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君主论-the prince(英文版)-第6部分

小说: 君主论-the prince(英文版) 字数: 每页4000字

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 yet; in order that the citizens should see he had notspent his time in vain; he desired to e honourably; so would beacpanied by one hundred horsemen; his friends and retainers; and heentreated Giovanni to arrange that he should be received honourably bythe citizens of Fermo; all of which would be not only to his honour; butalso to that of Giovanni himself; who had brought him up。Giovanni; therefore; did not fail in any attentions due to his nephew;and he caused him to be honourably received by the Fermans; and helodged him in his own house; where; having passed some days; and havingarranged what was necessary for his wicked designs; Oliverotto gave asolemn banquet to which he invited Giovanni Fogliani and the chiefs ofFermo。 When the viands and all the other entertainments that are usualin such banquets were finished; Oliverotto artfully began certain gravediscourses; speaking of the greatness of Pope Alexander and his sonCesare; and of their enterprises; to which discourse Giovanni and othersanswered; but he rose at once; saying that such matters ought to bediscussed in a more private place; and he betook himself to a chamber;whither Giovanni and the rest of the citizens went in after him。 Nosooner were they seated than soldiers issued from secret places andslaughtered Giovanni and the rest。 After these murders Oliverotto;mounted on horseback; rode up and down the town and besieged the chiefmagistrate in the palace; so that in fear the people were forced to obeyhim; and to form a government; of which he made himself the prince。 Hekilled all the malcontents who were able to injure him; and strengthenedhimself with new civil and military ordinances; in such a way that; inthe year during which he held the principality; not only was he securein the city of Fermo; but he had bee formidable to all hisneighbours。 And his destruction would have been as difficult as that ofAgathocles if he had not allowed himself to be overreached by CesareBorgia; who took him with the Orsini and Vitelli at Sinigaglia; as wasstated above。 Thus one year after he had mitted this parricide; hewas strangled; together with Vitellozzo; whom he had made his leader invalour and wickedness。Some may wonder how it can happen that Agathocles; and his like; afterinfinite treacheries and cruelties; should live for long secure in hiscountry; and defend himself from external enemies; and never beconspired against by his own citizens; seeing that many others; by meansof cruelty; have never been able even in peaceful times to hold thestate; still less in the doubtful times of war。 I believe that thisfollows from severities being badly or properly used。 Those may becalled properly used; if of evil it is lawful to speak well; that areapplied at one blow and are necessary to one's security; and that arenot persisted in afterwards unless they can be turned to the advantageof the subjects。 The badly employed are those which; notwithstandingthey may be few in the mencement; multiply with time rather thandecrease。 Those who practise the first system are able; by aid of God orman; to mitigate in some degree their rule; as Agathocles did。 It isimpossible for those who follow the other to maintain themselves。Hence it is to be remarked that; in seizing a state; the usurper oughtto examine closely into all those injuries which it is necessary for himto inflict; and to do them all at one stroke so as not to have to repeatthem daily; and thus by not unsettling men he will be able to reassurethem; and win them to himself by benefits。 He who does otherwise; eitherfrom timidity or evil advice; is always pelled to keep the knife inhis hand; neither can he rely on his subjects; nor can they attachthemselves to him; owing to their continued and repeated wrongs。 Forinjuries ought to be done all at one time; so that; being tasted less;they offend less; benefits ought to be given little by little; so thatthe flavour of them may last longer。And above all things; a prince ought to live amongst his people in sucha way that no unexpected circumstances; whether of good or evil; shallmake him change; because if the necessity for this es in troubledtimes; you are too late for harsh measures; and mild ones will not helpyou; for they will be considered as forced from you; and no one will beunder any obligation to you for them。CHAPTER IXCONCERNING A CIVIL PRINCIPALITYBUT ing to the other point …… where a leading citizen bees theprince of his country; not by wickedness or any intolerable violence;but by the favour of his fellow citizens …… this may be called a civilprincipality: nor is genius or fortune altogether necessary to attain toit; but rather a happy shrewdness。 I say then that such a principalityis obtained either by the favour of the people or by the favour of thenobles。 Because in all cities these two distinct parties are found; andfrom this it arises that the people do not wish to be ruled noroppressed by the nobles; and the nobles wish to rule and oppress thepeople; and from these two opposite desires there arises in cities oneof three results; either a principality; self…government; or anarchy。