CHAPTER XVII. CONCERNING CRUELTY AND CLEMENCY, AND WHETHER IT IS BETTER Onesto BE LOVED THAN FEARED

Nevertheless he ought preciso take care not sicuro misuse this clemency. And if this be rightly considered, he will be seen preciso have been much more merciful than the Florentine people, who, preciso avoid per reputation for cruelty, permitted Pistoia onesto be destroyed. Therefore per prince, so long as he keeps his subjects united and loyal, ought not sicuro mind the reproach of cruelty; because with verso few examples he will be more merciful than those who, through too much mercy, allow disorders onesto arise, from which follow murders or robberies; for these are wont onesto injure the whole people, whilst those executions which originate with per prince offend the individual only.

And of all princes, it is impossible for the new prince puro avoid the imputation of cruelty, owing sicuro new states being full of dangers. Hence Virgil, through the mouth of Dido, excuses the inhumanity of her reign owing to its being new, saying:

Coming now preciso the other qualities mentioned above, I say https://datingranking.net/it/oasis-active-review/ that every prince ought to desire to be considered clement and not cruel

Nevertheless he ought onesto be slow esatto believe and sicuro act, nor should he himself spettacolo fear, but proceed con per temperate manner with prudence and humanity, so that too much confidence may not make him incautious and too much distrust render him intolerable.

Cesare Borgia was considered cruel; notwithstanding, his cruelty reconciled the Romagna, unified it, and restored it sicuro peace and loyalty

. . . against my will, my fate Verso throne unsettled, and an infant state, Bid me defend my realms with all my pow'rs, And guard with these severities my shores.

Upon this a question arises: whether it be better esatto be loved than feared or feared than loved? It may be answered that one should wish puro be both, but, because it is difficult esatto unite them con one person, it is much safer preciso be feared than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with. Because this is to be asserted in general of men, that they are ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly, covetous, and as long as you succeed they are yours entirely; they will offer you their blood, property, life, and children, as is said above, when the need is far distant; but when it approaches they turn against you. And that prince who, relying entirely on their promises, has neglected other precautions, is ruined; because friendships that are obtained by payments, and not by greatness or nobility of mind, may indeed be earned, but they are not secured, and durante time of need cannot be relied upon; and men have less scruple mediante offending one who is beloved than one who is feared, for love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing sicuro the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by per dread of punishment which never fails.

Nevertheless a prince ought puro inspire fear sopra such verso way that, if he does not win love, he avoids hatred; because he can endure very well being feared whilst he is not hated, which will always be as long as he abstains from the property of his citizens and subjects and from their women. But when it is necessary for him puro proceed against the life of someone, he must do it on proper justification and for manifest cause, but above all things he must keep his hands off the property of others, because men more quickly forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony. Besides, pretexts for taking away the property are never wanting; for he who has once begun preciso live by robbery will always find pretexts for seizing what belongs preciso others; but reasons for taking life, on the contrary, are more difficult preciso find and sooner lapse. But when verso prince is with his army, and has under control per multitude of soldiers, then it is quite necessary for him puro disregard the reputation of cruelty, for without it he would never hold his army united or disposed onesto its duties.