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imilian¡¡I£»¡¡Holy¡¡Roman¡¡Emperor¡£CHAPTER¡¡XIXTHAT¡¡ONE¡¡SHOULD¡¡AVOID¡¡BEING¡¡DESPISED¡¡AND¡¡HATEDNow£»¡¡concerning¡¡the¡¡characteristics¡¡of¡¡which¡¡mention¡¡is¡¡made¡¡above£»¡¡Ihave¡¡spoken¡¡of¡¡the¡¡more¡¡important¡¡ones£»¡¡the¡¡others¡¡I¡¡wish¡¡to¡¡discussbriefly¡¡under¡¡this¡¡generality£»¡¡that¡¡the¡¡prince¡¡must¡¡consider£»¡¡as¡¡hasbeen¡¡in¡¡part¡¡said¡¡before£»¡¡how¡¡to¡¡avoid¡¡those¡¡things¡¡which¡¡will¡¡make¡¡himhated¡¡or¡¡contemptible£»¡¡and¡¡as¡¡often¡¡as¡¡he¡¡shall¡¡have¡¡succeeded¡¡he¡¡willhave¡¡fulfilled¡¡his¡¡part£»¡¡and¡¡he¡¡need¡¡not¡¡fear¡¡any¡¡danger¡¡in¡¡otherreproaches¡£It¡¡makes¡¡him¡¡hated¡¡above¡¡all¡¡things£»¡¡as¡¡I¡¡have¡¡said£»¡¡to¡¡be¡¡rapacious£»and¡¡to¡¡be¡¡a¡¡violator¡¡of¡¡the¡¡property¡¡and¡¡women¡¡of¡¡his¡¡subjects£»¡¡fromboth¡¡of¡¡which¡¡he¡¡must¡¡abstain¡£¡¡And¡¡when¡¡neither¡¡their¡¡property¡¡norhonour¡¡is¡¡touched£»¡¡the¡¡majority¡¡of¡¡men¡¡live¡¡content£»¡¡and¡¡he¡¡has¡¡only¡¡tocontend¡¡with¡¡the¡¡ambition¡¡of¡¡a¡¡few£»¡¡whom¡¡he¡¡can¡¡curb¡¡with¡¡ease¡¡in¡¡manyways¡£It¡¡makes¡¡him¡¡contemptible¡¡to¡¡be¡¡considered¡¡fickle£»¡¡frivolous£»effeminate£»¡¡mean¡spirited£»¡¡irresolute£»¡¡from¡¡all¡¡of¡¡which¡¡a¡¡prince¡¡shouldguard¡¡himself¡¡as¡¡from¡¡a¡¡rock£»¡¡and¡¡he¡¡should¡¡endeavour¡¡to¡¡show¡¡in¡¡hisactions¡¡greatness£»¡¡courage£»¡¡gravity£»¡¡and¡¡fortitude£»¡¡and¡¡in¡¡his¡¡privatedealings¡¡with¡¡his¡¡subjects¡¡let¡¡him¡¡show¡¡that¡¡his¡¡judgments¡¡areirrevocable£»¡¡and¡¡maintain¡¡himself¡¡in¡¡such¡¡reputation¡¡that¡¡no¡¡one¡¡canhope¡¡either¡¡to¡¡deceive¡¡him¡¡or¡¡to¡¡get¡¡round¡¡him¡£That¡¡prince¡¡is¡¡highly¡¡esteemed¡¡who¡¡conveys¡¡this¡¡impression¡¡of¡¡himself£»and¡¡he¡¡who¡¡is¡¡highly¡¡esteemed¡¡is¡¡not¡¡easily¡¡conspired¡¡against£»¡¡for£»provided¡¡it¡¡is¡¡well¡¡known¡¡that¡¡he¡¡is¡¡an¡¡excellent¡¡man¡¡and¡¡revered¡¡by¡¡hispeople£»¡¡he¡¡can¡¡only¡¡be¡¡attacked¡¡with¡¡difficulty¡£¡¡For¡¡this¡¡reason¡¡aprince¡¡ought¡¡to¡¡have¡¡two¡¡fears£»¡¡one¡¡from¡¡within£»¡¡on¡¡account¡¡of¡¡hissubjects£»¡¡the¡¡other¡¡from¡¡without£»¡¡on¡¡account¡¡of¡¡external¡¡powers¡£¡¡Fromthe¡¡latter¡¡he¡¡is¡¡defended¡¡by¡¡being¡¡well¡¡armed¡¡and¡¡having¡¡good¡¡allies£»and¡¡if¡¡he¡¡is¡¡well¡¡armed¡¡he¡¡will¡¡have¡¡good¡¡friends£»¡¡and¡¡affairs¡¡willalways¡¡remain¡¡quiet¡¡within¡¡when¡¡they¡¡are¡¡quiet¡¡without£»¡¡unless¡¡theyshould¡¡have¡¡been¡¡already¡¡disturbed¡¡by¡¡conspiracy£»¡¡and¡¡even¡¡shouldaffairs¡¡outside¡¡be¡¡disturbed£»¡¡if¡¡he¡¡has¡¡carried¡¡out¡¡his¡¡preparations¡¡andhas¡¡lived¡¡as¡¡I¡¡have¡¡said£»¡¡as¡¡long¡¡as¡¡he¡¡does¡¡not¡