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fight　in　foreign　lands；　no　dissensions　arose　either　among　them　or

against　the　prince；　whether　in　his　bad　or　in　his　good　fortune。　This

arose　from　nothing　else　than　his　inhuman　cruelty；　which；　with　his

boundless　valour；　made　him　revered　and　terrible　in　the　sight　of　his

soldiers；　but　without　that　cruelty；　his　other　virtues　were　not

sufficient　to　produce　this　effect。　And　shortsighted　writers　admire　his

deeds　from　one　point　of　view　and　from　another　condemn　the　principal

cause　of　them。　That　it　is　true　his　other　virtues　would　not　have　been

sufficient　for　him　may　be　proved　by　the　case　of　Scipio；　that　most

excellent　man；　not　of　his　own　times　but　within　the　memory　of　man；

against　whom；　nevertheless；　his　army　rebelled　in　Spain；　this　arose　from

nothing　but　his　too　great　forbearance；　which　gave　his　soldiers　more

licence　than　is　consistent　with　military　discipline。　For　this　he　was

upbraided　in　the　Senate　by　Fabius　Maximus；　and　called　the　corrupter　of

the　Roman　soldiery。　The　Locrians　were　laid　waste　by　a　legate　of　Scipio；

yet　they　were　not　avenged　by　him；　nor　was　the　insolence　of　the　legate

punished；　owing　entirely　to　his　easy　nature。　Insomuch　that　someone　in

the　Senate；　wishing　to　excuse　him；　said　there　were　many　men　who　knew

much　better　how　not　to　err　than　to　correct　the　errors　of　others。　This

disposition；　if　he　had　been　continued　in　the　mand；　would　have

destroyed　in　time　the　fame　and　glory　of　Scipio；　but；　he　being　under　the

control　of　the　Senate；　this　injurious　characteristic　not　only　concealed

itself；　but　contributed　to　his　glory。



Returning　to　the　question　of　being　feared　or　loved；　I　e　to　the

conclusion　that；　men　loving　according　to　their　own　will　and　fearing

according　to　that　of　the　prince；　a　wise　prince　should　establish　himself

on　that　which　is　in　his　own　control　and　not　in　that　of　others；　he　must

endeavour　only　to　avoid　hatred；　as　is　noted。



1。　。。。against　my　will；　my　fate；

　　　A　throne　unsettled；　and　an　infant　state；

　　　Bid　me　defend　my　realms　with　all　my　pow'rs；

　　　And　guard　with　these　severities　my　shores。



CHAPTER　XVIII



CONCERNING　THE　WAY　IN　WHICH　PRINCES　SHOULD　KEEP　FAITH



EVERY　one　admits　how　praiseworthy　it　is　in　a　prince　to　keep　faith；　and

to　live　with　integrity　and　not　with　craft。　Nevertheless　our　experience

has　been　that　those　princes　who　have　done　great　things　have　held　good

faith　of　little　account；　and　have　known　how　to　circumvent　the　intellect

of　men　by　craft；　and　in　the　end　have　overe　those　who　have　relied　on

their　word。　You　must　know　there　are　two　ways　of　contesting；　the　one　by

the　law；　the　other　by　force；　the　first　method　is　proper　to　men；　the

second　to　beasts；　but　because　the　first　is　frequently　not　sufficient；　it

is　necessary　to　have　recourse　to　the　second。　Therefore　it　is　necessary

for　a　prince　to　understand　how　to　avail　himself　of　the　beast　and　the

man。　This　has　been　figuratively　taught　to　princes　by　ancient　writers；

who　describe　how　Achilles　and　many　other　princes　of　old　were　given　to

the　Centaur　Chiron　to　nurse；　who　brought　them　up　in　his　discipline；

which　means　solely　that；　as　they　had　for　a　teacher　one　who　was　half

beast　and　half　man；　so　it　is　necessary　for　a　prince　to　know　how　to　make

use　of　both　natures；　and　that　one　without　the　other　is　not　durable。　A

prince；　therefore；　being　pelled　knowingly　to　adopt　the　beast；　ought

to　choose　the　fox　and　the　lion；　because　the　lion　cannot　defend　himself

against　snares　and　the　fox　cannot　defend　himself　against　wolves。

Therefore；　it　is　necessary　to　be　a　fox　to　discover　the　snares　and　a　lion

to　terrify　the　wolves。　Those　who　rely　simply　on　the　lion　do　not

understand　what　they　are　about。　Therefore　a　wise　lord　cannot；　nor　ought

he　to；　keep　faith　when　such　observance　may　be　turned　against　him；　and

when　the　reasons　that　caused　him　to　pledge　it　exist　no　longer。　If　men

were　entirely　good　this　precept　would　not　hold；　but　because　they　are

bad；　and　will　not　keep　faith　with　you；　you　too　are　not　bound　to　observe

it　with　them。　Nor　will　there　ever　be　wanting　to　a　prince　legitimate

reasons　to　excuse　this　nonobservance。　Of　this　endless　modern　examples

