So one needs to be a fox to recognize snares and a lion to frighten the wolves. Thus, since a prince is compelled of necessity to know well how to use the beast, he should pick the fox and the lion, because the lion does not defend itself from snares and the fox does not defend itself from wolves.
To have as teacher a half-beast, half-man means nothing other than that a prince needs to know how to use both natures and the one without the other is not lasting. This role was taught covertly to princes by ancient writers, who wrote that Achilles, and many other ancient princes, were given to Chiron the centaur to be raised, so that he would look after them with his discipline. Therefore it is necessary for a prince to know well how to use the beast and the man. The first is proper to man, the second to beasts but because the first is often not enough, one must have recourse to the second. Thus, you must know that there are two kinds of combat: one with laws, the other with force.
Nonetheless one sees by experience in our times that the princes who have done great things are those who have taken little account of faith and have known how to get around men’s brains with their astuteness and in the end they have overcome those who have founded themselves on loyalty. How praiseworthy it is for a prince to keep his faith, and to live with honesty and not by astuteness, everyone understands. All footnotes are those of the translator.
0 kommentar(er)