¡despair£»¡¡he¡¡will¡¡resistevery¡¡attack£»¡¡as¡¡I¡¡said¡¡Nabis¡¡the¡¡Spartan¡¡did¡£But¡¡concerning¡¡his¡¡subjects£»¡¡when¡¡affairs¡¡outside¡¡are¡¡disturbed¡¡he¡¡hasonly¡¡to¡¡fear¡¡that¡¡they¡¡will¡¡conspire¡¡secretly£»¡¡from¡¡which¡¡a¡¡prince¡¡caneasily¡¡secure¡¡himself¡¡by¡¡avoiding¡¡being¡¡hated¡¡and¡¡despised£»¡¡and¡¡bykeeping¡¡the¡¡people¡¡satisfied¡¡with¡¡him£»¡¡which¡¡it¡¡is¡¡most¡¡necessary¡¡forhim¡¡to¡¡acplish£»¡¡as¡¡I¡¡said¡¡above¡¡at¡¡length¡£¡¡And¡¡one¡¡of¡¡the¡¡mostefficacious¡¡remedies¡¡that¡¡a¡¡prince¡¡can¡¡have¡¡against¡¡conspiracies¡¡is¡¡notto¡¡be¡¡hated¡¡and¡¡despised¡¡by¡¡the¡¡people£»¡¡for¡¡he¡¡who¡¡conspires¡¡against¡¡aprince¡¡always¡¡expects¡¡to¡¡please¡¡them¡¡by¡¡his¡¡removal£»¡¡but¡¡when¡¡theconspirator¡¡can¡¡only¡¡look¡¡forward¡¡to¡¡offending¡¡them£»¡¡he¡¡will¡¡not¡¡havethe¡¡courage¡¡to¡¡take¡¡such¡¡a¡¡course£»¡¡for¡¡the¡¡difficulties¡¡that¡¡confront¡¡aconspirator¡¡are¡¡infinite¡£¡¡And¡¡as¡¡experience¡¡shows£»¡¡many¡¡have¡¡been¡¡theconspiracies£»¡¡but¡¡few¡¡have¡¡been¡¡successful£»¡¡because¡¡he¡¡who¡¡conspirescannot¡¡act¡¡alone£»¡¡nor¡¡can¡¡he¡¡take¡¡a¡¡panion¡¡except¡¡from¡¡those¡¡whom¡¡hebelieves¡¡to¡¡be¡¡malcontents£»¡¡and¡¡as¡¡soon¡¡as¡¡you¡¡have¡¡opened¡¡your¡¡mind¡¡toa¡¡malcontent¡¡you¡¡have¡¡given¡¡him¡¡the¡¡material¡¡with¡¡which¡¡to¡¡contenthimself£»¡¡for¡¡by¡¡denouncing¡¡you¡¡he¡¡can¡¡look¡¡for¡¡every¡¡advantage£»¡¡so¡¡that£»seeing¡¡the¡¡gain¡¡from¡¡this¡¡course¡¡to¡¡be¡¡assured£»¡¡and¡¡seeing¡¡the¡¡other¡¡tobe¡¡doubtful¡¡and¡¡full¡¡of¡¡dangers£»¡¡he¡¡must¡¡be¡¡a¡¡very¡¡rare¡¡friend£»¡¡or¡¡athoroughly¡¡obstinate¡¡enemy¡¡of¡¡the¡¡prince£»¡¡to¡¡keep¡¡faith¡¡with¡¡you¡£And£»¡¡to¡¡reduce¡¡the¡¡matter¡¡into¡¡a¡¡small¡¡pass£»¡¡I¡¡say¡¡that£»¡¡on¡¡the¡¡sideof¡¡the¡¡conspirator£»¡¡there¡¡is¡¡nothing¡¡but¡¡fear£»¡¡jealousy£»¡¡prospect¡¡ofpunishment¡¡to¡¡terrify¡¡him£»¡¡but¡¡on¡¡the¡¡side¡¡of¡¡the¡¡prince¡¡there¡¡is¡¡themajesty¡¡of¡¡the¡¡principality£»¡¡the¡¡laws£»¡¡the¡¡protection¡¡of¡¡friends¡¡and¡¡thestate¡¡to¡¡defend¡¡him£»¡¡so¡¡that£»¡¡adding¡¡to¡¡all¡¡these¡¡things¡¡the¡¡populargoodwill£»¡¡it¡¡is¡¡impossible¡¡that¡¡any¡¡one¡¡should¡¡be¡¡so¡¡rash¡¡as¡¡toconspire¡£¡¡For¡¡whereas¡¡in¡¡general¡¡the¡¡conspirator¡¡has¡¡to¡¡fear¡¡before¡¡theexecution¡¡of¡¡his¡¡plot£»¡¡in¡¡this¡¡case¡¡he¡¡has¡¡also¡¡to¡¡fear¡¡the¡¡sequel¡¡tothe¡¡crime£»¡¡because¡¡on¡¡account¡¡of¡¡it¡¡he¡¡has¡¡the¡¡people¡¡for¡¡an¡¡enemy£»¡¡andthus¡¡cannot¡¡hope¡¡for¡¡any¡¡escape¡£Endless¡¡examples¡¡could¡¡be¡¡given¡¡on¡¡this¡¡subject£»¡¡but¡¡I¡¡will¡¡be¡¡contentwith¡¡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