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第9章

君主论-the prince(英文版)-第9章

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 thisskill lacks the essential which it is desirable that a captain shouldpossess; for it teaches him to surprise his enemy; to select quarters;to lead armies; to array the battle; to besiege towns to advantage。Philopoemen; Prince of the Achaeans; among other praises which writershave bestowed on him; is mended because in time of peace he never hadanything in his mind but the rules of war; and when he was in thecountry with friends; he often stopped and reasoned with them: 〃If theenemy should be upon that hill; and we should find ourselves here withour army; with whom would be the advantage? How should one best advanceto meet him; keeping the ranks? If we should wish to retreat; how oughtwe to set about it? If they should retreat; how ought we to pursue?〃 Andhe would set forth to them; as he went; all the chances that couldbefall an army; he would listen to their opinion and state his;confirming it with reasons; so that by these continual discussions therecould never arise; in time of war; any unexpected circumstances that hecould deal with。But to exercise the intellect the prince should read histories; andstudy there the actions of illustrious men; to see how they have borhemselves in war; to examine the causes of their victories and defeat;so as to avoid the latter and imitate the former; and above all do as anillustrious man did; who took as an exemplar one who had been praisedand famous before him; and whose achievements and deeds he always keptin his mind; as it is said Alexander the Great imitated Achilles; CaesarAlexander; Scipio Cyrus。 And whoever reads the life of Cyrus; written byXenophon; will recognize afterwards in the life of Scipio how thatimitation was his glory; and how in chastity; affability; humanity; andliberality Scipio conformed to those things which have been written ofCyrus by Xenophon。 A wise prince ought to observe some such rules; andnever in peaceful times stand idle; but increase his resources withindustry in such a way that they may be available to him in adversity;so that if fortune 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; 

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