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d　even　shouldaffairs　outside　be　disturbed；　if　he　has　carried　out　his　preparations　andhas　lived　as　I　have　said；　as　long　as　he　does　not　despair；　he　will　resistevery　attack；　as　I　said　Nabis　the　Spartan　did。But　concerning　his　subjects；　when　affairs　outside　are　disturbed　he　hasonly　to　fear　that　they　will　conspire　secretly；　from　which　a　prince　caneasily　secure　himself　by　avoiding　being　hated　and　despised；　and　bykeeping　the　people　satisfied　with　him；　which　it　is　most　necessary　forhim　to　acplish；　as　I　said　above　at　length。　And　one　of　the　mostefficacious　remedies　that　a　prince　can　have　against　conspiracies　is　notto　be　hated　and　despised　by　the　people；　for　he　who　conspires　against　aprince　always　expects　to　please　them　by　his　removal；　but　when　theconspirator　can　only　look　forward　to　offending　them；　he　will　not　havethe　courage　to　take　such　a　course；　for　the　difficulties　that　confront　aconspirator　are　infinite。　And　as　experience　shows；　many　have　been　theconspiracies；　but　few　have　been　successful；　because　he　who　conspirescannot　act　alone；　nor　can　he　take　a　panion　except　from　those　whom　hebelieves　to　be　malcontents；　and　as　soon　as　you　have　opened　your　mind　toa　malcontent　you　have　given　him　the　material　with　which　to　contenthimself；　for　by　denouncing　you　he　can　look　for　every　advantage；　so　that；seeing　the　gain　from　this　course　to　be　assured；　and　seeing　the　other　tobe　doubtful　and　full　of　dangers；　he　must　be　a　very　rare　friend；　or　athoroughly　obstinate　enemy　of　the　prince；　to　keep　faith　with　you。And；　to　reduce　the　matter　into　a　small　pass；　I　say　that；　on　the　sideof　the　conspirator；　there　is　nothing　but　fear；　jealousy；　prospect　ofpunishment　to　terrify　him；　but　on　the　side　of　the　prince　there　is　themajesty　of　the　principality；　the　laws；　the　protection　of　friends　and　thestate　to　defend　him；　so　that；　adding　to　all　these　things　the　populargoodwill；　it　is　impossible　that　any　one　should　be　so　rash　as　toconspire。　For　whereas　in　general　the　conspirator　has　to　fear　before　theexecution　of　his　plot；　in　this　case　he　has　also　to　fear　the　sequel　tothe　crime；　because　on　account　of　it　he　has　the　people　for　an　enemy；　andthus　cannot　hope　for　any　escape。Endless　examples　could　be　given　on　this　subject；　but　I　will　be　contentwith　one；　brought　to　pass　within　the　memory　of　our　fathers。　MesserAnnibale　Bentivoglio；　who　was　prince　in　Bologna　（grandfather　of　thepresent　Annibale）；　having　been　murdered　by　the　Canneschi；　who　hadconspired　against　him；　not　one　of　his　family　survived　but　MesserGiovanni；　who　was　in　childhood：　immediately　after　his　assassination　thepeople　rose　and　murdered　all　the　Canneschi。　This　sprung　from　the　populargoodwill　which　the　house　of　Bentivoglio　enjoyed　in　those　days　inBologna；　which　was　so　great　that；　although　none　remained　there　after　thedeath　of　Annibale　who　were　able　to　rule　the　state；　the　Bolognese；　havinginformation　that　there　was　one　of　the　Bentivoglio　family　in　Florence；who　up　to　that　time　had　been　considered　the　son　of　a　blacksmith；　sent　toFlorence　for　him　and　gave　him　the　government　of　their　city；　and　it　wasruled　by　him　until　Messer　Giovanni　came　in　due　course　to　the　government。For　this　reason　I　consider　that　a　prince　ought　to　reckon　conspiracies　oflittle　account　when　his　people　hold　him　in　esteem；　but　when　it　ishostile　to　him；　and　bears　hatred　towards　him；　he　ought　to　feareverything　and　everybody。　And　well…ordered　states　and　wise　princes　havetaken　every　care　not　to　drive　the　nobles　to　desperation；　and　to　keep　thepeople　satisfied　and　contented；　for　this　is　one　of　the　most　importantobjects　a　prince　can　have。