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IT is CUSTOMARY for those who wish to gain the favour of a prince to endeavour to do so by offering him gifts of those things which they hold most p
ALL STATES and dominions which hold or have held sway over mankind are either republics or monarchies
I WILL NOT here speak of republics, having already treated of them fully in another place;I will deal only with monarchies, and will discuss how the
BUT IT is in the new monarchy that difficulties really exist
CONSIDERING THE DIFFICULTIES there are in holding a newly acquired state, some may wonder how it came to pass that Alexander the Great became master
WHEN THOSE STATES which have been acquired are accustomed to live at liberty under their own laws, there are three ways of holding them
LET NO ONE MARVEL if in speaking of new dominions both as to prince and state, I bring forward very exalted instances, for men walk almost always in
THOSE, WHO RISE from private citizens to be princes merely by fortune have little trouble in rising but very much in maintaining their position
BUT AS THERE are still two ways of becoming prince which cannot be attributed entirely either to fortune or to ability, they must not be passed over
BUT WE NOW COME to the case where a citizen becomes prince not through crime or intolerable violence, but by the favour of his fellow-citizens, whic
IN EXAMINING the character of these principalities it is necessary to consider another point, namely, whether the prince has such position as to be
IT NOW ONLY REMAINS t0'us to
HAVING NOW DISCUSSED FULLY the qualities of these principalities of which I proposed to treat, and partially considered the causes of their prosperi
WHEN ONE ASKS a powerful neighbour to come to aid and defend one with his forces, they are termed auxiliaries and are as useless as mercenaries
A PRINCE SHOULD THEREFORE have no other aim or thought, nor take up any other thing for his study, but war and its organisation and discipline, for
IT NOW REMAINS to be seen what are the methods and rules for a prince as regards his subjects and friends
BEGINNING NOW with the first qualities above named, I say that it would be well to be considered liberal; nevertheless liberality such as the world
PROCEEDING to the other qualities before named, I say that every prince must desire to be considered merciful and not cruel
How LAUDABLE IT Is for a prince to keep good faith and live with integrity, and not with astuteness, every one knows
BUT AS I HAVE NOW SPOKEN of the most important of the qualities in question, I will new deal briefly and generally with the rest
SOME PRINCES, in order to hold their possessions securely, have disarmed their citizens, some others have kept their subject lands divided into part
NOTHING CAUSES a prince to be so much esteemed as great enterprises and giving proof of prowess
THE CHOICE of a prinee’s ministers is a matter of no little importance; they are either good or not according to the prudence of the prince
I MUST NOT OMIT an important subject, and mention of a mistake which princes can with difficulty avoid, if they are not very prudent, or if they do
THE BEFORE-MENTIONED THINGS, if prudently observed, make a new prince seem ancient, and render him at once more secure and firmer in the state than
IT IS NOT UNKNOWN to me how many have been and are of opinion that worldly events are so governed by fortune and by God, that men cannot by their pr
HAVING NOW CONSIDERED all the things we have spoken of, and thought within myself whether at present the time was not propitious in Italy for a new