A principality is created either by the people or by the nobles;accordingly as one or other of them has the opportunity; for the nobles;seeing they cannot withstand the people; begin to cry up the reputationof one of themselves; and they make him a prince; so that under hisshadow they can give vent to their ambitions。 The people; finding theycannot resist the nobles; also cry up the reputation of one ofthemselves; and make him a prince so as to be defended by his authority。He who obtains sovereignty by the assistance of the nobles maintainshimself with more difficulty than he who es to it by the aid of thepeople; because the former finds himself with many around him whoconsider themselves his equals; and because of this he can neither rulenor manage them to his liking。 But he who reaches sovereignty by popularfavour finds himself alone; and has none around him; or few; who are notprepared to obey him。Besides this; one cannot by fair dealing; and without injury to others;satisfy the nobles; but you can satisfy the people; for their object ismore righteous than that of the nobles; the latter wishing to oppress;whilst the former only desire not to be oppressed。 It is to be addedalso that a prince can never secure himself against a hostile people;because of their being too many; whilst from the nobles he can securehimself; as they are few in number。 The worst that a prince may expectfrom a hostile people is to be abandoned by them; but from hostilenobles he has not only to fear abandonment; but also that they will riseagainst him; for they; being in these affairs more far…seeing andastute; always e forward in time to save themselves; and to obtainfavours from him whom they expect to prevail。 Further; the prince ispelled to live always with the same people; but he can do wellwithout the same nobles; being able to make and unmake them daily; andto give or take away authority when it pleases him。Therefore; to make this point clearer; I say that the nobles ought to belooked at mainly in two ways: that is to say; they either shape theircourse in such a way as binds them entirely to your fortune; or they donot。 Those who so bind themselves; and are not rapacious; ought to behonoured and loved; those who do not bind themselves may be dealt within two ways; they may fail to do this through pusillanimity and anatural want of courage; in which case you ought to make use of them;especially of those who are of good counsel; and thus; whilst inprosperity you honour yourself; in adversity you have not to fear them。But when for their own ambitious ends they shun binding themselves; itis a token that they are giving more thought to themselves than to you;and a prince ought to guard against such; and to fear them as if theywere open enemies; because in adversity they always help to ruin him。Therefore; one who bees a prince through the favour of the peopleought to keep them friendly; and this he can easily do seeing they onlyask not to be oppressed by him。 But one who; in opposition to thepeople; bees a prince by the favour of the nobles; ought; aboveeverything; to seek to win the people over to himself; and this he mayeasily do if he takes them under his protection。 Because men; when theyreceive good from him of whom they were expecting evil; are bound moreclosely to their benefactor; thus the people quickly bee more devotedto him than if he had been raised to the principality by their favours;and the prince can win their affections in many ways; but as these varyaccording to the circumstances one cannot give fixed rules; so I omitthem; but; I repeat; it is necessary for a prince to have the peoplefriendly; otherwise he has no security in adversity。Nabis; Prince of the Spartans; sustained the attack of all Greece; andof a victorious Roman army; and against them he defended his country andhis government; and for the overing of this peril it was onlynecessary for him to make himself secure against a few; but this wouldnot have been sufficient if the people had been hostile。 And do not letany one impugn this statement with the trite proverb that 'He who buildson the people; builds on the mud;' for this is true when a privatecitizen makes a foundation there; and persuades himself that the peoplewill free him when he is oppressed by his enemies or by the magistrates;wherein he would find himself very often deceived; as happened to theGracchi in Rome and to Messer Giorgio Scali in Florence。 But granted aprince who has established himself as above; who can mand; and is aman of courage; undismayed in adversity; who does not fail in otherqualifications; and who; by his resolution and energy; keeps the wholepeople encouraged …… such a one will never find himself deceived inthem; and it will be shown that he has laid his foundations well。These principalities are liable to danger when they are passing from thecivil to the absolute order of government; for such princes either rulepersonally or through magistrates。 In the latter case their governmentis weaker and more insecure; because it rests entirely on the goodwillof those citizens who are raised to the magistracy; and who; especiallyin troubled times; can destroy the government with great ease

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