CHAPTER XXI - HOW A PRINCE SHOULD CONDUCT HIMSELF SO AS TO GAIN RENOWN

NOTHING makes a prince so much esteemed as great enterprises and
setting a fine example. We have in our time Ferdinand of Aragon, the
present King of Spain. He can almost be called a new prince, because
he has risen, by fame and glory, from being an insignificant king to
be the foremost king in Christendom; and if you will consider his
deeds you will find them all great and some of them extraordinary.
In the beginning of his reign he attacked Granada, and this enterprise
was the foundation of his dominions. He did this quietly at first
and without any fear of hindrance, for he held the minds of the barons
of Castile occupied in thinking of the war and not anticipating any
innovations; thus they did not perceive that by these means he was
acquiring power and authority over them. He was able with the money of
the Church and of the people to sustain his armies, and by that long
war to lay the foundation for the military skill which has since
distinguished him. Further, always using religion as a plea, so as
to undertake greater schemes, he devoted himself with a pious
cruelty to driving out and clearing his kingdom of the Moors; nor
could there be a more admirable example, nor one more rare. Under this
same cloak he assailed Africa, he came down on Italy, he has finally
attacked France; and thus his achievements and designs have always
been great, and have kept the minds of his people in suspense and
admiration and occupied with the issue of them. And his actions have
arisen in such a way, one out of the other, that men have never been
given time to work steadily against him.

Again, it much assists a prince to set unusual examples in
internal affairs, similar to those which are related of Messer Bernabo
da Milano, who, when he had the opportunity, by any one in civil
life doing some extraordinary thing, either good or bad, would take
some method of rewarding or punishing him, which would be much
spoken about. And a prince ought, above all things, always to
endeavour in every action to gain for himself the reputation of
being a great and remarkable man.

A prince is also respected when he is either a true friend or a
downright enemy, that to say, when, without any reservation, he
declares himself in favour of one party against the other; which
course will always be more advantageous than standing neutral; because
if two of your powerful neighbours come to blows, they are of such a
character that, if one of them conquers, you have either to fear him
or not. In either case it will always be more advantageous for you
to declare yourself and to make war strenuously; because, in the first
case, if you do not declare yourself, you will invariably fall a
prey to the conqueror, to the pleasure and satisfaction of him who has
been conquered, and you will have no reasons to offer, nor anything to
protect or to shelter you. Because he who conquers does not want
doubtful friends who will not aid him in the time of trial; and he who
loses will not harbour you because you did not willingly, sword in
hand, court his fate.

Antiochus went into Greece, being sent for by the Aetolians to drive
out the Romans. He sent envoys to the Achaeans, who were friends of
the Romans, exhorting them to remain neutral; and on the other hand
the Romans urged them to take up arms. This question came to be
discussed in the council of the Achaeans, where the legate of
Antiochus urged them to stand neutral. To this the Roman legate
answered: "As for that which has been said, that it is better and more
advantageous for your state not to interfere in our war, nothing can
be more erroneous; because by not interfering you will be left,
without favour or consideration, the guerdon of the conqueror." Thus
it will always happen that he who is not your friend will demand
your neutrality, whilst he who is your friend will entreat you to
declare yourself with arms. And irresolute princes, to avoid present
dangers, generally follow the neutral path, and are generally
ruined. But when a prince declares himself gallantly in favour of
one side, if the party with whom he allies himself conquers,
although the victor may be powerful and may have him at his mercy, yet
he is indebted to him, and there is established a bond of amity; and
men are never so shameless as to become a monument of ingratitude by
oppressing you. Victories after all are never so complete that the
victor must not show some regard, especially to justice. But if he
with whom you ally yourself loses, you may be sheltered by him, and
whilst he is able he may aid you, and you become companions in a
fortune that may rise again.

In the second case, when those who fight are of such a character
that you have no anxiety as to who may conquer, so much the more is it
greater prudence to be allied, because you assist at the destruction
of one by the aid of another who, if he had been wise, would have
saved him; and conquering, as it is impossible that he should not with
your assistance, he remains at your discretion. And here it is to be
noted that a prince ought to take care never to make an alliance
with one more powerful than himself for the purpose of attacking
others, unless necessity compels him, as is said above; because if
he conquers you are at his discretion, and princes ought to avoid as
much as possible being at the discretion of any one. The Venetians
joined with France against the Duke of Milan, and this alliance, which
caused their ruin, could have been avoided. But when it cannot be
avoided, as happened to the Florentines when the Pope and Spain sent
armies to attack Lombardy, then in such a case, for the above reasons,
the prince ought to favour one of the parties.

Never let any Government imagine that it can choose perfectly safe
courses; rather let it expect to have to take very doubtful ones,
because it is found in ordinary affairs that one never seeks to
avoid one trouble without running into another; but prudence
consists in knowing how to distinguish the character of troubles,
and for choice to take the lesser evil.

A prince ought also to show himself a patron of ability, and to
honour the proficient in every art. At the same time he should
encourage his citizens to practise their callings peaceably, both in
commerce and agriculture, and in every other following, so that the
one should not be deterred from improving his possessions for fear
lest they be taken away from him or another from opening up trade
for fear of taxes; but the prince ought to offer rewards to whoever
wishes to do these things and designs in any way to honour his city or
state.

Further, he ought to entertain the people with festivals and
spectacles at convenient seasons of the year; and as every city is
divided into guilds or into societies, he ought to hold such bodies in
esteem, and associate with them sometimes, and show himself an example
of courtesy and liberality; nevertheless, always maintaining the
majesty of his rank, for this he must never consent to abate in
anything.

