第11部分(第3/7 頁)

ngdoms　of　our　times　is　France；　andin　it　are　found　many　good　institutions　on　which　depend　the　liberty　andsecurity　of　the　king；　of　these　the　first　is　the　parliament　and　itsauthority；　because　he　who　founded　the　kingdom；　knowing　the　ambition　ofthe　nobility　and　their　boldness；　considered　that　a　bit　in　their　mouthswould　be　necessary　to　hold　them　in；　and；　on　the　other　side；　knowing　thehatred　of　the　people；　founded　in　fear；　against　the　nobles；　he　wished　toprotect　them；　yet　he　was　not　anxious　for　this　to　be　the　particular　careof　the　king；　therefore；　to　take　away　the　reproach　which　he　would　beliable　to　from　the　nobles　for　favouring　the　people；　and　from　the　peoplefor　favouring　the　nobles；　he　set　up　an　arbiter；　who　should　be　one　whocould　beat　down　the　great　and　favour　the　lesser　without　reproach　to　theking。　Neither　could　you　have　a　better　or　a　more　prudent　arrangement；　ora　greater　source　of　security　to　the　king　and　kingdom。　From　this　one　candraw　another　important　conclusion；　that　princes　ought　to　leave　affairsof　reproach　to　the　management　of　others；　and　keep　those　of　grace　intheir　own　hands。　And　further；　I　consider　that　a　prince　ought　to　cherishthe　nobles；　but　not　so　as　to　make　himself　hated　by　the　people。It　may　appear；　perhaps；　to　some　who　have　examined　the　lives　and　deathsof　the　Roman　emperors　that　many　of　them　would　be　an　example　contrary　tomy　opinion；　seeing　that　some　of　them　lived　nobly　and　showed　greatqualities　of　soul；　nevertheless　they　have　lost　their　empire　or　have　beenkilled　by　subjects　who　have　conspired　against　them。　Wishing；　therefore；to　answer　these　objections；　I　will　recall　the　characters　of　some　of　theemperors；　and　will　show　that　the　causes　of　their　ruin　were　not　differentto　those　alleged　by　me；　at　the　same　time　I　will　only　submit　forconsideration　those　things　that