第6部分(第2/7 頁)

e　can　do　wellwithout　the　same　nobles；　being　able　to　make　and　unmake　them　daily；　andto　give　or　take　away　authority　when　it　pleases　him。Therefore；　to　make　this　point　clearer；　I　say　that　the　nobles　ought　to　belooked　at　mainly　in　two　ways：　that　is　to　say；　they　either　shape　theircourse　in　such　a　way　as　binds　them　entirely　to　your　fortune；　or　they　donot。　Those　who　so　bind　themselves；　and　are　not　rapacious；　ought　to　behonoured　and　loved；　those　who　do　not　bind　themselves　may　be　dealt　within　two　ways；　they　may　fail　to　do　this　through　pusillanimity　and　anatural　want　of　courage；　in　which　case　you　ought　to　make　use　of　them；especially　of　those　who　are　of　good　counsel；　and　thus；　whilst　inprosperity　you　honour　yourself；　in　adversity　you　have　not　to　fear　them。But　when　for　their　own　ambitious　ends　they　shun　binding　themselves；　itis　a　token　that　they　are　giving　more　thought　to　themselves　than　to　you；and　a　prince　ought　to　guard　against　such；　and　to　fear　them　as　if　theywere　open　enemies；　because　in　adversity　they　always　help　to　ruin　him。Therefore；　one　who　bees　a　prince　through　the　favour　of　the　peopleought　to　keep　them　friendly；　and　this　he　can　easily　do　seeing　they　onlyask　not　to　be　oppressed　by　him。　But　one　who；　in　opposition　to　thepeople；　bees　a　prince　by　the　favour　of　the　nobles；　ought；　aboveeverything；　to　seek　to　win　the　people　over　to　himself；　and　this　he　mayeasily　do　if　he　takes　them　under　his　protection。　Because　men；　when　theyreceive　good　from　him　of　whom　they　were　expecting　evil；　are　bound　moreclosely　to　their　benefactor；　thus　the　people　quickly　bee　more　devotedto　him　than　if　he　had　been　raised　to　the　principality　by　their　favours；and　the　prince　can　win　their　affections　in　many　ways；　but　as　these　varyaccording　to　the　circumstances　one　cannot　give　fixed　rules；　so　I　omitthem；　but；　I