Among　the　best　ordered　and　governed　kingdoms　of　our　times　is　France；　andin　it　are　found　many　good　institutions　on　which　depend　the　liberty　andsecurity　of　the　king；　of　these　the　first　is　the　parliament　and　itsauthority；　because　he　who　founded　the　kingdom；　knowing　the　ambition　ofthe　nobility　and　their　boldness；　considered　that　a　bit　in　their　mouthswould　be　necessary　to　hold　them　in；　and；　on　the　other　side；　knowing　thehatred　of　the　people；　founded　in　fear；　against　the　nobles；　he　wished　toprotect　them；　yet　he　was　not　anxious　for　this　to　be　the　particular　careof　the　king；　therefore；　to　take　away　the　reproach　which　he　would　beliable　to　from　the　nobles　for　favouring　the　people；　and　from　the　peoplefor　favouring　the　nobles；　he　set　up　an　arbiter；　who　should　be　one　whocould　beat　down　the　great　and　favour　the　lesser　without　reproach　to　theking。　Neither　could　you　have　a　better　or　a　more　prudent　arrangement；　ora　greater　source　of　security　to　the　king　and　kingdom。　From　this　one　candraw　another　important　conclusion；　that　princes　ought　to　leave　affairsof　reproach　to　the　management　of　others；　and　keep　those　of　grace　intheir　own　hands。　And　further；　I　consider　that　a　prince　ought　to　cherishthe　nobles；　but　not　so　as　to　make　himself　hated　by　the　people。It　may　appear；　perhaps；　to　some　who　have　examined　the　lives　and　deathsof　the　Roman　emperors　that　many　of　them　would　be　an　example　contrary　tomy　opinion；　seeing　that　some　of　them　lived　nobly　and　showed　greatqualities　of　soul；　nevertheless　they　have　lost　their　empire　or　have　beenkilled　by　subjects　who　have　conspired　against　them。　Wishing；　therefore；to　answer　these　objections；　I　will　recall　the　characters　of　some　of　theemperors；　and　will　show　that　the　causes　of　their　ruin　were　not　differentto　those　alleged　by　me；　at　the　same　time　I　will　only　submit　forconsideration　those　things　that　are　noteworthy　to　him　who　studies　theaffairs　of　those　times。It　seems　to　me　sufficient　to　take　all　those　emperors　who　succeeded　tothe　empire　from　Marcus　the　philosopher　down　to　Maximinus；　they　wereMarcus　and　his　son　modus；　Pertinax；　Julian；　Severus　and　his　sonAntoninus　Caracalla；　Macrinus；　Heliogabalus；　Alexander；　and　Maximinus。There　is　first　to　note　that；　whereas　in　other　principalities　theambition　of　the　nobles　and　the　insolence　of　the　people　only　have　to　becontended　with；　the　Roman　emperors　had　a　third　difficulty　in　having　toput　up　with　the　cruelty　and　avarice　of　their　soldiers；　a　matter　so　besetwith　difficulties　that　it　was　the　ruin　of　many；　for　it　was　a　hard　thingto　give　satisfaction　both　to　soldiers　and　people；　because　the　peopleloved　peace；　and　for　this　reason　they　loved　the　unaspiring　prince；whilst　the　soldiers　loved　the　warlike　prince　who　was　bold；　cruel；　andrapacious；　which　qualities　they　were　quite　willing　he　should　exerciseupon　the　people；　so　that　they　could　get　double　pay　and　give　vent　totheir　greed　and　cruelty。　Hence　it　arose　that　those　emperors　were　alwaysoverthrown　who；　either　by　birth　or　training；　had　no　great　authority；　andmost　of　them；　especially　those　who　came　new　to　the　principality；recognizing　the　difficulty　of　these　two　opposing　humours；　were　inclinedto　give　satisfaction　to　the　soldiers；　caring　little　about　injuring　thepeople。　Which　course　was　necessary；　because；　as　princes　cannot　helpbeing　hated　by　someone；　they　ought；　in　the　first　place；　to　avoid　beinghated　by　every　one；　and　when　they　cannot　pass　this；　they　ought　toendeavour　with　the　utmost　diligence　to　avoid　the　hatred　of　the　mostpowerful。　Therefore；　those　emperors　who　through　inexperience　had　need　ofspecial　favour　adhered　more　readily　to　the　soldiers　than　to　the　people；a　course　which　turned　out　advantageous　to　them　or　not；　accordingly　asthe　prince　knew　how　to　maintain　authority　over　them。From　these　causes　it　arose　that　Marcus　＇Aurelius＇；　Pertinax；　andAlexander；　being　all　men　of　modest　life；　lovers　of　justice；　enemies　tocruelty；　humane；　and　benignant；　came　to　a　sad　end　except　Marcus；　healone　lived　and　died　honoured；　because　he　had　succeeded　to　the　throne　byhereditary　title；　and　owed　nothing　either　to　the　soldiers　or　the　people；and　afterwards；　being　possessed　of　many　virtues　which　made　himrespected；　he　always　kept　both　orders　in　their　places　whilst　he　lived；and　was　neither　hated　nor　despised。