《马基雅维里 君主论英文prince》

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马基雅维里 君主论英文prince- 第19部分


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pondering over this; I am in some degree inclined to their opinion。

Nevertheless; not to extinguish our free will; I hold it to be true that

Fortune is the arbiter of one…half of our actions; but that she still

leaves us to direct the other half; or perhaps a little less。



I pare her to one of those raging rivers; which when in flood

overflows the plains; sweeping away trees and buildings; bearing away

the soil from place to place; everything flies before it; all yield to

its violence; without being able in any way to withstand it; and yet;

though its nature be such; it does not follow therefore that men; when

the weather bees fair; shall not make provision; both with defences

and barriers; in such a manner that; rising again; the waters may pass

away by canal; and their force be neither so unrestrained nor so

dangerous。 So it happens with fortune; who shows her power where valour

has not prepared to resist her; and thither she turns her forces where

she knows that barriers and defences have not been raised to constrain

her。



And if you will consider Italy; which is the seat of these changes; and

which has given to them their impulse; you will see it to be an open

country without barriers and without any defence。 For if it had been

defended by proper valour; as are Germany; Spain; and France; either

this invasion would not have made the great changes it has made or it

would not have e at all。 And this I consider enough to say concerning

resistance to fortune in general。



But confining myself more to the particular; I say that a prince may be

seen happy to…day and ruined to…morrow without having shown any change

of disposition or character。 This; I believe; arises firstly from causes

that have already been discussed at length; namely; that the prince who

relies entirely upon fortune is lost when it changes。 I believe also

that he will be successful who directs his actions according to the

spirit of the times; and that he whose actions do not accord with the

times will not be successful。 Because men are seen; in affairs that lead

to the end which every man has before him; namely; glory and riches; to

get there by various methods; one with caution; another with haste; one

by force; another by skill; one by patience; another by its opposite;

and each one succeeds in reaching the goal by a different method。 One

can 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 from

nothing else than whether or not they conform in their methods to the

spirit of the times。 This follows from what I have said; that two men

working differently bring about the same effect; and of two working

similarly; one attains his object and the other does not。



Changes in estate also issue from this; for if; to one who governs

himself with caution and patience; times and affairs converge in such a

way that his administration is successful; his fortune is made; but if

times and affairs change; he is ruined if he does not change his course

of action。 But a man is not often found sufficiently circumspect to know

how to acmodate himself to the change; both because he cannot deviate

from what nature inclines him to; and also because; having always

prospered by acting in one way; he cannot be persuaded that it is well

to leave it; and; therefore; the cautious man; when it is time to turn

adventurous; does not know how to do it; hence he is ruined; but had he

changed his conduct with the times fortune would not have changed。



Pope Julius II went to work impetuously in all his affairs; and found

the times and circumstances conform so well to that line of action that

he always met with success。 Consider his first enterprise against

Bologna; Messer Giovanni Bentivogli being still alive。 The Venetians

were not agreeable to it; nor was the King of Spain; and he had the

enterprise still under discussion with the King of France; nevertheless

he personally entered upon the expedition with his accustomed boldness

and energy; a move which made Spain and the Venetians stand irresolute

and passive; the latter from fear; the former from desire to recover all

the kingdom of Naples; on the other hand; he drew after him the King of

France; because that king; having observed the movement; and desiring to

make the Pope his friend so as to humble the Venetians; found it

impossible to refuse him soldiers without manifestly offending him。

Therefore Julius with his impetuous action acplished what no other

pontiff with simple human wisdom could have done; for if he had waited

in Rome until he could get away; with his plans arranged and everything

fixed; as any other pontiff would have done; he would never have

succeeded。 Because the King of France would have made a thousand

excuses; and the others would have raised a thousand fears。



I will leave his other actions alone; as they were all alike; and they

all succeeded; for the shortness of his life did not let him experience

the contrary; but if circumstances had arisen which required him to go

cautiously; his ruin would have followed; because he would never have

deviated from those ways to which nature inclined him。



I conclude therefore that; fortune being changeful and mankind steadfast

in 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 is

better to be adventurous than cautious; because fortune is a woman; and

if 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 adventurous

rather than by those who go to work more coldly。 She is; therefore;

always; woman…like; a lover of young men; because they are less

cautious; more violent; and with more audacity mand her。



CHAPTER XXVI



AN EXHORTATION TO LIBERATE ITALY FROM THE BARBARIANS



HAVING carefully considered the subject of the above discourses; and

wondering within myself whether the present times were propitious to a

new prince; and whether there were the elements that would give an

opportunity to a wise and virtuous one to introduce a new order of

things which would do honour to him and good to the people of this

country; it appears to me that so many things concur to favour a new

prince 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 be

captive so as to make manifest the ability of Moses; that the Persians

should be oppressed by the Medes so as to discover the greatness of the

soul of Cyrus; and that the Athenians should be dispersed to illustrate

the capabilities of Theseus: then at the present time; in order to

discover the virtue of an Italian spirit; it was necessary that Italy

should be reduced to the extremity she is now in; that she should be

more enslaved than the Hebrews; more oppressed than the Persians; more

scattered 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 us

think he was ordained by God for our redemption; nevertheless it was

afterwards seen; in the height of his career; that fortune rejected him;

so that Italy; left as without life; waits for him who shall yet heal

her wounds and put an end to the ravaging and plundering of Lombardy; to

the swindling and taxing of the kingdom and of Tuscany; and cleanse

those sores that for long have festered。 It is seen how she entreats God

to send someone who shall deliver her from these wrongs and barbarous

insolencies。 It is seen also that she is ready and willing to follow a

banner if only someone will raise it。



Nor is there to be seen at present one in whom she can place more hope

than in your illustrious house; with its valour and fortune; favoured by

God and by the Church of which it is now the chief; and which could be

made the head of this redemption。 This will not be difficult if you will

recall to yourself the actions and lives of the men I have named。 And

although they were great and wonderful men; yet they were men; and each

one of them had no more opportunity than the present offers; for their

enterprises were neither more just nor easier than this; nor was God

more their friend than He is yours。



With us there is great justice; because that war is just which is

necessary; and arms are hallowed when there is no other hope but in

them。 Here there is the greatest willingness; and where the willingness

is great the difficulties cannot be great if you will only follow those

men to whom I have directed your attention。 Further than this; how

extraordinarily the ways of God have been manifested beyond example: the

sea is divided; a cloud has led the way; the rock has poured forth

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