君主论-the prince(英文版)-第2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！


s　would　be　that　he　　should　go　and　reside　there。This　would　make　his　position　more　secure　and　durable；　as　it　has　madethat　of　the　Turk　in　Greece；　who；　notwithstanding　all　the　other　measurestaken　by　him　for　holding　that　state；　if　he　had　not　settled　there；　wouldnot　have　been　able　to　keep　it。　Because；　if　one　is　on　the　spot；　disordersare　seen　as　they　spring　up；　and　one　can　quickly　remedy　them；　but　if　oneis　not　at　hand；　they　heard　of　only　when　they　are　one　can　no　longerremedy　them。　Besides　this；　the　country　is　not　pillaged　by　yourofficials；　the　subjects　are　satisfied　by　prompt　recourse　to　the　prince；thus；　wishing　to　be　good；　they　have　more　cause　to　love　him；　and　wishingto　be　otherwise；　to　fear　him。　He　who　would　attack　that　state　from　theoutside　must　have　the　utmost　caution；　as　long　as　the　prince　residesthere　it　can　only　be　wrested　from　him　with　the　greatest　difficulty。The　other　and　better　course　is　to　send　colonies　to　one　or　two　places；which　may　be　as　keys　to　that　state；　for　it　necessary　either　to　do　thisor　else　to　keep　there　a　great　number　of　cavalry　and　infantry。　A　princedoes　not　spend　much　on　colonies；　for　with　little　or　no　expense　he　cansend　them　out　and　keep　them　there；　and　he　offends　a　minority　only　of　thecitizens　from　whom　he　takes　lands　and　houses　to　give　them　to　the　newinhabitants；　and　those　whom　he　offends；　remaining　poor　and　scattered；are　never　able　to　injure　him；　whilst　the　rest　being　uninjured　are　easilykept　quiet；　and　at　the　same　time　are　anxious　not　to　err　for　fear　itshould　happen　to　them　as　it　has　to　those　who　have　been　despoiled。　Inconclusion；　I　say　that　these　colonies　are　not　costly；　they　are　morefaithful；　they　injure　less；　and　the　injured；　as　has　been　said；　beingpoor　and　scattered；　cannot　hurt。　Upon　this；　one　has　to　remark　that　menought　either　to　be　well　treated　or　crushed；　because　they　can　avengethemselves　of　lighter　injuries；　of　more　serious　ones　they　cannot；therefore　the　injury　that　is　to　be　done　to　a　man　ought　to　be　of　such　akind　that　one　does　not　stand　in　fear　of　revenge。But　in　maintaining　armed　men　there　in　place　of　colonies　one　spends　muchmore；　having　to　consume　on　the　garrison　all　ine　from　the　state；　sothat　the　acquisition　turns　into　a　loss；　and　many　more　are　exasperated；because　the　whole　state　is　injured；　through　the　shifting　of　the　garrisonup　and　down　all　bee　acquainted　with　hardship；　and　all　bee　hostile；and　they　are　enemies　who；　whilst　beaten　on　their　own　ground；　are　yetable　to　do　hurt。　For　every　reason；　therefore；　such　guards　are　as　uselessas　a　colony　is　useful。Again；　the　prince　who　holds　a　country　differing　in　the　above　respectsought　to　make　himself　the　head　and　defender　of　his　powerful　neighbours；and　to　weaken　the　more　powerful　amongst　them；　taking　care　that　noforeigner　as　powerful　as　himself　shall；　by　any　accident；　get　a　footingthere；　for　it　will　always　happen　that　such　a　one　will　be　introduced　bythose　who　are　discontented；　either　through　excess　of　ambition　or　throughfear；　as　one　has　seen　already。　The　Romans　were　brought　into　Greece　bythe　Aetolians；　and　in　every　other　country　where　they　obtained　a　footingthey　were　brought　in　by　the　inhabitants。　And　the　usual　course　of　affairsis　that；　as　soon　as　a　powerful　foreigner　enters　a　country；　all　thesubject　states　are　drawn　to　him；　moved　by　the　hatred　which　they　feelagainst　the　ruling　power。　So　that　in　respect　to　these　subject　states　hehas　not　to　take　any　trouble　to　gain　them　over　to　himself；　for　the　wholeof　them　quickly　rally　to　the　state　which　he　has　acquired　there。　He　hasonly　to　take　care　that　they　do　not　get　hold　of　too　much　power　and　toomuch　authority；　and　then　with　his　own　forces；　and　with　their　goodwill；he　can　easily　keep　down　the　more　powerful　of　them；　so　as　to　remainentirely　master　in　the　country。　And　he　who　does　not　properly　manage　thisbusiness　will　soon　lose　what　he　has　acquired；　and　whilst　he　does　hold　ithe　will　have　endless　difficulties　and　troubles。The　Romans；　in　the　countries　which　they　annexed；　observed　closely　thesemeasures；　they　sent　colonies　and　maintained　friendly　relations　with　theminor　powers；　without　increasing　their　strength；　they　kept　down　thegreater；　and　did　not　allow　any　strong　foreign　powers　to　gain　authority。Greece　appears　to　me　sufficient　for　an　example。　The　Achaeans　andAetolians　were　kept　friendly　by　them；　the　kingdom　of　Macedonia　washumbled；　Antiochus　was　driven　out；　yet　the　merits　of　the　Achaeans　andAetolians　never　secured　for　them　permission　to　increase　their　power；　nordid　the　persuasions　of　Philip　ever　induce　the　Romans　to　be　his　friendswithout　first　humbling　him；　nor　did　the　influence　of　Antiochus　make　themagree　that　he　should　retain　any　lordship　over　the　country。　Because　theRomans　did　in　these　instances　what　all　prudent　princes　ought　to　do；　whohave　to　regard　not　only　present　troubles；　but　also　future　ones；　forwhich　they　must　prepare　with　every　energy；　because；　when　foreseen；　it　iseasy　to　remedy　them；　but　if　you　wait　until　they　approach；　the　medicineis　no　longer　in　time　because　the　malady　has　bee　incurable；　for　ithappens　in　this；　as　the　physicians　say　it　happens　in　hectic　fever；　thatin　the　beginning　of　the　malady　it　is　easy　to　cure　but　difficult　todetect；　but　in　the　course　of　time；　not　having　been　either　detected　ortreated　in　the　beginning；　it　bees　easy　to　detect　but　difficult　tocure。　Thus　it　happens　in　affairs　of　state；　for　when　the　evils　that　arisehave　been　foreseen　（which　it　is　only　given　to　a　wise　man　to　see）；　theycan　be　quickly　redressed；　but　when；　through　not　having　been　foreseen；they　have　been　permitted　to　grow　in　a　way　that　every　one　can　see　them。there　is　no　longer　a　remedy。　Therefore；　the　Romans；　foreseeing　troubles；dealt　with　them　at　once；　and；　even　to　avoid　a　war；　would　not　let　theme　to　a　head；　for　they　knew　that　war　is　not　to　be　avoided；　but　is　onlyput　off　to　the　advantage　of　others；　moreover　they　wished　to　fight　withPhilip　and　Antiochus　in　Greece　so　as　not　to　have　to　do　it　in　Italy；　theycould　have　avoided　both；　but　this　they　did　not　wish；　nor　did　that　everplease　them　which　is　for　ever　in　the　mouths　of　the　wise　ones　of　ourtime：……　Let　us　enjoy　the　benefits　of　the　time　……　but　rather　the　benefits　oftheir　own　valour　and　prudence；　for　time　drives　everything　before　it；　andis　able　to　bring　with　it　good　as　well　as　evil；　a