君主论-the prince(英文版)-第18章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　I　say　that　a　prince　may　beseen　happy　to…day　and　ruined　to…morrow　without　having　shown　any　changeof　disposition　or　character。　This；　I　believe；　arises　firstly　from　causesthat　have　already　been　discussed　at　length；　namely；　that　the　prince　whorelies　entirely　upon　fortune　is　lost　when　it　changes。　I　believe　alsothat　he　will　be　successful　who　directs　his　actions　according　to　thespirit　of　the　times；　and　that　he　whose　actions　do　not　accord　with　thetimes　will　not　be　successful。　Because　men　are　seen；　in　affairs　that　leadto　the　end　which　every　man　has　before　him；　namely；　glory　and　riches；　toget　there　by　various　methods；　one　with　caution；　another　with　haste；　oneby　force；　another　by　skill；　one　by　patience；　another　by　its　opposite；and　each　one　succeeds　in　reaching　the　goal　by　a　different　method。　Onecan　also　see　of　two　cautious　men　the　one　attain　his　end；　the　other　fail；and　similarly；　two　men　by　different　observances　are　equally　successful；the　one　being　cautious；　the　other　impetuous；　all　this　arises　fromnothing　else　than　whether　or　not　they　conform　in　their　methods　to　thespirit　of　the　times。　This　follows　from　what　I　have　said；　that　two　menworking　differently　bring　about　the　same　effect；　and　of　two　workingsimilarly；　one　attains　his　object　and　the　other　does　not。Changes　in　estate　also　issue　from　this；　for　if；　to　one　who　governshimself　with　caution　and　patience；　times　and　affairs　converge　in　such　away　that　his　administration　is　successful；　his　fortune　is　made；　but　iftimes　and　affairs　change；　he　is　ruined　if　he　does　not　change　his　courseof　action。　But　a　man　is　not　often　found　sufficiently　circumspect　to　knowhow　to　acmodate　himself　to　the　change；　both　because　he　cannot　deviatefrom　what　nature　inclines　him　to；　and　also　because；　having　alwaysprospered　by　acting　in　one　way；　he　cannot　be　persuaded　that　it　is　wellto　leave　it；　and；　therefore；　the　cautious　man；　when　it　is　time　to　turnadventurous；　does　not　know　how　to　do　it；　hence　he　is　ruined；　but　had　hechanged　his　conduct　with　the　times　fortune　would　not　have　changed。Pope　Julius　II　went　to　work　impetuously　in　all　his　affairs；　and　foundthe　times　and　circumstances　conform　so　well　to　that　line　of　action　thathe　always　met　with　success。　Consider　his　first　enterprise　againstBologna；　Messer　Giovanni　Bentivogli　being　still　alive。　The　Veianswere　not　agreeable　to　it；　nor　was　the　King　of　Spain；　and　he　had　theenterprise　still　under　discussion　with　the　King　of　France；　neverthelesshe　personally　entered　upon　the　expedition　with　his　accustomed　boldnessand　energy；　a　move　which　made　Spain　and　the　Veians　stand　irresoluteand　passive；　the　latter　from　fear；　the　former　from　desire　to　recover　allthe　kingdom　of　Naples；　on　the　other　hand；　he　drew　after　him　the　King　ofFrance；　because　that　king；　having　observed　the　movement；　and　desiring　tomake　the　Pope　his　friend　so　as　to　humble　the　Veians；　found　itimpossible　to　refuse　him　soldiers　without　manifestly　offending　him。Therefore　Julius　with　his　impetuous　action　acplished　what　no　otherpontiff　with　simple　human　wisdom　could　have　done；　for　if　he　had　waitedin　Rome　until　he　could　get　away；　with　his　plans　arranged　and　everythingfixed；　as　any　other　pontiff　would　have　done；　he　would　never　havesucceeded。　Because　the　King　of　France　would　have　made　a　thousandexcuses；　and　the　others　would　have　raised　a　thousand　fears。I　will　leave　his　other　actions　alone；　as　they　were　all　alike；　and　theyall　succeeded；　for　the　shortness　of　his　life　did　not　let　him　experiencethe　contrary；　but　if　circumstances　had　arisen　　to　gocautiously；　his　ruin　would　have　followed；　because　he　would　never　havedeviated　from　those　ways　to　which　nature　inclined　him。I　conclude　therefore　that；　fortune　being　changeful　and　mankind　steadfastin　their　ways；　so　long　as　the　two　are　in　agreement　men　are　successful；but　unsuccessful　when　they　fall　out。　For　my　part　I　consider　that　it　isbetter　to　be　adventurous　than　cautious；　because　fortune　is　a　woman；　andif　you　wish　to　keep　her　under　it　is　necessary　to　beat　and　ill…use　her；and　it　is　seen　that　she　allows　herself　to　be　mastered　by　the　adventurousrather　than　by　those　who　go　to　work　more　coldly。　She　is；　therefore；always；　woman…like；　a　lover　of　young　men；　because　they　are　lesscautious；　more　violent；　and　with　more　audacity　mand　her。CHAPTER　XXVIAN　EXHORTATION　TO　LIBERATE　ITALY　FROM　THE　BARBARIANSHAVING　carefully　considered　the　subject　of　the　above　discourses；　andwondering　within　myself　whether　the　present　times　were　propitious　to　anew　prince；　and　whether　there　were　the　elements　that　would　give　anopportunity　to　a　wise　and　virtuous　one　to　introduce　a　new　order　ofthings　which　would　do　honour　to　him　and　good　to　the　people　of　thiscountry；　it　appears　to　me　that　so　many　things　concur　to　favour　a　newprince　that　I　never　knew　a　time　more　fit　than　the　present。