君主论-the prince(英文版)-第11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！


whereby　they　ran　more　danger　than　at　any　othertime　of　their　troubles。The　Emperor　of　Constantinople；　to　oppose　his　neighbours；　sent　tenthousand　Turks　into　Greece；　who；　on　the　war　being　finished；　were　notwilling　to　quit；　this　was　the　beginning　of　the　servitude　of　Greece　tothe　infidels。Therefore；　let　him　who　has　no　desire　to　conquer　make　use　of　these　arms；for　they　are　much　more　hazardous　than　mercenaries；　because　with　them　theruin　is　ready　made；　they　are　all　united；　all　yield　obedience　to　others；but　with　mercenaries；　e　and　betteropportunities　are　needed　to　injure　you；　they　are　not　all　of　onemunity；　they　are　found　and　paid　by　you；　and　a　third　party；　which　youhave　made　their　head；　is　not　able　all　at　once　to　assume　enough　authorityto　injure　you。　In　conclusion；　in　mercenaries　dastardy　is　most　dangerous；in　auxiliaries；　valour。　The　wise　prince；　therefore；　has　always　avoidedthese　arms　and　turned　to　his　own；　and　has　been　willing　rather　to　losewith　them　than　to　conquer　with　others；　not　deeming　that　a　real　victorywhich　is　gained　with　the　arms　of　others。I　shall　never　hesitate　to　cite　Cesare　Borgia　and　his　actions。　This　dukeentered　the　Romagna　with　auxiliaries；　taking　there　only　French　soldiers；and　with　them　he　captured　Imola　and　Forli；　but　afterwards；　such　forcesnot　appearing　to　him　reliable；　he　turned　to　mercenaries；　discerning　lessdanger　in　them；　and　enlisted　the　Orsini　and　Vitelli；　whom　presently；　onhandling　and　finding　them　doubtful；　unfaithful；　and　dangerous；　hedestroyed　and　turned　to　his　own　men。　And　the　difference　between　one　andthe　other　of　these　forces　can　easily　be　seen　when　one　considers　thedifference　there　was　in　the　reputation　of　the　duke；　when　he　had　theFrench；　when　he　had　the　Orsini　and　Vitelli；　and　when　he　relied　on　hisown　soldiers；　on　whose　fidelity　he　could　always　count　and　found　it　everincreasing；　he　was　never　esteemed　more　highly　than　when　every　one　sawthat　he　was　plete　master　of　his　own　forces。I　was　not　intending　to　go　beyond　Italian　and　recent　examples；　but　I　amunwilling　to　leave　out　Hiero；　the　Syracusan；　he　being　one　of　those　Ihave　named　above。　This　man；　as　I　have　said；　made　head　of　the　army　by　theSyracusans；　soon　found　out　that　a　mercenary　soldiery；　constituted　likeour　Italian　condottieri；　was　of　no　use；　and　it　appearing　to　him　that　hecould　neither　keep　them　nor　let　them　go；　he　had　them　all　cut　to　pieces；and　afterwards　made　war　with　his　own　forces　and　not　with　aliens。I　wish　also　to　recall　to　memory　an　instance　from　the　Old　Testamentapplicable　to　this　subject。　David　offered　himself　to　Saul　to　fight　withGoliath；　the　Philistine　champion；　and；　to　give　him　courage；　Saul　armedhim　with　his　own　weapons；　which　David　rejected　as　soon　as　he　had　them　onhis　back；　saying　he　could　make　no　use　of　them；　and　that　he　wished　tomeet　the　enemy　with　his　sling　and　his　knife。　In　conclusion；　the　arms　ofothers　either　fall　from　your　back；　or　they　weigh　you　down；　or　they　bindyou　fast。Charles　VII；　the　father　of　King　Louis　XI；　having　by　good　fortune　andvalour　liberated　France　from　the　English；　recognized　the　necessity　ofbeing　armed　with　forces　of　his　own；　and　he　established　in　his　kingdomordinances　concerning　men…at…arms　and　infantry。　Afterwards　his　son；　KingLouis；　abolished　the　infantry　and　began　to　enlist　the　Switzers；　whichmistake；　followed　by　others；　is；　as　is　now　seen；　a　source　of　peril　tothat　kingdom；　because；　having　raised　the　reputation　of　the　Switzers；　hehas　entirely　diminished　the　value　of　his　own　arms；　for　he　has　destroyedthe　infantry　altogether；　and　his　men…at…arms　he　has　subordinated　toothers；　for；　being　as　they　are　so　accustomed　to　fight　along　withSwitzers；　it　does　not　appear　that　they　can　no。Hence　it　arises　that　the　French　cannot　stand　against　the　Switzers；　andwithout　the　Switzers　they　do　not　e　off　well　against　others。　Thearmies　of　the　French　have　thus　bee　mixed；　partly　mercenary　and　partlynational；　both　of　which　arms　together　are　much　better　than　mercenariesalone　or　auxiliaries　alone；　yet　much　inferior　to　one's　own　forces。　Andthis　example　proves　it；　the　kingdom　of　France　would　be　unconquerable　ifthe　ordinance　of　Charles　had　been　enlarged　or　maintained。