But　Pertinax　was　created　emperor　against　the　wishes　of　the　soldiers；who；　being　accustomed　to　live　licentiously　under　modus；　could　notendure　the　honest　life　to　which　Pertinax　wished　to　reduce　them；　thus；having　given　cause　for　hatred；　to　which　hatred　there　was　added　contemptfor　his　old　age；　he　was　overthrown　at　the　very　beginning　of　hisadministration。　And　here　it　should　be　noted　that　hatred　is　acquired　asmuch　by　good　works　as　by　bad　ones；　therefore；　as　I　said　before；　a　princewishing　to　keep　his　state　is　very　often　forced　to　do　evil；　for　when　thatbody　is　corrupt　whom　you　think　you　have　need　of　to　maintain　yourself　……it　may　be　either　the　people　or　the　soldiers　or　the　nobles　……　you　have　tosubmit　to　its　humours　and　to　gratify　them；　and　then　good　works　will　doyou　harm。But　let　us　e　to　Alexander；　who　was　a　man　of　such　great　goodness；　thatamong　the　other　praises　which　are　accorded　him　is　this；　that　in　thefourteen　years　he　held　the　empire　no　one　was　ever　put　to　death　by　himunjudged；　nevertheless；　being　considered　effeminate　and　a　man　whoallowed　himself　to　be　governed　by　his　mother；　he　became　despised；　thearmy　conspired　against　him；　and　murdered　him。Turning　now　to　the　opposite　characters　of　modus；　Severus；　AntoninusCaracalla；　and　Maximinus；　you　will　find　them　all　cruel　and　rapacious　……men　who；　to　satisfy　their　soldiers；　did　not　hesitate　to　mit　everykind　of　iniquity　against　the　people；　and　all；　except　Severus；　came　to　abad　end；　but　in　Severus　there　was　so　much　valour　that；　keeping　thesoldiers　friendly；　although　the　people　were　oppressed　by　him；　he　reignedsuccessfully；　for　his　valour　made　him　so　much　admired　in　the　sight　ofthe　soldiers　and　people　that　the　latter　were　kept　in　a　way　astonishedand　awed　and　the　former　respectful　and　satisfied。　And　because　theactions　of　this　man；　as　a　new　prince；　were　great；　I　wish　to　show　brieflythat　he　knew　well　how　to　counterfeit　the　fox　and　the　lion；　whichnatures；　as　I　said　above；　it　is　necessary　for　a　prince　to　imitate。Knowing　the　sloth　of　the　Emperor　Julian；　he　persuaded　the　army　inSclavonia；　of　which　he　was　captain；　that　it　would　be　right　to　go　to　Romeand　avenge　the　death　of　Pertinax；　who　had　been　killed　by　the　praetoriansoldiers；　and　under　this　pretext；　without　appearing　to　aspire　to　thethrone；　he　moved　the　army　on　Rome；　and　reached　Italy　before　it　was　knownthat　he　had　started。　On　his　arrival　at　Rome；　the　Senate；　through　fear；elected　him　emperor　and　killed　Julian。　After　this　there　remained　forSeverus；　who　wished　to　make　himself　master　of　the　whole　empire；　twodifficulties；　one　in　Asia；　where　Niger；　head　of　the　Asiatic　army；　hadcaused　himself　to　be　proclaimed　emperor；　the　other　in　the　west　whereAlbinus　was；　who　also　aspired　to　the　throne。　And　as　he　considered　itdangerous　to　declare　himself　hostile　to　both；　he　decided　to　attack　Nigerand　to　deceive　Albinus。　To　the　latter　he　wrote　that；　being　electedemperor　by　the　Senate；　he　was　willing　to　share　that　dignity　with　him　andsent　him　the　title　of　Caesar；　and；　moreover；　that　the　Senate　had　madeAlbinus　his　colleague；　which　things　were　accepted　by　Albinus　as　true。But　after　Severus　had　conquered　and　killed　Niger；　and　settled　orientalaffairs；　he　returned　to　Rome　and　plained　to　the　Senate　that　Albinus；little　recognizing　the　benefits　that　he　had　received　from　him；　had　bytreachery　sought　to　murder　him；　and　for　this　ingratitude　he　waspelled　to　punish　him。　Afterwards　he　sought　him　out　in　France；　andtook　from　him　his　government　and　life。　He　who　will；　therefore；　carefullyexamine　the　actions　of　this　man　will　find　him　a　most　valiant　lion　and　amos

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