第10部分(第4/7 頁)

nst　snares　and　the　fox　cannot　defend　himself　against　wolves。Therefore；　it　is　necessary　to　be　a　fox　to　discover　the　snares　and　a　lionto　terrify　the　wolves。　Those　who　rely　simply　on　the　lion　do　notunderstand　what　they　are　about。　Therefore　a　wise　lord　cannot；　nor　oughthe　to；　keep　faith　when　such　observance　may　be　turned　against　him；　andwhen　the　reasons　that　caused　him　to　pledge　it　exist　no　longer。　If　menwere　entirely　good　this　precept　would　not　hold；　but　because　they　arebad；　and　will　not　keep　faith　with　you；　you　too　are　not　bound　to　observeit　with　them。　Nor　will　there　ever　be　wanting　to　a　prince　legitimatereasons　to　excuse　this　nonobservance。　Of　this　endless　modern　examplescould　be　given；　showing　how　many　treaties　and　engagements　have　been　madevoid　and　of　no　effect　through　the　faithlessness　of　princes；　and　he　whohas　known　best　how　to　employ　the　fox　has　succeeded　best。But　it　is　necessary　to　know　well　how　to　disguise　this　characteristic；and　to　be　a　great　pretender　and　dissembler；　and　men　are　so　simple；　andso　subject　to　present　necessities；　that　he　who　seeks　to　deceive　willalways　find　someone　who　will　allow　himself　to　be　deceived。　One　recentexample　I　cannot　pass　over　in　silence。　Alexander　VI　did　nothing　else　butdeceive　men；　nor　ever　thought　of　doing　otherwise；　and　he　always　foundvictims；　for　there　never　was　a　man　who　had　greater　power　in　asserting；or　who　with　greater　oaths　would　affirm　a　thing；　yet　would　observe　itless；　nevertheless　his　deceits　always　succeeded　according　to　his　wishes；because　he　well　understood　this　side　of　mankind。Therefore　it　is　unnecessary　for　a　prince　to　have　all　the　good　qualitiesI　have　enumerated；　but　it　is　very　necessary　to　appear　to　have　them。　AndI　shall　dare　to　say　this　also；　that　to　have　them　and　always　to　observethem　is　injurious；　and　that　to　appea