But　the　scanty　wisdom　of　man；　on　entering　into　an　affair　which　lookswell　at　first；　cannot　discern　the　poison　that　is　hidden　in　it；　as　I　havesaid　above　of　hectic　fevers。　Therefore；　if　he　who　rules　a　principalitycannot　recognize　evils　until　they　are　upon　him；　he　is　not　truly　wise；and　this　insight　is　given　to　few。　And　if　the　first　disaster　to　the　RomanEmpire　should　be　examined；　it　will　be　found　to　have　menced　only　withthe　enlisting　of　the　Goths；　because　from　that　time　the　vigour　of　theRoman　Empire　began　to　decline；　and　all　that　valour　which　had　raised　itpassed　away　to　others。I　conclude；　therefore；　that　no　principality　is　secure　without　having　itsown　forces；　on　the　contrary；　it　is　entirely　dependent　on　good　fortune；not　having　the　valour　which　in　adversity　would　defend　it。　And　it　hasalways　been　the　opinion　and　judgment　of　wise　men　that　nothing　can　be　souncertain　or　unstable　as　fame　or　power　not　founded　on　its　own　strength。And　one's　own　forces　are　those　which　are　posed　either　of　subjects；citizens；　or　dependants；　all　others　are　mercenaries　or　auxiliaries。　Andthe　way　to　take　ready　one's　own　forces　will　be　easily　found　if　the　rulessuggested　by　me　shall　be　reflected　upon；　and　if　one　will　consider　howPhilip；　the　father　of　Alexander　the　Great；　and　many　republics　andprinces　have　armed　and　organized　themselves；　to　which　rules　I　entirelymit　myself。CHAPTER　XIVTHAT　WHICH　CONCERNS　A　PRINCE　ON　THE　SUBJECT　OF　THE　ART　OF　WARA　PRINCE　ought　to　have　no　other　aim　or　thought；　nor　select　anything　elsefor　his　study；　than　war　and　its　rules　and　discipline；　for　this　is　thesole　art　that　belongs　to　him　who　rules；　and　it　is　of　such　force　that　itnot　only　upholds　those　who　are　born　princes；　but　it　often　enables　men　torise　from　a　private　station　to　that　rank。　And；　on　the　contrary；　it　isseen　that　when　princes　have　thought　more　of　ease　than　of　arms　they　havelost　their　states。　And　the　first　cause　of　your　losing　it　is　to　neglectthis　art；　and　what　enables　you　to　acquire　a　state　is　to　be　master　of　theart。　Francesco　Sforza；　through　being　martial；　from　a　private　personbecame　Duke　of　Milan；　and　the　sons；　through　avoiding　the　hardships　andtroubles　of　arms；　from　dukes　became　private　persons。　For　among　otherevils　which　being　unarmed　brings　you；　it　causes　you　to　be　despised；　andthis　is　one　of　those　ignominies　against　which　a　prince　ought　to　guardhimself；　as　is　shown　later　on。　Because　there　is　nothing　proportionatebetween　the　armed　and　the　unarmed；　and　it　is　not　reasonable　that　he　whois　armed　should　yield　obedience　willingly　to　him　who　is　unarmed；　or　thatthe　unarmed　man　should　be　secure　among　armed　servants。　Because；　therebeing　in　the　one　disdain　and　in　the　other　suspicion；　it　is　not　possiblefor　them　to　work　well　together。　And　therefore　a　prince　who　does　notunderstand　the　art　of　war；　over　and　above　the　other　misfortunes　alreadymentioned；　cannot　be　respected　by　his　soldiers；　nor　can　he　rely　on　them。He　ought　never；　therefore；　to　have　out　of　his　thoughts　this　subject　ofwar；　and　in　peace　he　should　addict　himself　more　to　its　exercise　than　inwar；　this　he　can　do　in　two　ways；　the　one　by　action；　the　other　by　study。As　regards　action；　he　ought　above　all　things　to　keep　his　men　wellorganized　and　drilled；　to　follow　incessantly　the　chase；　by　which　heaccustoms　his　body　to　hardships；　and　learns　something　of　the　nature　oflocalities；　and　gets　to　find　out　how　the　mountains　rise；　how　the　valleysopen　out；　how　the　plains　lie；　and　to　understand　the　nature　of　rivers　andmarshes；　and　in　all　this　to　take　the　greatest　care。　Which　knowledge　isuseful　in　two　ways。　Firstly；　he　learns　to　know　his　country；　and　isbetter　able　to　undertake　its　defence；　afterwards；　by　means　of　theknowledge　and　observation　of　that　locality；　he　understands　with　ease　anyother　which　it　may　be　necessary　for　him　to　study　hereafter；　because　thehills；　valleys；　and　plains；　and　rivers　and　marshes　that　are；　forinstance；　in　Tuscany；　have　a　certain　resemblance　to　those　of　othercountries；　so　that　with　a　knowledge　of　the　aspect　of　one　country　one　caneasily　arrive　at　a　knowledge　of　others。　And　the　prince　that　lacks　thisskill　lacks　the　essential　which　it　is　desirable　that　a　captain　shouldpossess；　for　it　teaches　hi