And　if；　as　I　said；　it　was　necessary　that　the　people　of　Israel　should　becaptive　so　as　to　make　manifest　the　ability　of　Moses；　that　the　Persiansshould　be　oppressed　by　the　Medes　so　as　to　discover　the　greatness　of　thesoul　of　Cyrus；　and　that　the　Athenians　should　be　dispersed　to　illustratethe　capabilities　of　Theseus：　then　at　the　present　time；　in　order　todiscover　the　virtue　of　an　Italian　spirit；　it　was　necessary　that　Italyshould　be　reduced　to　the　extremity　she　is　now　in；　that　she　should　bemore　enslaved　than　the　Hebrews；　more　oppressed　than　the　Persians；　morescattered　than　the　Athenians；　without　head；　without　order；　beaten；despoiled；　torn；　overrun；　and　to　have　endured　every　kind　of　desolation。Although　lately　some　spark　may　have　been　shown　by　one；　which　made　usthink　he　was　ordained　by　God　for　our　redemption；　nevertheless　it　wasafterwards　seen；　in　the　height　of　his　career；　that　fortune　rejected　him；so　that　Italy；　left　as　without　life；　waits　for　him　who　shall　yet　healher　wounds　and　put　an　end　to　the　ravaging　and　plundering　of　Lombardy；　tothe　swindling　and　taxing　of　the　kingdom　and　of　Tuscany；　and　cleansethose　sores　that　for　long　have　festered。　It　is　seen　how　she　entreats　Godto　send　someone　who　shall　deliver　her　from　these　wrongs　and　barbarousinsolencies。　It　is　seen　also　that　she　is　ready　and　willing　to　follow　abanner　if　only　someone　will　raise　it。Nor　is　there　to　be　seen　at　present　one　in　whom　she　can　place　more　hopethan　in　your　illustrious　house；　with　its　valour　and　fortune；　favoured　byGod　and　by　the　Church　of　which　it　is　now　the　chief；　and　which　could　bemade　the　head　of　this　redemption。　This　will　not　be　difficult　if　you　willrecall　to　yourself　the　actions　and　lives　of　the　men　I　have　named。　Andalthough　they　were　great　and　wonderful　men；　yet　they　were　men；　and　eachone　of　them　had　no　more　opportunity　than　the　present　offers；　for　theirenterprises　were　neither　more　just　nor　easier　than　this；　nor　was　Godmore　their　friend　than　He　is　yours。With　us　there　is　great　justice；　because　that　war　is　just　which　isnecessary；　and　arms　are　hallowed　when　there　is　no　other　hope　but　inthem。　Here　there　is　the　greatest　willingness；　and　where　the　willingnessis　great　the　difficulties　cannot　be　great　if　you　will　only　follow　thosemen　to　whom　I　have　directed　your　attention。　Further　than　this；　howextraordinarily　the　ways　of　God　have　been　manifested　beyond　example：　thesea　is　divided；　a　cloud　has　led　the　way；　the　rock　has　poured　forthwater；　it　has　rained　manna；　everything　has　contributed　to　yourgreatness；　you　ought　to　do　the　rest。　God　is　not　willing　to　doeverything；　and　thus　take　away　our　free　will　and　that　share　of　glorywhich　belongs　to　us。And　it　is　not　to　be　wondered　at　if　none　of　the　above…named　Italians　havebeen　able　to　acplish　all　that　is　expected　from　your　illustrioushouse；　and　if　in　so　many　revolutions　in　Italy；　and　in　so　many　campaigns；it　has　always　appeared　as　if　military　virtue　were　exhausted；　this　hashappened　because　the　old　order　of　things　was　not　good；　and　none　of　ushave　known　how　to　find　a　new　one。　And　nothing　honours　a　man　more　than　toestablish　new　laws　and　new　ordinances　when　he　himself　was　newly　risen。Such　things　when　they　are　well　founded　and　dignified　will　make　himrevered　and　admired；　and　in　Italy　there　are　not　wanting　opportunities　tobring　such　into　use　in　every　form。Here　there　is　great　valour　in　the　limbs　whilst　it　fails　in　the　head。Look　attentively　at　the　duels　and　the　hand…to…hand　bats；　how　superiorthe　Italians　are　in　strength；　dexterity；　and　subtlety。　But　when　it　esto　armies　they　do　not　bear　parison；　and　this　springs　entirely　fromthe　insufficiency　of　the　leaders；　since　those　who　are　capable　are　notobedient；　and　each　one　seems　to　himself　to　know；　there　having　never　beenany　one　so　distinguished　above　the　rest；　either　by　valour　or　fortune；that　others　would　yield　to　him。　Hence　it　is　that　for　so　long　a　time；　andduring　so　much　fighting　in　the　past　twenty　years；　whenever　there　hasbeen　an　army　wholly　Italian；　it　has　always　given　a　poor　account　ofitself；　as　witness　Taro；　Alessandria；　Capua；　Genoa；　Vaila；　Bologna；Mestre。If；　therefore；　your　illustrious　house　wishes　to　follow　those　remarkablemen　who　have　redeemed　their　country；　it　is　necessary　before　all　things；as　a　true　foundation　for　every　enterprise；　to　be　provided　with　your　ownforces；　because　there　can　be　no　more　faithful；　truer；　or　bettersoldiers。　And　although　singly　they　are　good；　altogether　they　will　bemuch　better　when　they　find　themselves　manded　by　their　prince；honoured　by　him；　and　maintained　at　his　expense。　Therefore　it　isnecessary　to　be　prepar