The works of the famous Nicholas Machiavel, citizen and secretary of Florence written originally in Italian, and from thence newly and faithfully translated into English.

CHAP. X.

As they are to be praised who lay the foundations of any Republick or Kingdom, so they are to be condemn'd who set up a Tyranny.

AMong all Excellent and Illustrious men, they are most praise worthy who have been the chief establishers of Religion and Divine Worship: In the second place are they who have laid the foundations of any Kingdom or Commonwealth; In the third, those who having the Command of great Armies have enlarged their own, or the Dominion of their Country; In the next, Learned Men of all Sciences according to their several studies and degrees; and last of all (as being infinitely the greatest number) come the Artificers and Mechanicks; all to be commended as they are ingenious or skilful in their Professions. On the other side, they are infamous and detestable, who are contemners of Religion, sub∣verters of Governments, Enemies of Virtue, of Learning, of Art, and in short of every thing that is useful and honourable to mankind; and of this sort, are the prophane, the se∣ditious, the ignorant, the idle, the debauched, and the vile. And although Nature has so ordered it, that their is neither wise man nor fool, nor good man, nor bad, who if it were proposed to him which he would choose of these two sorts of people, would not pre∣fer that which was to be preferred, and condemn the other; yet the generality of Mankind deluded by a false impression of good, and a vain notion of glory, leaving those ways which are excellent and commendable, either wilfully or ignorantly wander into those paths which will lead them to dishonour; and whereas to their immortal honour they might establish a Commonwealth or Kingdom as they please, they run head-long into a Tyranny, not considering what fame, what glory, what affection, what security, what quiet and satisfaction of mind they part with, nor what reproach, scandal, hatred, danger and disquiet they incur. It is impossible but all people, (whether of private condition in the Commonwealth, or such as by their Fortune or Virtue have arrived to be Princes) if they have any knowledge in History, and the passages of old, would rather choose (if private persons) to be Scipio's than Caesar's; and (if Princes) to be Agesilaus, Timolion and Dion, than Nabis, Phalaris, or Dionysius; because they must find the one highly cele∣brated and admired, and the other as much abhor'd and condemn'd; they must find Ti∣moleon, and the rest to have as much interest and authority in their Countries, as Dionysius or Phalaris had in theirs, and much more security. Nor let any man deceive himself with Caesar's reputation, finding him so exceedingly eminent in History, for those who have cryed him up, were either corrupted by his fortune, or terrified by his power, for whil'st the Empire continued, it was never permitted that any man should speak any thing against him, and doubtless had Writers had their liberty, they could have said as much of him as of Cataline, and Caesar is so much the worst of the two, by how much it is worse to effect and perpetrate an ill thing, than to designe it; and this they might judge by what is said of his adversary Brutus, for not daring to speak downright of Caesar, by reason of his power, by kind of reverse, they magnified his Enemy: After Rome also was grown to be an Empire, and the Government in the hands of a single person, it may be observed how much more happy and secure those Emperors were who lived like good Princes, according to the dictate of the Laws, than those who lived otherwise; for Titus, Nerva, Trajanus, Adrianus, Antoninus, and Marcus, had no need of Praetorian bands, nor multitude of Legions to defend them, their own excellent deportment, the benevolence of the people, and the affection of the Senate, saved them that charge: It will appear likewise how to Caligula, Nero, Vitellius, and several other Tyrannical Emperors; their Eastern and Western Armies were not sufficient to secure them against the Enemies, which their irre∣gularity and ill manners had contracted; The History of which persons, if well considered, would enable any Prince to distinguish betwixt the ways of Honour and Infamy, of Security and Fear: For of XXVI Emperors betwixt Caesar and Maximinus, XVI were murdered, and but X died in their beds; and though some of those who were slain might possibly be good, (as Pertinax, and Galba) yet they were murdered by reason of the corruption and ill discipline which their Predecessors had left in the Army; and if among those who died naturally, there were any Tyrannical, (as Severus) it is to be imputed to his great Courage and Fortune, which are two things very seldom Concomitant in one man, it is legible likewise in the same History upon what Basis and foundation a Monarchy must be built, to make it solid, and permanent; for all those Emperors who succeeded by here∣ditary right were ill men, except Titus only, and those who came in by Election were

good, as Nerva and the four which succeeded him; but when the Empire became wholly Hereditary, it ran furiously to destruction. Let the times therefore from Nerva to Marcus be displayed before your Prince, and let him compare them which went before with those which came after, and then make his choice when they would have been born, or when he would have been Soveraign; He will find when good men were at the Helm, the Prince safe in the security of his Subjects; Peace and Justice flourishing in the world; The Senate in Authority; The Magistrates in Esteem; Rich men enjoying their Estates; Nobility and Virtue Exalted; and all things quiet and well; No rancour; No licentiousness; No cor∣ruption; No ambition to be found; the times were golden; Every man enjoyed his opinion, and defended it as he pleased; In a word, He will find the world triumphing in felicity, The Prince happy in the reverence and affection of the people; and the people safe in the generosity of their Prince. If then the Reigns of the other Emperors be con∣templated, they will appear full of commotion, discord, and sedition, assassinations in Peace; Cruelty in War; Many Princes murther'd; many Foreign, many domestick embroilments; All Italy afflicted; and all its Cities destroyed; Rome burnt; The Capitol by its own Inhabi∣tants demolished; The ancient Temples desolate; Religious Ceremonies prophaned; and the whole Citie full of Adulteries; The Sea covered with Exiles, and the Rocks with blood; Infinite Cruelties and Barbaris••••s committed daily in the City; And Nobility, Riches, Honour, and especially Virtue, grown to be Capital offences. Informers and Calumnia∣tors will be found to be rewarded; Servants instigated against their Masters; Children against their Parents; and those few who were so unhappy as to have no Enemies; to be destroyed by their Friends; Then it will appear what mighty obligations Rome, and Italy, and the whole world had to Caesar; and doubtless if the Prince be endued with the lest spark of humanity or good nature, he will detest the imitation of the bad, and be inflamed with an ardent propensity to the good. All which things considered, that Prince certainly which aims at glory, and reputation in the world should desire a Government, where the manners of his Subjects are corrupted and depraved, not to subvert and destroy it like Caesar, but to rectifie and restore it like Romulus, than which the Heavens, cannot confer, nor man propose to himself greater honour. And if a Prince who would regulate and re∣form a City, cannot do it, without depositing his Authority; In that case he is excu∣sable in some measure, if he dispenses; but where he can retain the one, and accomplish the other, he is altogether unpardonable; they therefore to whom the Heavens are so propitious as to present such an opportunity, are to consider that they have two ways before them, one leading to security whil'st they live, and an honourable memory when they are dead, the other to continual troubles here, and perpetual infamy here∣after.