　a　temperate　manner　with　prudence　andhumanity；　so　that　too　much　confidence　may　not　make　him　incautious　andtoo　much　distrust　render　him　intolerable。Upon　this　a　question　arises：　whether　it　be　better　to　be　loved　thanfeared　or　feared　than　loved？　It　may　be　answered　that　one　should　wish　tobe　both；　but；　because　it　is　difficult　to　unite　them　in　one　person；　ismuch　safer　to　be　feared　than　loved；　when；　of　the　two；　either　must　bedispensed　with。　Because　this　is　to　be　asserted　in　general　of　men；　thatthey　are　ungrateful；　fickle；　false；　cowardly；