could　be　given；　showing　how　many　treaties　and　engagements　have　been　made

void　and　of　no　effect　through　the　faithlessness　of　princes；　and　he　who

has　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；　and

so　subject　to　present　necessities；　that　he　who　seeks　to　deceive　will

always　find　someone　who　will　allow　himself　to　be　deceived。　One　recent

example　I　cannot　pass　over　in　silence。　Alexander　VI　did　nothing　else　but

deceive　men；　nor　ever　thought　of　doing　otherwise；　and　he　always　found

victims；　for　there　never　was　a　man　who　had　greater　power　in　asserting；

or　who　with　greater　oaths　would　affirm　a　thing；　yet　would　observe　it

less；　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　qualities

I　have　enumerated；　but　it　is　very　necessary　to　appear　to　have　them。　And

I　shall　dare　to　say　this　also；　that　to　have　them　and　always　to　observe

them　is　injurious；　and　that　to　appear　to　have　them　is　useful；　to　appear

merciful；　faithful；　humane；　religious；　upright；　and　to　be　so；　but　with　a

mind　so　framed　that　should　you　require　not　to　be　so；　you　may　be　able　and

know　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　often

forced；　in　order　to　maintain　the　state；　to　act　contrary　to　faith；

friendship；　humanity；　and　religion。　Therefore　it　is　necessary　for　him　to

have　a　mind　ready　to　turn　itself　accordingly　as　the　winds　and　variations

of　fortune　force　it；　yet；　as　I　have　said　above；　not　to　diverge　from　the

good　if　he　can　avoid　doing　so；　but；　if　pelled；　then　to　know　how　to

set　about　it。



For　this　reason　a　prince　ought　to　take　care　that　he　never　lets　anything

slip　from　his　lips　that　is　not　replete　with　the　above…named　five

qualities；　that　he　may　appear　to　him　who　sees　and　hears　him　altogether

merciful；　faithful；　humane；　upright；　and　religious。　There　is　nothing

more　necessary　to　appear　to　have　than　this　last　quality；　inasmuch　as　men

judge　generally　more　by　the　eye　than　by　the　hand；　because　it　belongs　to

everybody　to　see　you；　to　few　to　e　in　touch　with　you。　Every　one　sees

what　you　appear　to　be；　few　really　know　what　you　are；　and　those　few　dare

not　oppose　themselves　to　the　opinion　of　the　many；　who　have　the　majesty

of　the　state　to　defend　them；　and　in　the　actions　of　all　men；　and

especially　of　princes；　which　it　is　not　prudent　to　challenge；　one　judges

by　the　result。



For　that　reason；　let　a　prince　have　the　credit　of　conquering　and　holding

his　state；　the　means　will　always　be　considered　honest；　and　he　will　be

praised　by　everybody　because　the　vulgar　are　always　taken　by　what　a　thing

seems　to　be　and　by　what　es　of　it；　and　in　the　world　there　are　only　the

vulgar；　for　the　few　find　a　place　there　only　when　the　many　have　no　ground

to　rest　on。



One　prince　＇1＇　of　the　present　time；　whom　it　is　not　well　to　name；　never

preaches　anything　else　but　peace　and　good　faith；　and　to　both　he　is　most

hostile；　and　either；　if　he　had　kept　it；　would　have　deprived　him　of

reputation　and　kingdom　many　a　time。



1。　Maximilian　I；　Holy　Roman　Emperor。



CHAPTER　XIX



THAT　ONE　SHOULD　AVOID　BEING　DESPISED　AND　HATED



Now；　concerning　the　characteristics　of　which　mention　is　made　above；　I

have　spoken　of　the　more　important　ones；　the　others　I　wish　to　discuss

briefly　under　this　generality；　that　the　prince　must　consider；　as　has

been　in　part　said　before；　how　to　avoid　those　things　which　will　make　him

hated　or　contemptible；　and　as　often　as　he　shall　have　succeeded　he　will

have　fulfilled　his　part；　and　he　need　not　fear　any　danger　in　other

reproaches。



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；　from

both　of　which　he　must　abstain。　And　when　neither　their　property　nor

honour　is　touched；　the　majority　of　men　live　content；　and　he　has　only　to

contend　with　the　ambition　of　a　few；　whom　he　can　curb　with　ease　in　many

ways。



It　makes　him　contemptible　to　be　considered　fickle；　frivolous；

effeminate；　mean…spirited；　irresolute；　from　all　of　which　a　prince　should

guard　himself　as　from　a　rock；　and　he　should　endeavour　to　show　in　his

actions　greatness；　courage；　gravity；　and　fortitude；　and　in　his　private

dealings　with　his　subjects　let　him　show　that　his　judgments　are

irrevocable；　and　maintain　himself　in　such　reputation　that　no　one　can

hope　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