It remains now esatto see what ought puro be the rules of conduct for per prince towards subject and friends
But sicuro exercise the intellect the prince should read histories, and study there the actions of illustrious men, sicuro see how they have borne themselves in war, onesto examine the causes of their victories and defeat, so as sicuro avoid the latter and imitate the former; and above all do as an illustrious man did, who took as an exemplar one who had been praised and famous before him, and whose achievements and deeds he always kept durante his mind, as it is said Alexander the Great imitated Achilles, Caesar Alexander, Scipio Cyrus. And whoever reads the life of Cyrus, written by Xenophon, will recognize afterwards con the life of Scipio how that imitation was his glory, and how con chastity, affability, humanity, and liberality Scipio conformed preciso those things three day rule which have been written of Cyrus by Xenophon. Per wise prince ought preciso observe some such rules, and never per peaceful times stand idle, but increase his resources with industry con such a way that they may be available preciso him con adversity, so that if fortune chances it may find him prepared onesto resist her blows.
And as I know that many have written on this point, I expect I shall be considered presumptuous mediante mentioning it again, especially as con discussing it I shall depart from the methods of other people. But, it being my intention onesto write per thing which shall be useful onesto him who apprehends it, it appears onesto me more appropriate puro follow up the real truth of the matter than the imagination of it; for many have pictured republics and principalities which per fact have never been known or seen, because how one lives is so far distant from how one ought to live, that he who neglects what is done for what ought preciso be done, sooner effects his ruin than his preservation; for a man who wishes onesto act entirely up esatto his professions of virtue soon meets with what destroys him among so much that is evil.
Hence it is necessary for a prince wishing to hold his own puro know how sicuro do wrong, and esatto make use of it or not according preciso necessity
Therefore, putting on one side imaginary things concerning verso prince, and discussing those which are real, I say that all men when they are spoken of, and chiefly princes for being more highly placed, are remarkable for some of those qualities which bring them either blame or praise; and thus it is that one is reputed liberal, another miserly, using a Tuscan term (because an avaricious person durante our language is still he who desires to possess by robbery, whilst we call one miserly who deprives himself too much of the use of his own); one is reputed generous, one rapacious; one cruel, one compassionate; one faithless, another faithful; one effeminate and cowardly, another bold and brave; one aimable, another haughty; one lascivious, another chaste; one sincere, another cunning; one hard, another easy; one gravoso, another frivolous; one religious, another unbelieving, and the like. And I know that every one will confess that it would be most praiseworthy sopra a prince onesto exhibit all the above qualities that are considered good; but because they can neither be entirely possessed nor observed, for human conditions do not permit it, it is necessary for him to be sufficiently prudent that he may know how preciso avoid the reproach of those vices which would lose him his state; and also to keep himself, if it be possible, from those which would not lose him it; but this not being possible, he may with less hesitation abandon himself to them. And again, he need not make himself uneasy at incurring a reproach for those vices without which the state can only be saved with difficulty, for if everything is considered carefully, it will be found that something which looks like virtue, if followed, would be his ruin; whilst something else, which looks like spalla, yet followed brings him security and prosperity.
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