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. I.

What have been generally the principles of all Cities, and particularly of Rome

THose who shall read the Original of the City of Rome, by what Legislators advanced and by what Government ordered, will not wonder it shall remain firm and entire for so many ages, afterwards so vast an Empire spring out of it as that Common∣wealth arrived to. Being to discourse first of its Original, it is convenient to premise, that all Cities are built either by natives born in the Country where they were erected, or by stran∣gers. The first happens when, to the Inhabitants dispersed in many and little parties, it appears their habitation is insecure, not being able apart (by reason of their distance, or smalness of their numbers) to resist an invasion, (if any Enemy should fall upon them) or to unite suddenly for their defence, without leaving their Houses and Families exposed, which by consequence would be certain prey to the enemy. Whereupon, to evade those dangers, moved either by their own impulse, or the suggestions of some person among them of more than ordinary authority, they oblige themselves to live together in some place to be chosen by them for convenience of provision, and easiness of defence. Of this sort, among many others, Athens and Venice were two: the first that built under the autho∣rity of Theseus, upon occasion of the like distance and dispersion of the natives. The other (there being many people driven together into certain little Islands in that point of the Adriatick Sea, to avoid the War which every day, by the access and irruption of new Armies of Barbarians after the declension of the Roman Empire grew intolerable in Italy) began by degrees among themselves, without the assistance or encouragement of any Prince, to treat and submit to such Laws as appeared most likely to preserve them: and it succeeded to their desire by the long respite and tranquillity their situation afforded them; that Sea having no passage at that end, and the Barbarians no ships to disturb them; so that the least beginning imaginable was sufficient to exalt them to their present authority and gran∣deur.

The second case, when a City is raised by strangers, it is done by people that are free, or depending (as Colonies) or else by some Prince or Republick to ease and disburthen themselves of their exuberance, or to defend some Territory, which being newly acquir'd, they desire with more safety and less expence to maintain (of which sort several were by the people of Rome all over their Empire) otherwise they are sometimes erected by some Prince, not for his residence so much as for his glory and renown (as Alexandria by Alexander the great). But these Cities not being free in their Original, do seldom arise to any extraordinary height more than to be reckoned the heads or chief of some Kingdom. Of this sort was Florence, for (whether built by the Souldiers of Silla, or perchance by the

Inhabitants of the Mountain di Fiesole, who presuming upon, and being encouraged by the long Peace under the Reign of Augustus, descended from their Mountain to inhabit the plain upon the River Arms) it was built under the Roman Empire, and could not upon those principles exalt it self higher than the courtesie of the Prince would permit. The Founders of Cities are free, when by themselves, or the Command of their Soveraign they are constrained upon occasion of sickness, famine, or war, to abandon their own, inquest of new Countries: and these do either possess themselves of such Towns as they find ready▪ built in their Conquests, (as Moses did), or they build them de novo, as Aeneas. In this case the power of the builder, and the fortune of the building is conspicuous and honoura∣ble, according as the cause from whence it derives its Original is more or less eminent. His virtue and prudence is discernible two ways, by the election of the Seat, and institution of the Laws; and because men build as often by necessity as choice, and the judgment and wisdom of the builder is greater where there is less room and latitude for his election; it is worthy our consideration whether it is more advantagious building in barren and un∣fruitful places, to the end that the people being constrained to be industrious, and less ob∣noxious to idleness, might live in more unity, the poverty of the soil giving them less op∣portunity of dissention. Thus it fell out in Raugia and several other Cities built in such places; and that kind of election would doubtless be most prudent and profitable, if men could be content to live quietly of what they had, without an ambitious desire of Com∣mand. But there being no security against that, but power, it is necessary to avoid that sterility, and build in the fruitfullest places can be found, where their numbers encreasing by the plentifulness of the soil, they may be able not only to defend themselves against an as∣sault, but repel any opposition shall be made to their grandeur; and as to that idleness to which the richness of the situation disposes, it may be provided against by Laws and con∣venient exercise enjoyn'd, according to the example of several wise men, who having in∣habited Countries, pleasant, fruitful, and apt to produce such lazy people improper for ser∣vice, to prevent the inconvenience which might follow thereupon, enjoyned such a necessity of exercise to such as were intended for the Wars, that by degrees they became better Soul∣diers than those Countries which were mountainous and barren could any where produce. Among whom may be reckoned the Kingdom of Egypt, which, notwithstanding that it was extreamly pleasant and plentiful, by the virtue and efficacy of its Laws produced excellent men, and perhaps such as, had not their names been extinguished with time, might have de∣served as much honour as Alexander the Great, and many other great Captains, whose me∣mories are so fresh, and so venerable among us. An who-ever would consider the Govern∣ment of the Soldan, the discipline of the Mamalukes, and the rest of their Militia before they were extirpated by Selimus the Turk, might find their great prudence and caution in exercising their Souldiers, and preventing that softness and effeminacy to which the felicity of their soil did so naturally incline them.

For these reasons I conceive best to build in a fruitful place, if the ill consequences of that fertility be averted by convenient Laws. Alexander the Great being desirous to build a City to perpetuate his name Dinocrates an Architect came to him, and undertook to build him one upon the Mountain Athos, and to recommend and inforce his proposal, (besides the goodness of the soil) he persuaded him it should be made in the shape and figure of a man (a thing which would be new, wonderful, and sutable to his greatness). But when Alexander enquired whence it was to be supplyed, the Architect replyed; he had not con∣sidered of that; at which answer Alexander laugh'd very heartily, and leaving him and his mountain to themselves, he built Alexandria, where people might be tempted to plant by the richness of the Soil, the nearness of the Sea, and convenience of the River Nile. Again, if we examine the Original of Rome, and admit Aeneas for the first Founder, it will fall in the number of those Cities built by foreigners: if Romulus, among such as were erected by the natives; either way it was originally free, without any dependance. It will appear likewise (as shall be shewn more particularly hereafter) by what Laws Romulus, Numa and others fortified and secur'd it; insomuch that neither the fertility of the Soil, the commodity of the Sea, the frequency of their Victories, nor the largeness of its Em∣pire were able to debauch or corrupt it; but it remained for several ages for piety and vir∣tue more exemplary than any other Commonwealth either since or before it. And because the great things acted under that Government, and transmitted to us by Titus Livius, were performed by publick or private Counsel within or without the City, I shall begin with what occur'd in the Town, and was managed by publick debate, (as judging that most wor∣thy our annotation) super-adding what-ever depended thereupon; and with these discourses I intend this first Book (or rather Part) shall conclude.